Conducting of the Assessment Exercise - Report Example

Assessment Report Introduction The key aim of assessment is to help improve the process of learning. Basically, assessment exercises significantly impact both learning and teaching. Through assessment, students, teachers and parents are able to know, students’ strengths, weaknesses and the progress that students have made in their learning. This in turn enables the teacher to adjust their program or their instructional approach in order to ensure that students realise positive learning outcomes. Assessments also enable teachers to provide useful feedback to students thus allowing them to become aware of what to improve or focus on. When assessments are effective, there is a high likelihood that they can help improve the process of learning and the overall learning outcomes of students (CCWA, 2004: Killen, 2005). According to Gareis, & Grant (2008) and UOT (2011), effective assessment practices incorporate interrelated and integrated cycle of processes that involve the use of different forms of assessment like; diagnostic, formative and summative assessment. A synchronised use of these forms of assessment helps students, teachers and parents to gain insight on, what students need to learn, how well students are learning and what changes need to be implemented in order for students to learn better (Gareis, & Grant, 2008; UOT, 2011). This report seeks to illustrate how an assessment exercise was conducted. The assessment process involved an 8 years old student in Grade 3. Using the Australian Curriculum as a guide, this report will depict how the assessment process determined whether the student is below or above the expected standard. In this case, the learning area that will be assessed is English. The assessment will specifically focus on the language strand. Foremost, this report will provide a brief profile of the student that will be assessed. Secondly, it will describe the standards that the students is expected to achieve based on the Year 3 English curriculum, language strand. Subsequently, this report will focus on describing how the diagnostic, formative and summative assessment phases were conducted. In addition, this report will discuss the overall implementation of this assessment exercise and provide recommendations on what the follow-up lessons should focus on. Student Profile John is an eight year old student in Year 3. According to information provided by his teachers and parents through a brief questionnaire, English is the primary language that John uses in his day to day communications and interactions. He is also conversant in French. John started attending preschool at the age of four. While in preschool he learnt basic reading and writing and substantially conveyed a good grasp in the English language. Over the years, his overall performance in English has been above average. He generally understands the nature of different types of texts and can construct meaning from both visual and written forms of texts. John is often eager to learn and shows keen interest in reading and narrating stories. Moreover, John is conversant with technology. At home, he frequently plays computer games and is thus familiar on how to use different computer applications. At school, he has also been exposed to using different forms of technologies. For instance, some of the technologies that they frequently use in school include; classroom PC’s, Smartboards and projectors. Expected standards The Year 3 English curriculum is mainly embedded on three key interrelated strands namely; language, literacy and literature. These strands focus on equipping students’ with knowledge, understanding and skills in reading, writing, listening, creating and viewing. This assessment exercise will specifically focus on the language strand which generally involves aspects such as; language variation and change, language interaction, text structure and organisation and development and expression of ideas. Using this strand as guide, some of the key standards that Year 3 students are expected to realise include; Understanding the variations or differences in language particularly with regards to visual and written systems of communication, oral traditions and in the construction of meaning (ACELA1475) (ACARA, 2011). Understanding social conventions that promote effective interaction in both formal and informal situations (ACELA1476) (ACARA, 2011). Understanding how various types of texts differ in function or purpose (tenses, sentence types and mood) (ACELA1478) (ACARA, 2011). Understanding key features of online texts such as hyperlinks, sitemaps, buttons and bars (ACELA1790). Understanding and recognising grammatical accuracy and inaccuracy when it comes to the usage of apostrophes (ACELA 1480). Understanding the different functions and uses of verbs (ACELA1482). Understanding the organisation of paragraphs in written texts (ACELA1479). Understanding what clauses are and how they are formed and used (ACELA1481). Understanding spelling strategies phonological knowledge, three letter cluster, visual knowledge and morphemic knowledge (ACELA1485). (ACARA, 2011). Diagnostic assessment According to McAndrews (2008) the main purpose of diagnostic assessment is to determine the weaknesses, strength, skills and knowledge of students prior to instruction. By establishing this, the teacher is able to adjust the program and remediate students in order to meet the unique learning needs of each student. According to the standards set by the Curriculum Council of Western Australia (CCWA) (2004), effective assessments should be responsive and sensitive to the needs of students so that they are in a better position to achieve curriculum outcomes (CCWA, 2004). Through diagnostic assessments teachers are able to obtain information about students’ misconceptions and prior knowledge before they begin their learning activity. These forms of assessments also provide teachers with a baseline for understanding what they need to teach in order to meet the standards set in the curriculum (McAndrews, 2008). In reference to CCWA (2004), information collected through assessments should provide credible indication on whether students are able to realise the outcomes set in the curriculum. Therefore, conducting diagnostic assessment is important since it enables teachers to establish what students know and what they should do in order to help students realise positive learning outcomes (McAndrews, 2008; CCWA, 2004). The initial step or procedure of this assessment exercise involved diagnostic assessment. The diagnostic phase of assessment was conducted so as to establish the strengths, weaknesses, knowledge and skills of John in relations to the language strand. Several approaches were used in the implementation of this process. Some of the methods used during this stage include; assessing previous work portfolio, a grammar pretest and an interview. Assessment of previous work portfolio Foremost, John’ s previous work portfolio was reviewed and assessed so as to ascertain whether he has a good grasp of key elements of the language strand such as language variation and change, language interaction, text structure and organisation and development and expression of ideas. The portfolio examined showed the students’ work in three main language strands; the organisation of paragraphs in written texts (ACELA1479), grammatical accuracy in the usage of apostrophes (ACELA 1480) and functions and uses of verbs (ACELA1482) (ACARA, 2011). Basically, John’s work portfolio comprised of two compositions entitled “Why I love my country” and “Our School.” (See Appendix 1). His grades in these two compositions were 56(C) and 51 (C) respectively. John’s compositions were assessed based on the following standards in the language strand of the Australian English curriculum; ACELA1479, ACELA 1480, ACELA1482 and ACELA1475 (ACARA, 2011). In this case, his composition was assessed based on how he expresses his ideas, his choice of words, how he organised his paragraphs and his use of punctuation marks such as apostrophes, full stops and comas. A critical review and assessment of John’s work portfolio showed that his knowledge and skills in the standards depict in the language strand of the Australian English curriculum is generally good. Based on his compositions some of his key strengths include; clear expression of ideas, good paragraph organisation and proper use of punctuation marks. However some of the weaknesses identified in his composition include; lack of coherence, limited use of proper diction and lack of adequate detail. The assessment of the students’ work portfolio provided a good base of determining what the student knows with regards to the language strand and what should the teacher focus on or address in order to improve his learning outcomes. Pre-test Besides the assessment of student’s work portfolio, the diagnostic phase also involved the use of pre-tests so as to ascertain John’s strengths, weaknesses, knowledge and skills in relations to the language strand that could not be established through an assessment of his work portfolio. The pre-test administered incorporated four sets of questions which tested the student’s knowledge and skills in areas such as; the construction of meaning (ACELA1475), text tenses (ACELA1478), functions and uses of verbs (ACELA1482) and the formation of clauses (ACELA1481) (ACARA, 2011).John’s overall performance in the pre-test was above average (see appendix 2). A critical look at his performance in the pretest shows that he has a good grasp on tenses, uses of verbs and the formation of clauses. Nevertheless, one of his key areas of weakness involves construction of meaning and understanding the variations or differences in language. The use of a grammar pre-test in the diagnostic phase was very helpful since it provided insight into John’s strengths, weaknesses, knowledge and skills when it comes to, construction of meaning, text tenses, functions and uses of verbs and the formation of clauses. The pre-test also provided information regarding the areas of language that should be addressed in order to improve John’s performance. Interview In addition, a 10 minutes interview was carried out in order to establish John’s strengths, weaknesses, knowledge and skills in understanding the variations or differences in language particularly with regards to visual and written systems of communication (ACELA1475) and technology (ACELA1790) (ACARA, 2011).This interview session incorporated the use of technologies such as classroom PC’s and Smartboards. When conducting the interview, John was foremost briefed about the purpose of the interview and what was expected from him in the course of the interview session. Generally, the interview involved two sets of questions. The first question required John to keenly observe and interpret the meaning of an image showcased in the smart board .The second question required John to use the computer to find online texts that talk about “Culture in Australia”. In this scenario John was expected to explain how he goes about finding online texts that provided information on culture in Australia and some of the key words he used to find information (see appendix 3 for the interview questions and responses). The responses provided by John during the interview illuminated his knowledge, understanding and skills in constructing meaning from visual texts and finding information from online texts. John’s responses in this interview indicate that he can effectively construct meaning from visual texts and find information from online texts. However, during the interview it became evident that when it comes to finding information online, he is very slow and has limited knowledge and skills. Formative assessment Generally, formative assessment refers to a type of assessment that is specifically geared towards generating feedback that will help accelerate or improve students’ learning. Formative assessment is also referred to as “continuous assessment” since it is ongoing throughout the instructional and learning process (Tuttle, 2009). According to Hall & Burke (2004) and Tuttle (2009), formative assessment is often conducted in the course of learning and teaching. Basically, this form of assessment is geared towards measuring students’ progress in learning and providing continuous feedback to both teachers and students. Formative assessments also help teachers to identify areas in their instructional process or students’ learning process that require further development. Through formative assessments teachers are able to provide useful feedback to students that will enable them to realise better outcomes in their learning process. Some of the commonly used methods of formative assessment include; learning journals, observations, questioning, student self-assessments, homework or assignments, spot quizzes, portfolios and interviews (Hall & Burke , 2004; Tuttle, 2009). During this assessment exercise, formative assessment was conducted so as to establish the effectiveness of the instructional process used to teach various aspects in the language strand and the progress that John had made in the language. In this case, some of the assessment methods used include; assignments, observation, questioning and learning journals. In the course of conducting the formative assessment, John underwent an instructional process where he was taught about different aspects of the language. Information collected during the diagnostic phase was used to determine what should be covered during the instructional process and formative assessment. During this instructional process some of the key areas that were addressed include; spelling strategies (ACELA1485), the variations or differences in language particularly with regards to visual and written systems of communication and oral traditions (ACELA1475), finding information in online texts (ACELA1790) and the functions and uses of verbs (ACELA1482) (ACARA, 2011).In the course of this exercise he was given different tasks to work on, subsequently he was keenly observed and questioned while he performed some these tasks (see appendix 4). Furthermore, he was asked to write a journal indicating what he learnt during the lesson (see appendix 5). Additionally, he was given feedback regarding his performance in various tasks and was shown areas that he should focus on in order to improve his performance. Summative Assessment Essentially, summative assessment occurs after learning or when the instructional process is completed. This form of assessment provides feedback and information that summarises the learning and teaching process. Summative assessment show cases the effectiveness of the instructional process and provides information regarding the performance of students in a particular learning area (Tuttle, 2009). The last stage of this assessment exercise involved summative assessment. Basically, a comprehensive test was used to provide feedback and information regarding the effectiveness of the instructional process , the progress that John has made and whether he has met the standards set in the language strand of the English curriculum. The test administered incorporated seven questions that touch on the key standards of the language strand (see appendix 6). Discussion and recommendations In reference to the findings established through this assessment, it is plausible to argue that, John’s performance in the language strand meets the expected standards of the English curriculum. The diagnostic phase of assessment established that John’s knowledge and skills in the standards depict in the language strand of the Australian English curriculum is generally good. Some of his key strengths include; clear expression of ideas, good paragraph organisation, proper use of punctuation marks, tenses, uses of verbs, the formation of clauses and constructing meaning from visual text. However some of the weaknesses identified in the diagnostic phase include; lack of coherence in writing, limited use of proper diction and understanding variations or differences in language and finding information from online texts. During the formative assessment phase significant improvements were witnessed. The instructional process implemented seemed to be effective since John was able to make improvements in areas such as; spelling strategies (ACELA1485), the variations or differences in language particularly with regards to visual and written systems of communication and oral traditions (ACELA1475), finding information in online texts (ACELA1790) and the functions and uses of verbs (ACELA1482) (ACARA, 2011). The summative assessment phase summarised John’s overall performance in the language strand. John’s performance in the comprehensive test was above average. He managed to answer most questions correctly and scored 75 (B) in the test. Based on his performance in this test and the findings established through the diagnostic and formative phases of assessment, it is plausible to conclude that, John’s performance in the language strand is not below or above the curriculum standards however, it generally meets the expected standards of the English curriculum. Nevertheless, in order to improve John’s outcomes in the language strand some of the areas that the follow-up instructional processes should focus on include; variations or differences in language and writing coherence. Conclusion Basically, this report has illustrated how an assessment exercise was conducted in order to determine whether John is below or above the expected standards especially when it comes to the language strand of the English curriculum. By reviewing the findings established through diagnostic, formative and summative assessment phases, this report established that John’s performance in the language strand meets the expected standards of the English curriculum. However, in order to improve his learning outcomes, the follow-up instructional processes should focus on variations or differences in language and writing coherence. Lesson Plan Learning Area: English Grade: 3 Topic: Understanding variations in language Period: 45minutes Date: January 15 2013 Lesson objectives Enable students to construct meaning from different types of texts Enable students to understand the variations in language Resources Short stories from different cultures Pen and paper Assessment methods Brainstorming during the introduction to establish what the student knows about the topic. Observation; keenly observe how the student expresses his ideas during the discussion session Interviewing: find out what the student has learnt through an interview/ discussion session. Questioning; in the last stage of the lesson engage student in a questions and answer to establish what he has learnt. Time Activity 10 minutes Introduction -Introduce the students to the topic -Facilitate their reflection on how language varies 15 minutes Reading -Provide the student with two different short stories from different cultures -Ask students to read the short stories independently and identify the differences in the two short stories. 20 minutes Discussion/ interview Engage the student in a discussion on his views of the two short stories and the variations in the language used in these stories. Keenly observe students participation and input in the discussion 10 minutes Question and Answer session Engage the student in a question and answer session where the student will be expected to express their views and opinions on the two short stories and the variations in the language used. References Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) (2011). The Australian Curriculum: English. Retrieved on January 17 2012 Curriculum Council of Western Australia (CCWA) (2004). Curriculum Framework. Osborne Park, W.A: Author. Gareis, C. & Grant, L. (2008). Teacher-Made Assessments: How to Connect Curriculum, Instruction and Student Learning. New York: Eye on Education. Hall, K. & Burke, W. (2004). Making formative assessment work: Effective practice in the primary classroom. England: Open University Press. Killen, R. (2005). Programming and assessment for quality teaching and learning. South Melbourne: Cengage. McAndrews S. (2008). Diagnostic literacy assessments and instructional strategies: A literacy specialist’s resource. Newark, Delaware: International Reading Association. University of Tasmania (UOT) (2011). Guidelines for Good Assessment Practice. Retrieved on January 17 2013 from Tuttle, H.G. (2009). Formative assessment: responding to your students, New York: Eye on Education. Appendix 1: Work portfolio Why I Love My Country My country, Australia, is one of the most beautiful places around the world. I love my country mainly because it has unique and beautiful sceneries. Every year, a million tourists come to Australia due to its beautiful sceneries such as landscapes, vegetation, mountains and rivers. Australia also has beautiful and unique wildlife that cannot be found anywhere in the world. For example, it is only in Australia where animals such as the Kangaroo, Bilby, Wallaby and Koala can be found. I also love my country because there are many wonderful, caring, kind and loving people. Our school Our school is one of the best schools in the Australia. It provides a good environment to learn, have fun and interact with others. We have over 200 students and 15 teachers. Our teachers are usually nice, kind and helpful. They always encourage us to read and pay attention in class and also help out parents at home with chores. Most students in our school are also nice and kind. Our school has a big cafeteria where we have our lunch. There is also a gym in our school where students go to do their P.E lessons. We also have a music room filled with music instruments such; piano, flute, violin and guitar. There is also an art room where we do most of our painting. Appendix 2: John’s Pre-test Section A: Illustrate what the sentence below means; 1. No sooner had Michael finished the meal than he started feeling pain in his stomach. When John finished his meal he began to feel pain in his stomach. Section B: Write the following sentence in the past tense; 2. The baby will have cried for 20 minutes by the time she reaches home. The baby had cried for 20 minutes by the time she reached home. Section C: Underline the verb in the following sentence; 3. Her cooking was exceptional because she put a lot effort when cooking. Section D: Identify any clauses in the following sentence; 4. The long blue basket is often used to carry the children’s toys when they go to the park to play. “The long blue basket” Appendix 3: Interview questions and responses Question 1: Keenly observe the provided image and describe its meaning and what it represents. John’s response: The image consists of about 12 different boys and girls holding hands around a circle. The image represents unity. Question 2: How would you go about looking for information about “Culture in Australia”? John’s response: I would type the words “culture in Australia” in the search engine and click on the listed information. Appendix 4: Class Assignment 1. Identify the correct spellings from the words listed below; A. Courtecy B. Courtesy C. Kourtecy D. Katecy 2. List two key functions of a verb and two forms of verbs Used to show action Shows the state of something Forms of verbs include; regular and irregular verbs 3. State any difference between the Australian English and the Aboriginal language -Australian English has many nouns 4. When asked to find information about the functions of nouns, pronouns and verbs in online texts, what key words would you use? Parts of a speech Appendix 5: Learning Journal In class today we learn about verbs, their uses and functions. I learnt that verbs help to show an action in a sentence. It also helps to show the state of something Appendix 6: Comprehensive test 1. Identify the correct spellings from the words listed below; A. Interest B. Intrest A. Wud B. Wood A. Journey B. Jany 2. Illustrate what the sentence below means; Mary hardly goes to school with a bag pack Mary does not go to school with a bag back 3. List two key functions of a verb and two forms of verbs Used to show action Shows the state of something Forms of verbs include; regular and irregular verbs 4. Write the following sentence in the past and future tense; The boy goes to school everyday The boy went to school everyday The boy will be going to school everyday 5. Write a sentence with an apostrophe The dog’s bone has disappeared 6. State any difference or similarity between the Australian English and the Aboriginal language - The two languages have different parts of speech 7. Explain how one can search for information online -You type the question in the search engine Read More