A multi‐faceted formative assessment approach: better recognising the learning needs of students

Abstract

Students are increasingly subject to a series of learning pressures that prevent effective engagement in assessment. Thus, the aim of this study was to create a multifacetted formative assessment approach that better enabled students to engage in the assessment process. A formative assessment approach, consisting of six key initiatives, is outlined and shown as being useful in helping to improve student engagement with the subject area of environmental governance. The effectiveness of the assessment approach was assessed via analysis of written student feedback that facilitated analysis of student perceptions of the assessment process. The paper argues that for formative assessment to be more widely embraced, and made more effective in encouraging learning, greater recognition must be accorded the strategies that can be adopted to facilitate the uptake of formative assessment. A reduction in summative assessment burden and the recognition of the need for better 'information' on the aims and objectives of assessment, and subsequent discussion of these, are highlighted as having played their role in facilitating the uptake, and effective implementation of, formative assessment. *

Alternatives to School Exclusion in Ghana: Changing the Rhythm of Dealing With Truancy in Ghanaian High Schools

“…Recognition of learning needs (see Parsons, 1999): Teachers use the learning needs of individuals to identify and differentiate students (Slee, 2001). An assessment of student needs (including emotional learning needs) is essential to improve the learning experiences of the students (Hargreaves, 1996;Jenkins, 2010;Sherwin & Stevenson, 2011). This assessment should be participatory in nature, by allowing the students to participate in the discussion regarding the identification of their needs (Jenkins, 2010;Sherwin & Stevenson, 2011).…”

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The Challenge of Assessing Creative Problem Solving in Client-Based Marketing Development Projects

“…Assessment is critical to any academic work. Different assessment strategies all aim at finding out the knowledge and skills that the student may or may not have (Jenkins, 2010). The students' learning depends on how they think they are assessed.…”

Investigating Patterns of Pre-service Teachers’ Written Feedback on Procedure-based Mathematics Assessment Items

“…Rather than the numerical scores and letter grades of summative assessments, well-designed formative assessments offer non-evaluative, specific, timely, and personalized feedback that help each student meet learning goals; and the ability to provide such feedback is a critical pedagogical skill (Gearhart & Saxe, 2004;Jenkins, 2010). To that end, it is important that mathematics teacher educators provide pre-service teachers (PSTs) with meaningful opportunities to develop knowledge of the nature and purposes of formative assessment and provide each student with personally relevant and informative feedback that guides him/her through difficulties in understanding.…”