Formative e-assessment: Practitioner cases

Abstract

This paper reports on one aspect of the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC)-funded project 'Scoping a vision of formative e-assessment', namely on cases of formative e-assessment developed iteratively with the UK education practitioner community. The project, which took place from June 2008-January 2009, aimed to identify current theories and practices relating to formative assessment of learning where technologies play a key role. The project aimed to scope the 'domain' of formative e-assessment, by developing cases of practice and identifying key formative processes within them, which are affected by the use of technologies. From this analysis, patterns were extracted to inform future software design. A discussion of the key issues emerging from the review of the literature on formative e-assessment, a full account of the project methodology-the design pattern methodology-as well as a critical discussion of the findings-namely the patterns and the role of technology-are the focus of a separate paper (see Daly et al (forthcoming). This paper documents how cases of formative e-assessment were developed during the project by a collaborative methodology involving practitioners from a range of post-16 education contexts. The cases were analysed with reference to key theoretical perspectives on formative assessment, particularly the work of Black and Wiliam (2009). In addition, Laurillard's Conversational Framework (2002, 2007) was used to locate practices of formative assessment within a wider concept of learning and teaching involving technologies, although a detailed discussion of the latter is not within the scope of this paper 1 .

Vocational Students Experiences with Assessment in Workplace Learning

“…If students are given a restricted participation position, they are prevented from benefitting from unplanned, spontaneous learning possibilities. All opportunities for learning cannot be predetermined and fully planned in advance, and such moments of contingency rely on opportunities to learn through participation in daily work tasks (Pachler et al 2009;Ruiz-Primo 2011). The findings about the students' different types of participation in workplace learning also show how students' responsiveness to feedback influences the actual work tasks and students' self-efficacy (Pachler et al 2009;Ruiz-Primo 2011).…”

“…They focus on key competencies, while feedback is situated in work tasks and embedded in the social practices at the workplaces (Lave and Wenger 2005). These findings can be interpreted in the perspective of workplace learning as task related and affected by the immediacy in problem-solving situations (Pachler et al 2009;Black and Wiliam 2009;Ruiz-Primo 2011). The fact that workplace instructors emphasize key competencies in their instruction and guidance shows that those in workplaces regard them as crucial knowledge and skills.…”

“…The productiveness and learning outcomes from the flow of instructions and feedback from teachers depend on learners' responsiveness. Furthermore, moments of contingency provide opportunities for learning which cannot be predetermined (Pachler et al 2009;Ruiz-Primo 2011). Moments of contingency are assessable moments which teachers identify and use to promote student learning.…”

Invited Lectures from the 13th International Congress on Mathematical Education

“…Slavík (2003) stated that autonomous assessment partially develops and deepens in relation to self-assessment and partially in relation to assessment of others' performance (most likely of classmates', i.e., peer assessment) through which pupils learn to reflect on their work. Pachler et al (2010) stressed that learner self-regulation is a core factor in formative assessment and that it is linked to motivation and emotional factors which affect learners' engagement.…”

A Formative eAssessment Co-Design Case Study

“…Examples of previous case studies include [11,12,13]. However, there is a shortage of real-world long-term case studies that meet the three key case study requirements as listed above.…”