Module 2 Session 6
Formative Assessment
Differentiation in Assessment
Questioning Techniques
Presentation Guidance
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By the end of the session you will have:
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Used and evaluated a sustainability
activity as an assessment tool
Defined formative assessment
Investigated ideas related to formative
assessment
Evaluated questioning methods
Considered the presentation task
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Session Outcomes
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Appoint a question master
Divide into teams of two
Allocate your team a colour from the
“Stomp” board
Listen carefully to the instructions
Once you have completed the activity
complete the evaluation sheet provided
and share your thoughts with the group
Using an assessment tool –
sustainability activity

Ofsted says:
In failing colleges . . .
“A common feature of a number of
unsatisfactory lessons was the failure of
teachers to make regular checks on
students’ learning and their determination
to continue with the planned work even
when the students clearly did not
understand it.”
Ofsted, Why colleges fail, London 2004a,HMSO
 Formative
assessment is the
regular checking of learners’
progress throughout their
programme, within and outside
teaching and learning sessions,
followed by constructive feedback
Importance of formative
assessment
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Gipps (1994) assessment “community of
practice” between learner and teacher
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Broadfoot (1998) potential of reviewing and
recording achievement
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Torrance and Pryor (1999) Ecclestone (2002)
practicalities in classroom
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Wiliam and Black (1998) links to learning and
motivation
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Assessment Reform Group (2002) “assessment
for learning”
Recent Research
Professor John Hattie statistically combined the results
of 200,000 experiments in classrooms and published a
table listing the most effective teaching strategies in
order of effectiveness.
Giving learners feedback on their learning errors and
omissions, and getting them to correct them or work
towards improvement of future work, had a significant
impact on their learning.
LSDA (2002) ‘Focus on Hattie’s research’, Quality Matters, June
https://www.lsneducation.org.uk/user/order.aspx?code=021332&src=XOWEB
Hattie J (1999) ‘Influences on Students Learning’
http://www.education.auckland.ac.nz/uoa/education/staff/j.hattie/papers/influences.cfm
Recent Research
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Criterion or standards-based framework
A belief in success by learners and teachers
Separation of feedback from grading
Focus on learning not performance
Development of self-assessment is vital
Encouragement of reflective assessment with
peers
For assessment to be formative it has to be used
Requires changing teaching and learning
practices
Black P and Wiliam D (1998) ‘Assessment and Classroom
Learning’, Assessment in Education, 5,1,7-74
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Convergent assessment (“Can you do this …?”). This
approach is often characterised by tick lists and can-do
statements. The teacher asks closed questions in order
to ascertain whether or not the learner knows,
understands or can do a predetermined thing. This is
the type of assessment most used in written tests.
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Divergent assessment (“Show me what you know
about …”). The teacher asks open questions that allow
learners opportunities to describe and explain what they
know understand or can do. The outcome is not
predetermined.
Convergent and Divergent
Assessment
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Plan formative assessment opportunities
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Assess groups as well as individuals
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Encourage self-assessment and peerassessment
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Use a range of more divergent assessment
techniques
In two groups mind-map 5 activities that use
self and peer assessment
Other formative methods
PC SCAT: Tell me what the getaway car
looked like?
Witness: Sorry I can’t remember a thing..
PC SCAT: Was it blue or red?
Witness: Blue
PC SCAT: Light blue or dark blue?
Witness: Light blue
PC SCAT: Ah, just as I suspected!!
Where did PC SCAT go wrong?
Questioning Techniques
Closed Questions:
 Draw out a fact
 Confirm a point of view
Open Questions draw out:
 Feelings
 Thoughts
 Perspectives
 Understanding
Open and Closed Questions
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Divide into two teams
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Take it in turns to take a card from the
pack
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Read out the ineffective questioning
technique to the opposite team
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Opposite team make suggestions on how
that technique could be made more
effective
Questioning Techniques
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research and critically reflect upon different modes of formal and informal
assessment within own subject area
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LO7 Add to professional development plan strategies for improving
assessment, and the use of assessment data to inform learning, in
relation to subject pedagogy
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Possible coverage of LO1,LO6 and LO8
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15-20 minutes
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Tutor and peer feedback
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References to reading
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Submit hard copies with written assignment
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Possible coverage of Minimum Core elements
Presentation Guidance
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Outline of current assessment practices
Issues relating to your subject area
Informal and formal methods seen in your
peer observation
References to reading and theories/principles
What you learnt from the
observation/interview
Action plan of how you will improve your
practice
Possible Format
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Assessment Reform Group (1999) Assessment for learning beyond the
black box. Cambridge: University of Cambridge.
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Black P and Wiliam D (1998) Inside the black box; raising standards
through classroom assessment. London: King’s College, University of
London.
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Boud D (2000) Sustainable Assessment. Studies in Continuing Education,
22, 2, 151-167.
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Petty G (2004) ‘Geoff Petty’ http://www.geoffpetty.com/index.html
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QIA (undated) ‘Gold Dust Resources’
http://excellence.qia.org.uk/GoldDust/assessment/assessment.html
(Video clips)
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Torrence H and Prior J (1998) Investigating formative assessment:
teaching, learning and assessment in the Classroom. Philadephia: Open
University Press.
Directed Study