‘Sustaining Assessment for Learning With Teacher Learning Communities’.
10 January 2008
Dylan Wiliam
Background
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Assessment for Learning ( formative assessment ) is a long term solution to
improving achievement in the classroom through improving the quality of
teaching.
Teacher quality is the crucial variable in terms of value added. It is the most
cost effective way of buying increased pupil attainment.
Every teacher can always improve.
One mechanism for encouraging improvement is through Teacher Learning
Communities.
DW sited several major reviews of research into the effectiveness of AfL. All
found consistent, substantial positive effects of AfL ( details available ).
In schools, there is a great deal of formative intention but formative action is
not happening, ie. the evidence we are collecting needs to be used to modify
teaching and learning activities to meet learning needs. AfL not embedded.
Effective formative assessment is short term, on a short cycle ( maximum lesson
by lesson ). As such it will improve classroom practice and student engagement.
Practical Techniques
Questions
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Good questions should give insight into children’s learning. They need to be
thought out and can be used to determine when to move on.
What is the purpose of the question – gather information / generate thinking
and discussion ( examples available ).
Time is needed to generate high order questions with colleagues.
High order questions generate new thinking and learning ( not recall ).
‘No hands up’ except to ask a question – crucial strategy – no hiding place,
develop pupil expectation that an answer will be expected at some point during
the lesson. Encourages full participation.
Lollipop sticks – pupil names, teacher chooses, everyone answers a question in
the course of the lesson. Variations – phone a friend / 50:50 / one pass per
week.
Wait time – increase to 3 seconds. Second wait time – at end of the pupil’s
answer. Don’t close off the pupil answer, the likelihood is that the pupil is still
thinking.
Dry-wipe boards – ask a question, get an answer from every pupil in the
classroom. Depending on the quality and purpose of the question, the pupil
response enables you to make an informed decision before moving on.
9. Exit pass – question posed to the pupils at the end of the lesson, eg. ‘What is
the chemical equation for photosynthesis?’ Pupil answers individually. Hands in
piece of paper on their way out of the class room. Flick through, enables an
informed starting point for the next lesson.
Feedback
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Comment only feedback is the most effective.
Comments should be about the task and not involve ego.
Mark with + / - / = relative to the last piece of work.
Comments are only effective if used by the learner to improve.
Grading feedback does have a place – once a term sufficient.
Comments – less is more.
‘I would like you to work on these two things…’
The comment should always involve more work for the pupil.
Build in time for pupil to read and respond to comment.
2 stars and a wish…
LI / SC
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Learning intention should be explained at the start of every lesson to help pupils
access learning.
2. Intentions and success criteria should be written in pupil language.
3. Posters of key words used as prompts to talk about learning, eg. describe,
explain, evaluate.
4. SC allow pupils to understand what good work looks like.
Peer and Self Assessment
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Pupils mark own / peer’s work – teacher must take care to model correct
answer.
2. Pupils agree a question they would like to ask at the end of the lesson – in
groups / pairs
3. At the end of the lesson, a lesson reporter summarises the lesson and is asked
questions by the rest of the class (could be done in pairs).
4. Traffic light – cards / cups
Other
1. Class room banner – ‘Thinking is required in lessons’
2. Persuade pupils that a challenging task is a chance to get smarter – IQ is not
fixed.
3. Assessment is the bridge between learning and teaching.
Personal action plan
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In writing a personal action plan it is important to choose a strategy / strategies
which work for you as a teacher. It is important to try those with which you feel
comfortable.
As a school we should have a framework which is flexible. We should all be
implementing AfL in line with School Policy and the Improvement Plan but there
should be flexibility in the strategies which individual teachers choose to use.
Choose one thing which is easy to change in your practice. Start small.
Identify short term changes and long term changes you would like to make.
Personal action plan - formal ? Diary / log ?
Supporting teachers and sustaining AfL
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TLC – a support network to help teachers implement change in their
classrooms ( in our case AfL )
Encourages systematic reflection on practice.
Facilitates sharing of experience.
Builds up a collective knowledge base.
Activities result in long term changes in practice.
More likely that the individual will persevere with personal action plan if there is
the expectation that he / she will present a short verbal report at the TLC
meeting.
TLC membership – 8-10 individuals.
S.Bennett
January 2008