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One of the tasks every educator is now reflecting on, is the question, “How can I, my learners and their peers provide effective feedback and feed-forward commentary for each other?”
Authentic assessment requires educators to make the intention of the learning explicit to the learner, as too often, from a learner perspective, this process is akin to walking across a swing bridge in fog, with the learner unclear about what lays ahead. The identified concepts to be learned must be clear and build on each other to create conceptual framework(s) that the learner is building. Concepts should provide a clear conceptual frame of how the learner can then demonstrate their understanding by having them make accurate predictions for contexts they have yet to experience. With the aid of rich media, assessment becomes a process of driving the learning deeper via the application of a range qualitative and quantitative assessment tools.
The significance of feedback as a focus for improving student performance has been brought to the forefront of education practice in the last few years. John Hattie’s 1992, 1999196 research papers and the recent 2016 review of this data197 set off a significant wave of inquiry in this area. From this research, it was discovered that the effect size198 of providing effective student feedback was 1.13. This is an impressive cause and effect relationship. Interestingly only four of the top six effects identified by John can be influenced by educators.
From the OECD report on Formative Assessment (2005):
Data gathered in both summative and formative processes are vital to understanding whether individual schools—and systems—are meeting goals for high-achievement, high equity, and lifelong learning. Yet, as noted throughout this study, misalignment of standards, curriculum and accountability approaches present major barriers to the effective practice of formative assessment.199 OECD
As educators and the learner’s peers increase the quality and quantity of feedback to learners, as part of the Learning Process, it will inform the learner about areas that may require additional work, as well as identifying the areas where they have built significant capability. Any assessment item can be applied in a summative, diagnostic, or formative manner. According to researchers, the result of this is that rather than considering each assessment category as containing mutually exclusive elements, each can be viewed as contributing to the overall assessment landscape.
196 Hattie, J. (Oct, 2003). Teachers Make a Difference: What is the Research Evidence. Paper delivered at the 2003 ACER Conference 'Building Teacher Quality', University of Auckland, New Zealand. Retrieved from: www.educationalleaders.govt.nz/content/download/501/3926/john_hattie.pdf
197 Hattie, John (2015) Visible Learning: Hattie Ranking-Interactive Visualisation. Retrieved from http://visible-learning.org/nvd3/visualize/hattie-ranking- interactive-2009-2011-2015.html
198 The ‘effect size’ relates to the effect of applying a particular variable in a scientific setting and observing or measuring the effect that the variable has on the outcome being measured.
199 OECD. (2005). Formative Assessment: Improving Learning in Secondary Classrooms. OECD Publishing. Retrieved from http://www.oecd.org/bookshop?pub=962005021P1