iServi News | 11 June 2021 | Term 2, Week 8
Assessment For, As and Of Learning
Following on from last week’s article on the Servite Way of Learning and with the return of our senior students from exams, it is appropriate to look at the important role of assessment in student learning.
Learning is cumulative; it builds over time through inquiry, investigation, exploration and discovery. We want our students to be active learners who always strive to seek out answers to problems and solutions to issues. We would hope that our students are able to build on their learning through determining where gaps may lie and being proactive in seeking additional resources and teacher support. Assessment is an important tool that allows our students to genuinely reflect on their own learning with a view of improving their own educational outcomes.
Education Standards NSW suggest that assessment is an essential component of the teaching and learning cycle. Assessment for, assessment as and assessment of learning are approaches that enable teachers to gather evidence and make judgements about student achievement. These are not necessarily discrete approaches and may be used individually or together and formally or informally.
Assessment FOR learning involves teachers using evidence about students’ knowledge, understanding and skills to inform their teaching. Sometimes referred to as ‘formative assessment’, it usually occurs throughout the teaching and learning process to clarify student learning and understanding. It also involves teachers providing rich feedback to students about their learning and how to improve.
Assessment AS learning occurs when students are their own assessors. Students monitor their own learning, ask questions and use a range of strategies to decide what they know and can do, and how to use assessment information for new learning. Assessment as learning involves students using self-assessment and teacher feedback to reflect on and consolidate their own learning and work toward future learning goals.
Assessment OF learning assists teachers in using evidence of student learning to assess achievement against outcomes and standards. This type of assessment usually occurs at defined key points during a teaching work or at the end of a unit, term or semester.
We promote all three types of assessment at the College to support student learning and integrate these into our Servite Way of Learning, which includes our Learning Healthcheck.
The Learning Healthcheck process allows students to reflect on their own learning in a genuine way with a view of managing their own educational journey. We strongly encourage all of our students to regularly ask themselves the following five key questions in reflecting on the quality of their learning:
- What am I learning?
- How am I doing?
- How do I know?
- How can I improve?
- Where can I go for help?
We also encourage all of our parents and caregivers to regularly ask these questions of their children at the end of each day. Indeed, our teachers utilise this strategy regularly to encourage students to take increasing ownership of their own learning.
We promote strong self-regulation in our students and want them to become independent learners. We encourage them to explore their own learning traits and strengths with a view of utilising these to their full capacity to enhance learning. Our Learning Healthcheck, which includes the integration of the three key assessment types, support students in developing positive habits around their ongoing learning.
Enrolment Interviews
It has been my pleasure over the course of this term to conduct enrolment interviews for students entering the College into Year 7 in 2022 and 2023. I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting future Servite families and greatly valued their genuine enthusiasm at the prospect of joining our community. We look forward to these students commencing at the College and are excited about the positive impact that they will have on the continued development of our Servite story.
Interviews will continue over the upcoming weeks. We would strongly encourage families and friends wishing for their child to attend the College in Year 7 in 2022 and 2023 to submit an application to the College as placements are quickly becoming limited. College Enrolments Officer, Mrs Patricia Buys, is available to provide any enrolment information families might require. Mrs Buys can be contacted by phone on 9444 6333 or via email to enrolment@servite.wa.edu.au. Enrolment information is also available here.
Mr Jeff Allen
Principal