Assessment within the Learning Experience

Prior Learning/ Diagnostics: Start of a Unit or Topic

Assessment at the start of a lesson or unit is a method used by teachers to evaluate what their students already know about a particular topic or subject before beginning the new lesson or unit. It helps teachers to tailor their teaching to the needs and abilities of their students and to identify any gaps in their prior knowledge.

There are different types of assessments that teachers can use at the start of a lesson or unit, such as:

Pre-assessment: This type of assessment is used to determine what students already know about the topic or subject before starting the lesson or unit. Pre-assessment can be done through a variety of methods, such as quizzes, surveys or discussions.

Diagnostic assessment: This type of assessment is used to identify specific areas where students may be struggling or lacking in their understanding of a topic or subject. Diagnostic assessment can be used to inform the teacher's instruction and to help students focus their learning on areas where they need the most support.

Assessment at the start of a lesson or unit is important because it allows teachers to differentiate their instruction to meet the needs of all students. By identifying what students already know, teachers can plan lessons that build on their prior knowledge and help them to make connections between new and existing concepts. It also helps students to feel more engaged in their learning, as they can see the relevance and applicability of the new material to their prior knowledge and experiences.

As the Unit or Topic proceeds

Assessment during a Topic or Unit refers to the process of evaluating the learning progress and understanding of students while they are engaged in a particular lesson or unit of study. This is Assessment for Learning. Assessment helps the teacher to identify what the students have learned, what they still need to learn and how the teacher can adapt their teaching to better support their learning.

During a lesson or unit, assessment can take the form of questions asked during class, discussions, quizzes, tests, essays, projects or any other activities designed to evaluate student learning. It's essential to ensure that assessments are aligned with the learning objectives and outcomes of the lesson or unit and provide meaningful feedback to students to help them improve.

Assessment during a lesson or unit can be used to guide instructional decisions, evaluate student progress and make adjustments to support student learning. Effective assessment practices provide teachers with a clear picture of what their students know and understand, what they don't yet understand and how they can improve their teaching to better support their students' learning.

This has also been referred to as Embedded Diagnostic Assessment. Embedded diagnostic assessment is an approach to assessing student learning that involves incorporating assessment activities directly into instructional activities. The goal of embedded diagnostic assessment is to gather information about student learning while instruction is taking place, in order to provide teachers with the feedback they can use to adjust their teaching and support student learning.

Embedded diagnostic assessment can take many forms, such as questioning, observation or the use of formative assessment tools. For example, a teacher might pause during a lesson and ask students to respond to a question related to the content being covered, or use a quick quiz to check for understanding at the end of a lesson. These assessment activities are integrated into the instruction and can help teachers identify areas where students are struggling, adjust their instruction to meet the needs of individual students or the class as a whole, and track student progress over time.

One advantage of embedded diagnostic assessment is that it allows teachers to gather ongoing, real-time data about student learning, which can help them make more informed decisions about instruction. Rather than relying solely on end-of-unit or end-of-year assessments to measure student learning, teachers can use embedded diagnostic assessments to gather data more frequently and make more immediate adjustments to their teaching.

Overall, embedded diagnostic assessment can be a valuable tool for teachers looking to improve their instructional practice and support student learning. By gathering ongoing data about student learning, teachers can more effectively tailor their instruction to meet the needs of individual students and the class as a whole and ultimately help all students succeed.

This short form of informal assessment allows a teacher to identify "Gatekeepers" or "Process Blocks". These include:

• Limited prior/ learning/access to prior learning

• Lack of assumed vocabulary

• Limited or even lack of conceptual understanding

• Inability to access previous learning resources and products such as essay writing support

These can also inform Unit or Course reviews or reflections.

At the end of the Unit or Topic

The end of Unit or Topic assessment is a form of summative assessment that also includes a strong formative dimension. The student should be assessed according to the Course Objectives/Learning Intentions of the Unit or Topic using the Assessment tools/Success Criteria identified at the start. The assessment type should be accessible and an aspect of the taught curriculum. As previously mentioned, students should be competent with the assessment methods, ensuring that the method itself does not become a ‘gatekeeper’, preventing the student from performing to their potential.

• Measure student understanding: The primary goal of an end-of-unit or topic assessment is to measure student understanding of the content and concepts covered during the unit. It should assess whether students have met the learning objectives set out at the beginning of the unit.

• Demonstrate mastery of key assessment skills: At the end of a unit or topic, students should have a clear understanding of the key concepts and ideas covered in the material in relation to the end-of-course exams (if appropriate). They should be able to demonstrate their mastery of these concepts through various assessments that reflect the end-of-course assessments, such as exams, essays or presentations.

• Provide feedback to teachers: Assessments provide teachers with valuable information about their students' learning. This information can be used to modify future instruction and improve teaching effectiveness.

• Identify areas for improvement: Assessments can help students identify areas where they need to improve their understanding. This can help students focus their study efforts and prepare for future assessments.

• Track progress over time: By administering assessments at the end of each unit or topic, teachers can track students' progress over time. This information can be used to identify trends in student learning and adjust teaching methods as necessary.

• Develops familiarity with different assessment tools in high-stakes contexts: By taking regular assessments throughout the year, students can become more comfortable with the assessment formats and develop their skills in completing different types of assessment tools.

Overall, end-of-unit or topic assessments should serve as a tool for measuring student learning and guiding future instruction as well as opportunities to connect the concepts and content covered to real-world applications and encourage them to continue learning and exploring the topic on their own.