Student Learning

Prep to Year 10 Assessment – Assessment Advice

Discussion starter 2

Read the following quote and consider the discussion starter questions

The student is the ultimate user of assessment information elicited to improve learning. There are negative and positive aspects of this fact. When the classroom culture focuses on rewards, ‘gold stars’, grades, or class ranking, then students look for ways to obtain the best marks rather than to improve their learning. One reported consequence is that, when they have any choice, students avoid difficult tasks. They also spend time and energy looking for clues to the ‘right answer.’ Indeed, many become reluctant to ask questions out of a fear of failure. Students who encounter difficulties are led to believe that they lack ability, and this belief leads them to attribute their difficulties to a defect in themselves about which they cannot do a great deal. Thus they avoid investing effort in learning that can lead only to disappointment, and they try to build up their self-esteem in other ways.

The positive aspect of students' being the primary users of the information gleaned from formative assessments is that negative outcomes – – such as an obsessive focus on competition and the attendant fear of failure on the part of low achievers – – are not inevitable. What is needed is a culture of success, backed by a belief that all students can achieve. In this regard, formative assessment can be a powerful weapon if it is communicated in the right way. While formative assessment can help all students, it yields particularly good results with low achievers by concentrating on specific problems with their work and giving them a clear understanding of what is wrong and how to put it right. Students can accept and work with such messages, provided that they are not clouded by overtones about ability, competition, and comparison with others. In summary, the message can be stated as follows: feedback to any student should be about the particular qualities of their work, with advice on what he or she can do to improve, and should avoid comparisons with other students.

Black, P. & Wiliam, D. 1998. Inside the Black Box: Raising standards through classroom assessment, King’s College London

Discussion starter questions

  • What are some of the negative and positive aspects of the students being the ‘ultimate user of assessment’ in your school?
  • How is a ‘culture of success’ developed in your school or class?
  • How is feedback used in your school or class?