Philosophy of Assessment

Sam Sawtschuk
March 2, 2018

Assessment is an essential component of teaching, and can be a valuable tool in

enhancing student learning. Creating a safe and positive classroom environment that nurtures

curiosity and creativity, values the learning process and approaches mistakes with a growth

mindset, builds resiliency and a love of learning. Empowering students to take an active role in

their education and assessment deepens learning, and creates meaningful educational

experiences, laying the groundwork for adventures in lifelong learning.

A Positive Classroom Environment Promotes Learning:

Creating a positive classroom environment is foundational to supporting students’

learning; students will be more likely to take risks in their learning when they feel part of a safe

classroom community. Creating a classroom that feels safe and supportive for students involves

finding out who they are, letting them find out who their teacher is, and establishing agreements

about how everyone will work and learn together (Davies, 2011). Mindful and strengths-based

classroom management empowers students to become a community of accountable learners.

I Can​ Learn: Empowering Students Through Learning Outcomes:

Sharing learning outcomes and co-constructing criteria are ways to involve students in

learning as well as assessment. Students need to know what they are to learn and how to show

that they’ve learned it; students need their learning destination clearly stated, empowering them

with a vision for success. A vital part of learning is knowing when you’ve succeeded (Davies,
2011). When students are involved in their learning process from the beginning they are more

ready to learn; knowing what they are learning and what it looks like gives students the

information they need to self monitor. Self-assessment is an essential skill for independent,

self-directed, lifelong learners (Davies, 2011).

Developing ​I can​ statements from learning outcomes articulates long-term or short-term

goals in student-friendly language, that enables them to take responsibility for their learning,

engaging them in self-reflection of their work. Extrinsic motivation for better grades erodes the

intrinsic motivation to learn for its own sake (Kohn, 2009); ​I can​ statements nurture and build

intrinsic motivation if they are attainable and student-centered in their design. ​I can​ statements

can act as a bridge between lofty curriculum outcomes and the daily experience of classroom

learning. Students feel proud when they actualize their goals, and they are able to talk about

their learning with their teachers and families when given the language.

Metacognition and Lifelong Learning:

Assessment as learning occurs when students monitor and assess their own learning.

Student self-assessment is only possible if they know, and have been involved in setting their

learning goals. Self-assessment gives learners the opportunity to think about their thinking and

their learning, developing metacognition. Students feel empowered when they are given

choices. Nurturing students’ development of metacognition allows them to make choices about

what to focus on next in their learning; “When students make choices about their learning,

achievement increases; when choice is absent, learning decreases” (Gearhart & Wolf 1995;

Harlen & Deakin-Crick 2003; Jensen 1998) (Davies, 2011).

When students communicate with others about their learning, they come to understand

what they have learned, what they need to learn, and what kind of support may be available to
them. It is important for students to be prompted to share their work with their families and

communities outside of school, and for teachers to bridge this gap as well through conferences,

meetings, and newsletters. The process of students preparing and presenting the information

they have learned, gives students an opportunity to construct their understanding and to help

others make meaning of their learning; students learn to self-monitor, an essential skill for

self-directed, independent, lifelong learners (Davies, 2011).

Increasing Formative Assessment and Descriptive Feedback:

Assessment for learning, also known as formative assessment, clarifies student learning

and informs teaching practices through the evaluation of evidence of students’ skills,

knowledge, and understanding. Everything students do, say, and create is potential evidence of

understanding. Collecting information doesn’t require tests, and sharing information doesn’t

require grades; grades reinforce the idea that school is a test rather than an adventure in ideas

(Nicholls & Hazzard, 1993).

In my practice, I will assess more and evaluate less. We interrupt learning if we evaluate

too often, whereas assessment information can guide instruction and support learning (Davies,

2011). Unless students understand that mistakes are essential for learning, they may not take

the risks necessary for it to occur. Growth mindset understands that with effort and hard work,

people can develop and master new skills; growth mindset prioritizes the learning process and

values mistakes, and the learning opportunities they offer; contrasted to a fixed mindset, which

is stuck on never being wrong or looking foolish when trying new things (Carol Dweck, 2008).

Supporting students in developing growth mindset requires that educators value mistakes as an

inevitable part of the learning process, creating exciting opportunities for further growth.
 Summative Assessment Beyond Pencil-and-Paper Tests:

Assessment of learning, also known as summative assessment, assists teachers in

using evidence of student learning to assess against curriculum outcomes and standards. The

effectiveness of summative assessment in support of student learning depends wholly on the

nature and quality of the feedback given in conjunction with the grade. Creating meaningful

assignments and offering descriptive feedback is more work for teachers than merely assigning

a grade, but costs students in their learning (Kohn, 2011). Increasing the amount of descriptive

feedback, while decreasing the amount of evaluative feedback supports student learning.

Grades diminish student interest in what they’re learning; when activities count towards grades,

students will take less intellectual risk; grades reduce the quality of students’ work (Kohn, 2011).

When teachers assess summatively, introducing an element of choice into the form that

products may take empowers students. Learning is enriched through the creation and collection

of evidence of learning; when a range of evidence is collected over time and across different

tasks, the validity and reliability of the assessment and evaluation increases for everyone

(Davies, 2011). It is important that reporting is an ongoing process that uses triangulation,

consisting of evidence collected from three different sources: observations of learning, products

students create, and conversations with students about learning; the process of collecting

evidence of learning needs to be practical and possible.

In conclusion, empowering students through choice and creativity in the products they

create deepens their learning. Students become accountable learners when they both create

and collect evidence of their learning. Providing students with descriptive feedback, over

evaluative feedback, supports their learning. Fostering growth mindset in students is crucial to

creating a safe and positive learning environment for all, nurturing self-directed lifelong learners.
Resources

Davies, A. (2011). ​Making Classroom Assessment Work​. Courtenay, BC: Hignell Book Printing.

Davies, A., & Herbst, S.(2016). ​Grading, Reporting, and Professional Judgment in Elementary
Classrooms​. Courtenay, BC: Hignell Book Printing.

Dweck, C. (2008). ​Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.​ New York: Ballantine Books.

Kohn, A. (1999). Punished by rewards (Rev. ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Kohn, A. (2009). No grades + no homework = better learning. Dellaruth Videos.

Kohn, A. (2011). The case against grades. ​Educational Leadership. 69​, 28-33.

Nicholls, J. G., & Hazzard, S. P. (1993). Education as adventure: Lessons from the second
grade. New York: Teachers College Press.