© Curriculum Foundation Part 2 What do we want our pupils to do with their learning? Unit 3 What is the new national curriculum asking for?

“Assessment is the process of gathering and discussing information from multiple and diverse sources in order to develop a deep understanding of what students know, understand, and can do with their knowledge as a result of their educational experiences; the process culminates when assessment results are used to improve subsequent learning.” Assessing Student Learning: Huba and Freed 2000 © Curriculum Foundation Think about the implications of this definition.

“Assessment is the process of gathering and discussing information from multiple and diverse sources in order to develop a deep understanding of what students know, understand, and can do with their knowledge as a result of their educational experiences; the process culminates when assessment results are used to improve subsequent learning.” Assessing Student Learning: Huba and Freed 2000 © Curriculum Foundation Think about the implications of this definition.

© Curriculum Foundation Professors Huba and Freed (above) of Iowa State University suggested a ‘learner centred’ approach to assessment that focused not just on knowledge and understanding, but on what learners could do with their learning. This is really important, and links to the new national curriculum. Here’s an example from Science at Year 5.

Look at bullet point 3. Do you see the connection? © Curriculum Foundation

Huba and Freed also put forward a model of an assessment cycle which shows not just the starting point but the whole process. There is more at:

© Curriculum Foundation The Assessment Cycle The first step is to “formulate statements of intended outcomes” – and these are in the new national curriculum – but we can also add our own. Huba and Freed’s focus on “what learners can do with their learning” alters the sort of learning outcomes that are expected. And so the assessment needed. We need to think of this. It might be what we add to the national curriculum. This notion of an assessment “cycle” is fairly widespread. The Assessment Cycle The first step is to “formulate statements of intended outcomes” – and these are in the new national curriculum – but we can also add our own. Huba and Freed’s focus on “what learners can do with their learning” alters the sort of learning outcomes that are expected. And so the assessment needed. We need to think of this. It might be what we add to the national curriculum. This notion of an assessment “cycle” is fairly widespread.

“The first step in assessment is to be clear about the intended learning outcomes. We must be sure what it is that we want students to learn before we can begin the process of finding out whether or not they have learned it.” Prof Mark Zelman “The first step in assessment is to be clear about the intended learning outcomes. We must be sure what it is that we want students to learn before we can begin the process of finding out whether or not they have learned it.” Prof Mark Zelman The notion of an Assessment Cycle and the need to start with the intended outcomes is fundamental. Do you recognise this man? The notion of an Assessment Cycle and the need to start with the intended outcomes is fundamental. Do you recognise this man? © Curriculum Foundation

Prof Zelman points out that if we do not specify the right learning expectations, or specify them clearly enough, then we shall never get the learning outcomes that we want. (His cycle is below – and on the next slide.) © Curriculum Foundation

Establish learning outcomes Plan learning experience Actual learning experience Collect and analyse assessment data Use data to improve learning © Curriculum Foundation

But how do we make sure that the expectations are right? Where do we start? But how do we make sure that the expectations are right? Where do we start? © Curriculum Foundation

The old Level Descriptions used to be the starting point, but their benefits (see Unit 1) were not always built into schools’ curriculum design nor their assessment systems. As we have seen, the new national curriculum does not offer the same possibilities for progress within a context, but schools are invited to develop their own systems – and these systems could include the benefits of Levels – and also the things we really value! © Curriculum Foundation “Beyond the tests at Key Stage 2 and GCSEs at KS4, it will be for schools to decide how they assess pupils' progress.”

The first question is about the period over which we are expecting the learning to take place. There is a tendency to set ambitious learning expectations for every lesson; this has been encouraged by Ofsted. But it has been pointed out (Male, 2012) that one lesson is rather short to expect significant learning not only to take place, but to be assessed as well. We often plan learning over a series of lessons (a topic or unit of study), yet often set learning expectations by lesson. It would be more profitable to set learning expectations for the longer pieces of learning. The first question is about the period over which we are expecting the learning to take place. There is a tendency to set ambitious learning expectations for every lesson; this has been encouraged by Ofsted. But it has been pointed out (Male, 2012) that one lesson is rather short to expect significant learning not only to take place, but to be assessed as well. We often plan learning over a series of lessons (a topic or unit of study), yet often set learning expectations by lesson. It would be more profitable to set learning expectations for the longer pieces of learning. © Curriculum Foundation

Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe (2011) have some interesting ideas for creating these longer pieces of learning - or units. They are writing in a USA context, but you can see the applicability in a British setting. There’s more at: /siteASCD/publications/UbD_ WhitePaper0312.pdf /siteASCD/publications/UbD_ WhitePaper0312.pdf Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe (2011) have some interesting ideas for creating these longer pieces of learning - or units. They are writing in a USA context, but you can see the applicability in a British setting. There’s more at: /siteASCD/publications/UbD_ WhitePaper0312.pdf /siteASCD/publications/UbD_ WhitePaper0312.pdf © Curriculum Foundation

The key is to link assessment to the school’s design for how the new curriculum will be taught. The school, department or class plan will inevitably group aspects of the new curriculum programmes into series of lessons, units or topics. This is the opportunity to set the learning expectations. These expectations will include: The new national curriculum ‘statutory requirements’ – which may be knowledge, understanding or skills Generic skills and competencies– that come either from the national curriculum or are supplied by the school Wider aspirations relating to attitudes and personal development The way in which learning is applied The key is to link assessment to the school’s design for how the new curriculum will be taught. The school, department or class plan will inevitably group aspects of the new curriculum programmes into series of lessons, units or topics. This is the opportunity to set the learning expectations. These expectations will include: The new national curriculum ‘statutory requirements’ – which may be knowledge, understanding or skills Generic skills and competencies– that come either from the national curriculum or are supplied by the school Wider aspirations relating to attitudes and personal development The way in which learning is applied © Curriculum Foundation

The detail of how this can be done will be the focus of the next unit. But first we will come back to the main question of this unit – what sort of learning are we looking for, and how we can make it work in the classroom. The detail of how this can be done will be the focus of the next unit. But first we will come back to the main question of this unit – what sort of learning are we looking for, and how we can make it work in the classroom. © Curriculum Foundation