2 How much to assess
This resource should enable you to demonstrate an understanding of:
- the range of assessment types and their applicability to ICT capability, including diagnostic, formative, peer, ipsative and summative
- a range of methods for assessing students’ ICT capability.
The resource should enable you to establish how much you wish to assess and at what level of detail you wish to make those assessments.
Consider these statements in the final section of the National Curriculum [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] Section for ICT:
At the end of a key stage, teachers should judge which level description best fits the pupil's performance. Each description should be considered alongside descriptions for adjacent levels. When making a judgement at the end of a key stage, you may wish to note the following points.
Although you will want to be able to explain why you have awarded particular levels to pupils at the end of the key stage, there is no requirement for judgements to be explained in a particular way or to be supported by detailed collections of evidence for each pupil. Decisions about collecting information, about its purpose and how it should be used are matters for teachers working within an agreed school policy.
Reflection
- a. Does the ICT curriculum in your school make assessment easy or do you need to amend your schemes of work?
- b.Review these examples of assessment processes. Which meet legal requirements? Which are heavily procedural? How do they impact on planning and what is the cost benefit to learning?
- APP Ladder from Worcestershire LA
- Herefordshire ICT Assessment Records
- Herefordshire Primary ICT Progression Y1+2
- Hertfordshire ICT Assessment Advice
- Kent KS1 Tracking Sheet
- Kent ICT Assessment Rocket
- ICT Assessment Wokingham (last 2 links on this page are obsolete)
- Northern Grid for Learning
- Newham It@ss
- Redbridge approach to ICT assessment
- Right2learn diagnostic tests
- Lewisham ICT Pupil Learning diaries
Does the ICT curriculum in your school make assessment easy?
Do you need to amend your schemes of work?
What do you want to assess?
The National Curriculum divided ICT skills and capabilities into four areas:
- Finding things out
- Developing ideas and making things happen
- Exchanging and sharing information
- Reviewing modifying and evaluating work as it progresses.
Key questions
Does this model offer the holistic view of ICT capability you wish to develop in pupils?
Are there additional areas you wish to make judgments about?
Where do social web tools (Web 2.0) and e-safety issues fit?
How might you assess pupils’ capability in these areas?
What impact does this curriculum have on the subject knowledge of your teachers?
Do you wish to record and report the legal requirement or record and/or report on a more detailed ladder of skills?
Look again at the list of National Curriculum areas of study above. Think of examples in these areas applicable to your Year 1 children and Year 2 children. What about for e-safety as a fifth area?
1 What is effective assessment?