Underlying concepts

Understanding assessment

Assessment can hold negative connotations for learners.  Frequently learners don't understand what assessment means or they are influenced by a poor experience.  For many learners, assessment means ’pass‘ or  unwanted ’failure’.

Most teachers have a focus on what they want pupils to learn and the classroom experience is centred on activities with purpose; clear learning outcomes are planned and often made clear to pupils at the beginning of the lesson. Evidence gathered relates primarily to the planned learning aims and objectives but can also incorporate incidental, unexpected learning and learning outside.

Various forms of assessment, diagnosis or judgement-making can be used, from homework, project work, in class activities to more formal tests; evidence may include diagnostic tests, portfolios, 'Can-do' statements, self-assessment, peer assessment, skills and tasks.  Evidence of things pupils say and do may be gathered by pupils, parents or staff from a range of sources and in a variety of ways (such as from written work, drawings, models, observed activities, video, audio sources or dialogue).

Assessment therefore is the process of using a range of evidence to monitor, measure, record and should provide feedback on the learning that is taking place. Good assessment supports both the teacher and pupil to judge how effective the lesson is in enabling good progress to be made.

The Assessment Reform Group (1999) defines assessment for learning as:

ICT enhances life chances and is an essential skill for learning, the curriculum should provide opportunities for pupils to both develop and apply their capability.

Supporting progression in ICT capability

Effective assessment stems from clear learning outcomes which support pupils' learning. Pupils need to know what they are learning and why, how to improve and what the next step in progression looks like.

Planning needs to reflect this clarity of intention against the development of a pupil's ICT capability as defined by the National Curriculum. In order to develop true capability pupils should have experiences developed in purposeful contexts. These should ensure the pupils understand the concepts involved, have learnt techniques skills and facts and understand the role of ICT in their world. This should include learning, leisure and life and how to keep safe in a digital world

Further background reading

• About the primary curriculum [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)]
• Schemes of work
• Assessment for learning