But wait!
What if there is more to assessment than tests or quizzes? What if there is a deeper purpose than learning whether or not students can regurgitate specific facts? What if assessment evaluated where students were in understanding, encouraged areas of growth, and showed the teacher what needed to be clarified for mastery?
Assessment means more than Q&A. Teachers can easily be trapped in the ideology that they are to present the information on a given test (which may only be given at the end of the unit). Students who score well, learn well; students who score poorly, are lazy. Now please tell me you disagree with that statement. When used correctly, assessment can reveal weaknesses in teaching and strengths in learning! Tests certainly do not need to appear only at the end of units. By the time teachers realize that students failed the assessment and misunderstood key skills or concepts, too much time has been wasted and a new unit has begun.
So what if assessment moved towards the middle of the unit? Not only are teachers seeing where the students understanding lies, but students gain a sense of what is expected of them to learn and what they need to master before the end of the unit. This aligns with an acronym W.H.E.R.E.T.O.--
- WHERE, what,why
- HOOK
- EQUIP, explore, experience
- RETHINK, revise, reflect, refine
- EVALUATE self
- TAILOR to differences
- ORGANIZE for understanding
The W of W.H.E.R.E.T.O. represents a road map of learning for students. What are important key concepts they are expected to learn through this unit? Why are these skills useful? Where will students use these skills in the class and in life? Surveys evaluating what students already know about the unit and revealing what they do not, allow teachers to shape lesson plans around students' understanding. Students also gain a glimpse at what they expected to know and accomplish by the end of the unit, focusing on honing such concepts and skills. Assessments given in the middle of units also fall under this category (as well as several others). The students obtain feedback through the exam of how well they are learning. Teachers can also evaluate whether more time is needed to clarify key concepts or approach information in a new fashion.
I mentioned that assessment falls under other categories of the W.H.E.R.E.T.O. acronym. Consider EVALUATE, ORGANIZE, and RETHINK. Assessment allows students to evaluate their learning, whether they are understanding the material, and what concepts they are still trying to master. By receiving encouraging feedback on assessments, students recognize room for growth and strive to master understandings that still elude them. Teachers can also organize remaining lessons in a manner students will be able to understand material and refine their current understandings. Misconceptions can be reflected on and revised, once more allowing students to better evaluate their learning and gain mastery of information.
Assessment, in truth, can be re-framed in multiple manners to hit either category of W.H.E.R.E.T.O. Rubrics allowing students to organize information expected of them also equip students with expectations to meet. They may also reflect on feedback concerning what was done well or needs further work using the rubric, allowing them to reflect on their work and revise what was wrong. Assessments may also be open to creativity. Project presentations that focus on using key skills or reflecting key concepts allow students to present what has been learned in a manner that is both exciting and comfortable to the student. Where one is more comfortable with art, another with presentation, and even another with writing, each can accept the challenge and feel comfortable placing their best work in assessment.
In the end, assessment is a tool that allows teachers to encourage learning. Reflection and revision occur when assessment is used beyond Q&A and allows teachers to refocus lessons on areas students struggle most. This way, students realize that assessment is not there to bore or stress them out, but exists to help them recognize what is expected of them to learn, why such concepts and skills are important, and how to approach misunderstandings to correct and refine them.
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