Student Engagement and Assessment for Learning

1. Student Engagement and Assessment for Learning Materials needed for today: Handout, Webinar #2

2. There is a close relationship between students’ experience ofengagementand student learning.

3. Globe and Mail March 26, 2010Hi-tech classroom seems to be clickingSchool board hopes use of new learningplatform translates into higher student achievement When you finish reading the article, check

4. When you finish reading the article, check Use the whiteboard tool to write your responses below: A What makes these teachers believe that the technology is engaging their students? Are these students intellectually engaged?

5. Engagement is about a self-determined commitment to the learning.

6. Intellectual engagement…

7. “Flow” Csikszentmihalyi (1996) This is where the learner is so focused that ____ itself seems to disappear. It is at this point that the brain begins to see patterns and make ___________ in the information. Understanding develops. Furthermore, as the learner experiences the pleasure inherent in deep learning, the experience is intensely ___________ .

8. Learners who experience “flow” are intellectually engaged.

9. Teaching practices have apowerful effect upon student engagement.

10. Classroom Practices that Make a Difference • Attention to relationships in the classroom • Attention to work that is relevant, meaningful and authentic for students • Thoughtful, intentional designs for learning • Use of assessment to improve learning and guide teaching

11. Classroom Practices that Make a Difference • Attention to relationships in the classroom • Attention to work that is relevant, meaningful and authentic for students • Thoughtful, intentional designs for learning • Use of assessment to improve learning and guide teaching

12. Alberta Initiative for School Improvement

13. Deb McFarlane, School Improvement Branch

14. Assessment • is a seamless part of the learning process

19. Good assessment is good teaching!

20. What other assessment for learning strategies do you know? A Use the whiteboard tool to write your responses.

21. Learning Targets Deb McFarlane, School Improvement Branch

23. Criteria for a good restaurant…

24. Criteria for Oral Presentation • evidence/examples • organization • delivery • language techniques

25. Co-constructing Criteria with Students

26. The St. Paul School Story, Refocus (2003) Alberta Assessment Consortium If you have trouble viewing the video, check If the video comes up without trouble, check When you finish viewing the video, check

27. Evidence of Engagement

28. Assessment for learning requires clear learning targets, • models of what constitutes quality work, and criteria for evaluation that are co-created with students.

29. Assessment for learning involves descriptive feedback provided by teachers and peers.

30. “The most powerful single modification that enhances achievement is feedback.” (Hattie, 1992)

31. Feedback that … • explains how student work relates to learning goals and assessment criteria (specific)

32. Feedback should … • explains how student work relates to learning goals and assessment criteria (specific) • encourages students to improve (descriptive)

33. Feedback that… • explains how student work relates to learning goals and assessment criteria (specific) • encourages students to improve (descriptive) • is frequent (timely) • (adapted from Marzano, 2006)

34. To be effective, feedback needs to cause thinking.

35. Effective Feedback? Well done! I am very proud of you

36. Effective Feedback? Five of these 20 answers are incorrect. You’ve reduced the fractions incorrectly. Find them and fix them!

37. Effective Feedback? Your sentences have great descriptive words. Try shortening some of the longer ones and eliminating the words “and then…”

38. Peer feedback…

39. Creating a culture of assessment… Beverly Barca, Foothills School Division (AAC Website) If you have trouble viewing the video, check If the video comes up without trouble, check When you finish viewing the video, check

40. clarifying learning objectives • using exemplars • establishing assessment criteria • using a rubric • providing descriptive feedback • encouraging self assessment • enabling peer assessment

41. Assessment feedback enables students to become self-directed in their learning.

42. The self-directed learner… 1. Where am I going?

43. The self-directed learner… 2. Where am I now?

44. The self-directed learner… 3. How can I close the gap?

45. The St. Paul School Story, Refocus (2003) Alberta Assessment Consortium If you have trouble viewing the video, check If the video comes up without trouble, check When you finish viewing the video, check

47. Assessment for learning practices facilitate student engagement.

48. The following practices support engagement… • clear learning targets • exemplars • assessment criteria • descriptive feedback • peer assessment • self assessment

49. OF FOR

50. Questions? Comments? deb.mcfarlane-smith@gov.ab.ca