Assessment for student success

Returning to university as an adult learner (and not for the first time) is a great way to gain insight into my own teaching practice. I just love to complete tasks that show what I have learned. Assignments should always be the vehicle for expressing and demonstrating student success. Of course, each student performs differently and some may be motivated by grades rather than consolidating and building upon subject matter, techniques and the application of those in their work.

Reflecting on my experience, on both sides of the classroom, has brought the importance of the teacher's role in facilitating not only learning but the means for succeeding with assignments to the front of my mind. The teacher has to put in place strategies for ensuring that the assignment is not only set but also explained, monitored and directed. Directing the learning journey for students is really powerful stuff and it really can determine their success. The alternative is teaching to the top of the class and issuing the assignment on the basis that all students should be able to complete it just by following a typed up sheet. That approach works well for those who came to class without the need to learn the material in question or those who have, 'talent' or 'intelligence'. However, for the rest of the class (me included) the assignment needs thorough explanation and support. Yes, class can be hard but why make it harder? Why subject the conscientious student to hours of finding out what the assignment was all about unaided - because that just causes unnecessary anguish and confusion?

Don't get me wrong. I am not advocating spoon-feeding by which I mean handing over the answers. It is about supporting student learning through the assessment process. Surely learning does not stop when an assignment is set? The teacher's job is not over as students file out of class. Here are some ideas:

Read all about it! Take time to go over the task and what is involved. Use a grading rubric to explain the skills that will be assessed and what needs to be included for the submission to be complete. Set some shorter related problems in class for students to complete in small groups and go through the solutions together. Get the students to contribute their solutions and encourage open class discussion about those solutions. Importantly - relate those tasks back to the assignment. The relevance of classwork to the assignment task gives a great deal of support because students know that they have been prepared for the independent assignment work they are to complete. Make sure that plenty of examples, resources and links to sources offer a rich seam of knowledge that students can mine.

Any questions? Asking the entire class if all is clear never works because people feel awkward to speak out in front of an audience. Nobody wants to feel or look stupid in front of the entire class. Even though many others can share the unvoiced concern it takes bravery to be the one to step forward. Small groups are better for breaking down feelings of reticence. Groups offer the means to explore the assignment whilst the teacher monitors the discussions. A question could be asked of each group for focus such as, "What order would you do things in?", " What skills will you have to demonstrate?" Each group can then give feedback. Students feel support amongst their peers and at the same time benefit from time focused on being primed for the work ahead.

Set it up! Why not work on part of the assignment in class? It offers preparation for the assignment and allows for feedback on work produced in class. Students could present their work and receive valuable feedback. This is a great and active source of guidance because they connect the feedback with the physical act of delivering their presentation. Not only will they get constructive feedback and pointers but these will be directly relevant and connected back to assignment requirements. This can only reinforce in each student's mind the purpose and reason for the assignment task and what will be assessed.

All together now! More than ever before, virtual learning environments and apps such as 'dropbox' make it easy to share files and keep those resources in one accessible place to which students can return time and time again. It is important to keep all resources together in one folder so that nothing is overlooked, left out or forgotten. There is nothing worse than files saved to various locations that potentially lead to students missing out a vital source of information. In this digital age this lack of organisation of files should not happen - but it does. Why should things be made difficult for the student? A bit of housekeeping works wonders.

Keep up the volley! Encourage questions, take and field questions, answer their concerns and give them advice. Nobody is asking for the answers. There is nothing worse than an unanswered cause for concern. The student had a need to raise an issue and it was literally a, 'call for help'. Even if the question seems trivial it can be answered by asking the student to consider their problem another way but always advice should be offered to those in need.

Use a rubric. They know where they are going with a roadmap and the rubric serves that purpose. As an uploaded document file it does not really come to life. The rubric needs to be explained in class and students need to value its importance as the place to look if they are unsure about what to demonstrate in their work and its presentation in order to do their very best. Rubrics also help to remind the teacher what it is that is being assessed.

Making the 'grade'! Don't focus on the grade, focus on the feedback. When it is time to return assessed work perhaps revealing the grade is the last thing to do. Students should be directed to the reasons for their outcome and a grade tends to have them focus on why they did not get a few percentage grades extra. Grades alone make students hunt for points without thinking about the reasons for the grade or what the grade can point to in terms of how to improve or what strategies to adopt. Only rich feedback can achieve such insight, and having them focus on that feedback will allow them to learn from their assessment outcome.

Don't get angry man! Provided everybody knows how assessment was carried out then it will be seen and understood to be transparent and fairly applied. Complaints will be kept to a minimum just by setting up the assignment and supporting the process. However, take each case on merit. Students who have questions can be advised to take time to take their work away and look again at the feedback and grade. An appointment set aside for them in a few days time gives them the chance to cool off and the discussion is likely to be about the work and not personal issues with emotions clouding their thoughts.

Reflect! So, how did they do? Was that assessment effective? Were there common issues that came out in their answers? These kind of enquiring questions can lead to revised and honed methods of assessment and can be used to establish if there is any need to improve the method of teaching or how a specific body of knowledge was covered.

I think these are important things to keep in mind when it comes to the role of assessment and its connection to teaching.

No list of suggestions is ever complete and I have offered some thoughts based on my experience both as a teacher and student. Please feel free to comment with your experience of assignments and assessment both as a student and/or teacher. I would love to hear from you.

Carl is a father of three, a teacher of twenty years and also an examiner, school inspector and an MBA student.

His other articles are can be found on the following links:

Top 10 Tips For New Teachers

Make 2015 A Year Of Great Lessons