Assessment is a critical element supporting a deeper understanding of student progress and teacher effectiveness. It provides teachers and administrators with insight and status of student acquisition of foundational concepts and practical skills essential for understanding the complexities of important topics being studied.

Self-Assessment as an Actionable Tool

Student self-assessment automatically integrates degrees of understanding and learning by bringing it into full view. For this to happen, formative assessment of what is being learned is critical because it requires a continuous review of performance compared to criteria indicative of student understanding. Therefore, effective self-assessment requires high-quality criteria to describe the performance desired.

Strategies for Student Formative Self-Assessment

To assume students are learning places teaching on shaky grounds. Therefore, it becomes necessary to gauge student perceived understanding of what is being expected by using a simple process to survey an entire class. The process may begin with students rating their perceived understanding of what is tested against attainment of expected performance. This may be done with a simple thumbs up/down action. Next, students should be asked to describe their understanding with a quick-write or similar response. Finally, students review their understanding with a rubric and feedback. This would be sufficient action to establish the status of student understanding of what is being learned and tested. It may also serve as the basis for reteaching.

Teacher questions drive the process which means that a question being asked is the one about which you want students to self-assess. This places a finite focus on teacher/student interaction. A feedback break helps to ensure students take time to self-assess and process what is being asked.

Self-Assessment as Self-Learning

The purpose of self-assessments is a way to make clear and access students’ thinking to measure the amount and quality of understanding. Said another way, it is designed to get inside students’ heads to examine how their thinking takes them to their perceived understanding. Also, it helps students to correct inappropriate ways of striving for understanding. Therefore, the process benefits both the student and teacher. Each use of self-assessment supports the long journey of teaching and learning by improving students’ performance progress and how to support it.

Those interested in learning more about EdVistas ways to harness technology to support formative assessment may do so by contacting Pete Cooper at 518-925-6021 or pcooper@edvistas.com.