Post by apinnock on Jan 29, 2014 18:15:48 GMT
Hw to Assess Computing
Some key points from the Naace report on assessment are .....
Development of staff confidence and competence in teaching and assessing computing cannot be achieved through a single quick training session.
Summative assessment no longer includes levels.
Formative assessment, or assessment for learning (AFL), in computing can use many of the techniques common to teaching across other areas of the curriculum.
Pupils should know what they need to do to get better and be able to identify the next steps in their learning.
The programme of study describes what pupils should be able to do by the end of each key stage.
It is anticipated that pupils will build a portfolio of evidence of work throughout a key stage that demonstrates their learning.
Digital pupil portfolios that provide ownership and access beyond the classroom are recommended.
Debugging, decomposition and problem solving:
Mistakes in programming are an important part of the learning process.
Part of the curriculum involves developing skills in debugging (finding mistakes and correcting them).
Breaking problems down into different parts is decomposition, a problem solving technique that develops computational thinking.
Formative assessment should not just focus on the product, such as a game that has been programmed, but on the way that debugging and decomposition have been used.
It is not always helpful to use checklists when evaluating a piece of computing work.
Getting an overall picture of piece of work is more akin to looking at the overall impact of a piece of writing.
In computing, work that demonstrates a higher level of knowledge, skills and understanding is both effective AND efficient.
There may be able pupils who find very creative solutions to the problem they are working on that do not fit the pattern expected by a class teacher.
Assessing their understanding is often most effectively done through effective questioning.
Teachers may not know all the answers!
Effective teaching uses a facilitative “guide on the side” approach rather than the “sage on the stage”.
Teachers may be developing their own subject knowledge and confidence at the same time as they are seeking to assess work and provide next steps for learning.
How do teachers recognise and assess what may be at the upper limits of (or even beyond) their own knowledge, skills and understanding?
Through techniques such as
technical interviews
peer feedback
feedback from external experts
portfolio annotation
Approaches to assessment which are used in other areas of the curriculum are relevant for computing, such as using self-and peer-assessment.
Possible questioning approaches:
Compare and contrast
What have you done?
Why have you done it?
Why have you chosen this way?
What other way could you have done this?
How could you improve what you have done?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions during the lesson, or to get children up to explain.
“Stop and share”/mini plenaries throughout lessons support learning and assessment.
Pupils can be taught how to give constructive and meaningful feedback - this should be modelled by the teacher, as can the culture of sharing that computing enables and benefits from.
Discrete computing in an embedded context is important - learning computing for a purpose which allows for explicit development of knowledge, skills and understanding.
Schools need to take ownership of their curriculum.
The curriculum needs to be flexible to meet the needs of the children in the class.
Schools should be open to adapt any brought-in scheme to localise it.
It is important to include and acknowledge learning that takes place outside school, and to be aware of pupils’ skills and activities beyond the classroom.
Bloom's digital taxonomy can provide a framework for evaluating levels of learning.
Another approach is through the use of "I can" statements grouped into "emergent" and "extended" skills.
Some key points from the Naace report on assessment are .....
Development of staff confidence and competence in teaching and assessing computing cannot be achieved through a single quick training session.
Summative assessment no longer includes levels.
Formative assessment, or assessment for learning (AFL), in computing can use many of the techniques common to teaching across other areas of the curriculum.
Pupils should know what they need to do to get better and be able to identify the next steps in their learning.
The programme of study describes what pupils should be able to do by the end of each key stage.
It is anticipated that pupils will build a portfolio of evidence of work throughout a key stage that demonstrates their learning.
Digital pupil portfolios that provide ownership and access beyond the classroom are recommended.
Debugging, decomposition and problem solving:
Mistakes in programming are an important part of the learning process.
Part of the curriculum involves developing skills in debugging (finding mistakes and correcting them).
Breaking problems down into different parts is decomposition, a problem solving technique that develops computational thinking.
Formative assessment should not just focus on the product, such as a game that has been programmed, but on the way that debugging and decomposition have been used.
It is not always helpful to use checklists when evaluating a piece of computing work.
Getting an overall picture of piece of work is more akin to looking at the overall impact of a piece of writing.
In computing, work that demonstrates a higher level of knowledge, skills and understanding is both effective AND efficient.
There may be able pupils who find very creative solutions to the problem they are working on that do not fit the pattern expected by a class teacher.
Assessing their understanding is often most effectively done through effective questioning.
Teachers may not know all the answers!
Effective teaching uses a facilitative “guide on the side” approach rather than the “sage on the stage”.
Teachers may be developing their own subject knowledge and confidence at the same time as they are seeking to assess work and provide next steps for learning.
How do teachers recognise and assess what may be at the upper limits of (or even beyond) their own knowledge, skills and understanding?
Through techniques such as
technical interviews
peer feedback
feedback from external experts
portfolio annotation
Approaches to assessment which are used in other areas of the curriculum are relevant for computing, such as using self-and peer-assessment.
Possible questioning approaches:
Compare and contrast
What have you done?
Why have you done it?
Why have you chosen this way?
What other way could you have done this?
How could you improve what you have done?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions during the lesson, or to get children up to explain.
“Stop and share”/mini plenaries throughout lessons support learning and assessment.
Pupils can be taught how to give constructive and meaningful feedback - this should be modelled by the teacher, as can the culture of sharing that computing enables and benefits from.
Discrete computing in an embedded context is important - learning computing for a purpose which allows for explicit development of knowledge, skills and understanding.
Schools need to take ownership of their curriculum.
The curriculum needs to be flexible to meet the needs of the children in the class.
Schools should be open to adapt any brought-in scheme to localise it.
It is important to include and acknowledge learning that takes place outside school, and to be aware of pupils’ skills and activities beyond the classroom.
Bloom's digital taxonomy can provide a framework for evaluating levels of learning.
Another approach is through the use of "I can" statements grouped into "emergent" and "extended" skills.