Induction tutor materials
Training session - making assessment manageable and effective
Duration: 75 minutes
Session objectives
Learn that:
- 6.7. Working with colleagues to identify efficient approaches to assessment is important; assessment can become onerous and have a disproportionate impact on workload.
Learn how to:
Provide high-quality feedback, by:
- 6j. Scaffolding self-assessment by sharing model work with pupils, highlighting key details.
- 6m. Working with colleagues to identify efficient approaches to marking and alternative approaches to providing feedback (for example, using whole-class feedback or well supported peer-assessment and self-assessment).
How to prepare for the session
The facilitator should read:
- the ECT’s self-study materials for this module
- the mentor materials for this module
- Year 1 materials on developing effective classroom practice
ECTs could be asked to:
- consider how they currently provide time for pupils to respond to feedback
- collect evidence of specific feedback they provide to pupils on how they can improve
- collect evidence (oral, written or from marking) of how the pupils responded to their actions or guidance
Session structure:
Introduction to the session (5 minutes)
Explain that this training session builds on knowledge developed through the self-directed study materials and mentor sessions. It also builds on the learning they completed in Year 1, particularly how pupils learn.
Developing self-assessment and peer-assessment (30 minutes)
Think, pair, share: Ask, how often do you use peer or self-assessments in lessons? Why do you use them?
Ask ECTs to work in small groups to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of peer-assessment and self-assessment.
Take feedback. Advantages might include:
- can be time efficient
- facilitates pupils’ awareness of their own learning
- focuses pupils’ attention on how to improve their work
- supports increased pupil motivation and effective group work
Disadvantages might include the risk that pupils:
- might not be honest
- might not know what to look for
- may not value feedback from themselves or their peers
- may disagree with the feedback
- may give differing quality of feedback
Ask, what can we do to take into account and plan for the potential risks of peer- and self-assessment?
ECTs should share their experience of these approaches and describe what they have done to make them successful.
This might include:
- providing model examples
- teaching pupils what to look for in the work being assessed
- jointly developing mark schemes with pupils
- ensuring that peer- and self-assessment is used for relatively simple tasks, or that feedback can be simple
- deciding in advance how to group pupils, for example: asking pupils with similar prior attainment work together, or pupils who have done well on different parts of the task to work together
Trainers can choose to:
A) Gather ideas from around the room and develop a summary of the benefits, drawbacks, and solutions for using peer- and self-assessment approaches.
B) Share examples of scaffolds and support for ECTs to consider how to apply them in their teaching.
To model the benefits of working as peers, ask ECTs to work in groups and identify:
- an upcoming opportunity for pupils to carry out self-assessment or peer-assessment in a lesson
- the approach they’ll use to scaffold pupils working in this way
- how they’ll ensure the feedback is specific and helpful
- if there’s a more experienced colleague who has worked with the pupils identified to ask for advice on how best to facilitate the activity
ECTs should review each other’s plans and provide feedback to help them improve them further.
Marking using whole-class feedback response grids (30 minutes)
Marking and making notes to feed back to the whole class allow teachers to make marking manageable and effective. ECTs may have tried this with their mentors.
Ask ECTs to work in groups and discuss:
- the benefits and challenges of whole-class feedback
- approaches that they, or colleagues, have used to make this approach efficient and effective for pupils
Reflect that balancing whole-class feedback with feedback to individual learners can be challenging.
There are many benefits however, including:
- allows teachers to model assessment processes, thereby scaffolding self- and peer-assessment
- modelling thought processes
- saves time spent providing individual responses
- helps to identify and address misconceptions
- gives pupils the opportunity to respond to feedback by improving their work
ECTs can use whole-class feedback effectively by:
- recording while marking: common errors, areas for improvement, and correct answers across the class
- providing pupils with an example of work and asking them to improve it
Ask ECTs to work in groups. They should each choose a homework activity they’ll set in the next few weeks in which they can gather feedback on common correct answers, errors and areas for improvement to provide feedback to the whole class in the following lesson.
ECTs could share or devise their own template to gather this feedback. Or you could share this example:
| Class | Task | Intended learning |
|---|---|---|
| Exemplar work to share as models | Simple mistakes | Vocabulary used incorrectly |
| Missing or incomplete work | Errors and misconceptions | Next steps for feedback and further teaching |
Planning for action (10 minutes)
ECTs should:
- review the actions they’ve planned in this session
- identify when they’ll try out each of the strategies
- make a note of this to share with their mentor
Gather feedback from around the room. If relevant, share teachers’ top tips with the group and discuss them.