Self-Study Activities

Review: 10 mins

Read the Research and Practice Summary on this week’s topic. As you read, reflect on:

1. the practices that you are already doing well
2. the practices you are doing some of the time but could do more of/more consistently
3. the practices you do not use in your teaching yet

As you work through the activities in this week’s self-directed study session and mentor meeting, aim to both refine and extend what you already do well, and to build your skill and confidence in using practices which are not yet a regular part of your teaching repertoire.

Plan and Theory to Practice: 30 min

As explained in the Research and Practice Summary, ‘efficiency’ refers to the reduction of waste. You can think of efficiency as having two key aspects in relation to assessment: time taken and impact on learning. The more efficient an approach is, the more impactful the time taken is for pupil learning. In relation to marking and feedback, ‘waste’ could relate to each of the factors in the table below. The table includes ways to improve efficiency, in each case:

Factor affecting overall efficiency: The amount of time teachers spend assessing pupils’ work and providing feedback.

Improving efficiency

• Ask pupils to hand in workbooks open at the page to be marked to save time when marking a set of books.
• Reduce time spent assessing pupils’ work and writing feedback by, for example, using codes or abbreviations to reference common actions/comments on work or giving verbal instead of written feedback.
• Give feedback to pupils in small groups or as a class rather than individually.
• Engage pupils in peer-assessment and/or self-assessment, where appropriate.

Factor affecting overall efficiency: The amount of time pupils take to make sense of, engage with and respond to feedback.

Improving efficiency

• Improve clarity and/or organisation of feedback so it clearly highlights guidance on how to improve and encourages further effort.
• Reduce the volume of feedback given to avoid the chance of ‘the signal being lost in the noise’.

Factor affecting overall efficiency: The time lag between pupils completing a task and receiving feedback.

Improving efficiency

• Give feedback during lessons where possible, or as soon after the task is completed as possible.

Factor affecting overall efficiency: The consistency of messaging to pupils about what constitutes high-quality work and/or progress.

Improving efficiency

• Be clear about success criteria before pupils begin working. Include models of high-quality work, where possible.
• Regular planning and review among all colleagues working with pupils to standardise and moderate expectations.

Factor affecting overall efficiency: Impact on pupils’ learning.

Improving efficiency

• Reflect characteristics of high-quality feedback, as explored in week 4 of Module 4.

1. Practical exercise

Identify two contrasting occasions on which you have given feedback to your pupils over the last half term. Write brief notes that describe each occasion. There are two examples shown below - your statements will differ according to the phase and specialism in which you are teaching:

Example 1

During a practical lesson in the workshop, I circulated around the room as pupils worked on cutting their wood pieces. I gave verbal feedback to each pupil as I observed their work. The main topics of feedback were health and safety, how well they were using tools, the quality of techniques used and reminding them of the objectives of the task.

Example 2

The end of term assessment was a written test. I collected pupils’ books (already open at the page I needed to mark). I annotated each answer to highlight strengths and mistakes and then wrote a summative paragraph at the end of each test with the overall mark. I put a star by the question that pupils should focus on during improvement time. I gave back the books in the following lesson, and pupils had half an hour to read my feedback, re-draft the starred question and then do independent study to improve their knowledge of any topics that they didn’t get full marks on in the test.

2. Reflection / self-assessment

Now, evaluate these two occasions with a specific focus on how efficient the process was on each occasion. Use the details in the table above to help you think about the time taken and the impact on learning on each occasion.

As you reflect, you could ask yourself:

• ‘how and why did I decide which forms of feedback were most appropriate in different situations?’
• ‘what impact did these choices have on me in terms of the time taken to assess my pupils and give the feedback?’
• ‘what impact did these choices have on my pupils in terms of the time taken to engage with, and act on, the feedback?’
• ‘what impact did these choices have on the quality of learning for my pupils?’

Based on this activity, identify two key strengths in your approach to efficient assessment. Identify two actions that you will take going forward to make your approach to assessment even more efficient. Note these in your Learning Log, if you are using one.

3. Discuss with a colleague

Now that you have thought about efficiency in your own assessment practice, have a short discussion with a colleague about the strategies they use to make their assessment practice as efficient as possible.

Add to the notes in your Learning Log, if you are using one, any ideas that you gain from this discussion.

To help structure this discussion, you could ask:

• ‘what strategies do you use to minimise the burden of assessment in your teaching?’
• ‘what do you see as the strengths and challenges of these approaches?’

If you are not able to speak to a colleague with the required expertise, you can refer to the video resource that accompanies this session.

Next Steps: 5 mins

Be ready to share your reflections from this session and any notes that you have made in your Learning Log with your mentor in your next meeting with them. You will work with your mentor to continue to explore efficient approaches to assessment.