5.++Student+Involvement


 * Involve Students in Classroom Assessment**

Assessment for learning will only be effective when students are actively involved in the assessment process. Anne Davies defines assessment for learning as “formative assessment plus deep involvement of students in the assessment process (Davies, A, personal communication, October 9, 2009). Self-assessment is an essential component of assessment for learning. “For formative assessment to be productive, pupils should be trained in self-assessment so that they can understand the main purposes of their learning and thereby grasp what they need to do to achieve” ( Black & William, 2001, p.7). Self assessment does not involve students giving themselves grades or evaluating their progress, which are summative processes.

Munns and Woodward (2006) state that “student engagement is when students are simultaneously: reflectively involved in deep understanding and expertise, genuinely valuing what they are doing and actively participating in school and classroom activities” (p. 194). This interpretation rejects the notion that students are engaged when they are on task and comply with teacher directions. When students are truly engaged, as previously defined, there is a critical connection between their level of engagement and their involvement in student self-assessment. Opportunities should be provided for students to discuss thoughts and feelings about their learning with their peers and teachers. This sharing provides students with opportunities to reflect on what they are learning and achieving which in turn allows them to improve their learning. Self-assessment provides valuable information to the teacher about student engagement that is otherwise difficult to obtain since engagement is really an internal process. (Munns & Woodward, 2006).

It can be a challenge to find adequate time to provide students with the feedback they require for improving learning. By creating opportunities for self-assessment teachers allow students to give themselves feedback. Students will learn to value of self-assessment if they are taught the process, have clear learning targets, have clearly defined criteria for success, are provided with the support they need to improve and given the opportunity to make changes. Students can benefit from being involved in the process of defining rubrics or constructing criteria for learning tasks. When students are involved in assessment they have the opportunity to inject their own vocabulary, make connections and have a deeper understanding of the expectations.

When students are involved in peer-assessment they are given further opportunities to define criteria for success and develop more knowledge about the learning goal. “Peer assessment also contributes to creating a classroom environment that values feedback and constructive criticism” (Brookhart, 2008, p.70).