Technology Enhanced Assessment for Targeted Feedback in Online Learning

Assessment for Learning (AfL) and Assessment of Learning (AoL) are two distinct approaches to assessing students' progress and understanding in education. They serve different purposes and occur at different stages of the learning process.

Assessment for Learning (AfL)

Assessment for Learning, also known as formative assessment, is focused on gathering information about students' learning progress during the learning process itself. The primary purpose of AfL is to provide timely feedback to both students and teachers, helping them understand where students are in their learning journey and how to improve. AfL is used to guide instruction and support students in reaching their learning goals.

Key characteristics of Assessment for Learning include:

Timeliness: AfL occurs during the learning process, allowing adjustments to teaching and learning strategies in real time.

Feedback: Feedback provided through AfL helps students understand their strengths and areas that need improvement.

Improvement: The main goal of AfL is to enhance students' understanding and skills, helping them progress in their learning journey.

Inclusivity: AfL considers individual student needs and adapts instruction accordingly.

Low-Stakes: AfL assessments are often low-stakes or ungraded, focusing on learning rather than assigning grades.

Examples of Assessment for Learning include classroom discussions, quizzes, polls, peer assessments, self-assessments, and teacher feedback during class activities. AfL empowers both students and teachers to actively engage in the learning process and make necessary adjustments for better learning outcomes.

Assessment of Learning (AoL)

Assessment of Learning, also referred to as summative assessment, occurs after a specific learning period to measure students' overall understanding and mastery of the material. The primary purpose of AoL is to evaluate what students have learned and to assign grades or certifications based on their performance.

Key characteristics of Assessment of Learning include:

Culmination: AoL assessments are conducted at the end of a learning period, such as a semester or unit.

Judgment: The focus of AoL is to make judgments about students' achievement and assign grades.

Accountability: AoL provides a summary of students' learning outcomes for reporting and accountability purposes.

End Goal: The primary goal of AoL is to measure the extent to which students have met specific learning objectives.

Examples of Assessment of Learning include final exams, standardised tests, end-of-unit assessments, projects, and presentations. AoL helps educators and institutions evaluate the effectiveness of their teaching methods and the extent to which students have achieved the desired learning outcomes.

In summary, Assessment for Learning is focused on ongoing feedback and improvement during the learning process, while Assessment of Learning is concerned with evaluating students' overall understanding and assigning grades at the end of a learning period. Both approaches play crucial roles in supporting effective teaching and learning.

Feedback for Parents and the Challenges Faced by Teachers

Teachers need to write school reports for every student in every subject they teach. This is often hundreds of reports per year. As a result, it is almost impossible for teachers to have the time to provide a detailed, personalised snapshot of your child’s progress. Comment banks, with repeatable generic phrases, are used to more quickly create a reasonable account of your child’s knowledge, understanding, and skills. Unfortunately, these reports often lack actionable detail that will help you identify strengths and weaknesses in your child’s understanding. An example of a year 11 maths school report is shown below, at face value this report is fairly comprehensive, but it lacks real detail and it is unclear how the student would take action to improve:

Mathematics School Report - Year 11

Student Name: [Student's Name]

Class: Year 11

Teacher: [Teacher's Name]

Date: [Date]

I am pleased to present the mathematics report for [Student's Name], who is currently in Year 11. [Student's Name] has consistently displayed a strong aptitude for mathematics and has proven to be an above-average student in the subject.

Academic Performance:

[Student's Name] has consistently maintained a high level of achievement throughout the academic year. Their performance in various assessments, quizzes, and classwork has been commendable. They consistently engage with challenging mathematical concepts and demonstrate a deep understanding of fundamental principles. Their test scores have consistently been above the class average, reflecting their strong grasp of the curriculum.

Strengths:

Problem Solving: [Student's Name] excels in tackling complex mathematical problems. They display a creative approach to problem-solving and often suggest alternative methods to arrive at solutions.

Class Participation: [Student's Name] actively participates in class discussions, contributing insightful questions and ideas. Their enthusiasm fosters a positive learning environment and encourages their peers to engage more actively as well.

Areas of Improvement:

While [Student's Name] performs exceptionally well overall, there are a few areas where they could enhance their mathematical skills:

Advanced Concepts: Encouraging [Student's Name] to explore more advanced mathematical concepts beyond the curriculum could further deepen their mathematical understanding and challenge them to reach even greater heights.

Collaborative Skills: While [Student's Name] excels individually, they could benefit from collaborating more with classmates on problem-solving tasks. This would provide them with exposure to different perspectives and approaches.

Attitude and Effort:

[Student's Name] consistently displays a positive attitude towards mathematics. Their passion for the subject is evident in their willingness to take on challenging problems and their active involvement in classroom discussions. They approach new topics with enthusiasm and do not shy away from seeking help when needed. [Student's Name] also demonstrates a strong work ethic by completing assignments punctually and consistently putting in the effort required to excel.

Thank you for your continuous effort and dedication to the subject.

Sincerely

[Teacher's Name]

Mathematics Teacher

[School Name]

Sohkahtoa: Enabling Targeted Feedback for Improvement

In the digital age, technology has introduced innovative solutions to address the challenges of providing comprehensive feedback. Sohkahtoa promotes both assessment for learning and assessment of learning strategies to provide well-rounded feedback for both students and parents throughout the learning journey. Targeted feedback helps to identify strengths and weaknesses across the curriculum so students can identify key areas for improvement.

Sohkahtoa has the following mechanisms for feedback:

Subtopic quizzes: Each subtopic has a short quiz to quickly assess knowledge and understanding of simple concepts. Here, students can gauge their progress in real-time and feel confident that they are ready to move to the next level. If a student is stuck with any particular question, an AI tutor is available to interact with and provide personalised support.

Real-world quizzes: These quizzes use authentic real-world problems to develop higher level critical thinking and problem solving skills. Again, an AI tutor is available to help with specific questions and to provide support.

Topic summaries: A review of progress across all topics within a school year is available at a glance with a simple to understand visual summary. Here, both students and parents can see topics that have been completed and those that still require work. Students can compare their quiz scores against the average of all Sohkahtoa users to give them confidence in their ability to tackle problems.

Strengths and areas to improve: It is natural behaviour to for humans to practice what they are good at and neglect what we are not. The positive reinforcement of succeeding at something we can do is appealing, however, the greatest improvements come from tackling our weaknesses. Sohkahtoa provides a summary of your best topics (strengths) and those that could do with the most improvement (areas to improve). As a result, both students and parents have clear, actionable feedback for targeted improvement.

AI Tutor: Our AI-powered tutor is a dynamic and intelligent tool designed to assist students on their educational journey. It serves as a personalised learning companion, offering targeted support and guidance to individual learners. Unlike human tutors, AI support can be accessed 24/7 and provides customised support by analysing a student's responses to questions and assessments. It identifies areas where the student is excelling and areas where improvement is needed. This analysis goes beyond simple correctness and delves into the thought process, providing valuable insights.