Reflection #3

Reflection 3

What is the difference between assessment for learning and assessment of learning?

After reading the article, I found this paragraph about the difference:

This distinction in types of assessment is elaborated by Rick Stiggins (2002) in an outstanding article about the current assessment crisis. It is important to make this distinction when considering the role of portfolios in assessment. As noted in an earlier article, the use of portfolios in high stakes assessment of learning is problematic, but the use of portfolios in formative assessment (for instruction) and assessment for learning is powerful.

According to this paragraph, I think assessment of learning looks like a measurement of learning; otherwise assessment for learning is like a feedback to educators. Any educator would not like to be a soloist, we need to know whether students are interested in or not. Introducing high-tech methods in our education program is getting more ways to know the students.

10-research based principles related to AFL-assessment for learning.

Here are their ten research-based principles of Assessment for Learning (AFL) to guide classroom practice:

1.       AFL should be part of effective planning of teaching and learning

2.       AFL should focus on how students learn

3.       AFL should be recognized as central to classroom practice

4.       AFL should be regarded as a key professional skill for teachers

5.       AFL should be sensitive and constructive because any assessment has an emotional impact

6.       AFL should take account of the importance of (and foster) learner motivation

7.       AFL should promote commitment to learning goals and a shared understanding of the criteria by which they are assessed

8.       AFL develops learners’ capacity for self-assessment so that they can become reflective and self-managing

9.       AFL should recognize the full range of achievements of all learners

10.   Learners should receive constructive guidance about how to improve

What potential if any, do you see for portfolio assessment?

In my opinion, the portfolio assessment can provide flexibility in measuring how students accomplish their learning goals. There are bunch of ways to build a portfolio assessment, how can we find a more efficient way to get it? I think to engage more and more students in this program we have to make it keep up with the times, both contents and educators. Nowadays, people get lost all the time. Why we should learn mathematics? We already have calculators and computers, we do not need to learn those complex formulas which are useless in our future. Why we should learn English? We speak English every day, we can use voice messages, we do not need to learn how to spell it. But that are the result of people’s wisdom, we have to keep it generation and generation. We could make it more acceptable by using high-tech methods.

What do you think the creation and development of your portfolio will do for your learning?

I think I will get promoting self-evaluation, reflection, and critical thinking. Actually, I am not a person that good at expressing myself. From my childhood I was just sitting in the back of our classroom, and definitely had no communicate with teachers. Every time the teacher asked somebody to answer a question, most of our class would keep our head down and tried to avoid the eye contact with that teacher. But now, I would like to speak out what I am thinking about and want to share my experience with others.