The Central Role of Students in Formative Assessment Heidi Andrade, Angela Lui, Christopher Valle, Fei Chen 1

Purposes of this Presentation To make a case for students as valuable sources of formative assessment information To propose general principles regarding the conditions under which students can play a central role in formative assessment processes 2

Outline Learners as agents: A bit of theory Peer and self-assessment: A bit of research Conditions under which students can play a meaningful role in formative assessment Conclusions

LEARNERS AS AGENTS Students as sources as well as recipients of feedback

Where am I going? How am I going? and Where to next? An ideal learning environment or experience occurs when both teachers and students seek answers to each of these questions. Too often, teachers limit students’ opportunities to receive information about their performances in relation to any of these questions by assuming that responsibility for the students…. Students, too often, view feedback as the responsibility of someone else, usually teachers, whose job it is to provide feedback information by deciding for the students how well they are going, what the goals are, and what to do next. (Hattie & Timperley, 2007, pp. 88 & 101)

If formative assessment is exclusively in the hands of teachers, then it is difficult to see how students can become empowered and develop the self-regulation skills needed to prepare them for learning outside university and throughout life. (Nicol & Macfarlane-Dick, 2006, p. 200)

Students themselves can be thought of as the definitive source of feedback, given their constant and instant access to their own thoughts, actions, and works, and their easy access to each other. (Andrade, 2010) o Peer assessment o Self-assessment

Learners as Agents Peer assessment: A process during which students consider the quality of a peer’s work, judge the extent to which it reflects targeted goals or criteria, and make suggestions for revisions (Topping, 2013) Self-assessment

Learners as Agents Peer assessment Self-assessment: A process during which students reflect on the quality of their own work, judge the degree to which it reflects explicitly stated goals or criteria, and revise accordingly (Andrade & Boulay, 2003)

Learners as Agents No peer or self-grading. Given what we know about human nature, we believe that peer and self-assessment should be formative and not count toward formal grades or scores.

Learners as Agents Peer and self-assessment can prompt students to internalize self-regulated learning processes Model adapted from Barry J. Zimmerman (2002) Forethought (goal setting) Reflection (next steps) Performance (progress monitoring)

Research on Peer Assessment Generally positive relationships found between peer assessment and learning, achievement, and social skills, particularly in non-competitive cultures Increased and improved quality of help seeking, help giving, and students’ attitudes about asking for help Beneficial to both the assessor and the assessed

Research on Peer Assessment Consistency of peer assessment with teacher assessment: o Mixed results, depending on training, learning culture, age, and gender o Female peer assessors tend to be more consistent with teacher assessment than male students o Improved consistency between peer and teacher assessments with training in key assessment skills o Higher consistency when PA is formative

Research on Self-Assessment Positive relationships between self-assessment, achievement, and learning: Median effect sizes =.40 to.45 (Brown & Harris, 2013) Training in diverse SA strategies led to learning gains SA is most effective when supported by rubrics, modeled examples, and teacher guidance

Research on Self-Assessment Consistency of self-assessment with teacher assessment: o Generally weak to moderate positive correlations o Self-assessment is more consistent with teacher ratings when it is: Scaffolded by the teacher Not counted toward a grade or score Done by older students; younger students tend to overestimate Done by high performing students Done regarding familiar, predictable tasks

Perceptions of Peer and Self-Assessment Student perceptions of PA depend on context and culture. o The perceived value decreases in places that emphasize summative assessment and competition Students report enjoying SA but have some concerns: o Preference for teacher assessment and feedback o Psychological safety when self-assessments are made public

Student and Teacher Perceptions of Peer and Self-Assessment The voices of students and teachers in IS223, Brooklyn, NY (videos belong to Students at the Center, a Jobs for the Future Project)Students at the Center –Peer assessment [0:00-1:30]Peer assessment –Self-assessment [3:25-4:25]Self-assessment

Conditions for Effective Peer and Self-assessment 1.Mastery-oriented classroom 2.Clear learning goals and success criteria 3.Feedback 4.Opportunities to revise

Conditions for Effective Peer and Self-assessment 1.Mastery-oriented classroom: trusting, respectful learning environment valuing constructive critiques of work

Conditions for Effective Peer and Self-assessment 2.Clear Learning Goals and Success Criteria: Clearly articulated learning goals and expectations for a task should be shared with students, so they can refer to them as they provide feedback

Conditions for Effective Peer and Self-assessment 3.Feedback: focused on the quality of work, the extent to which it meets criteria and expectations, and how to close any gaps. Where are you/am I going? Where are you/am I now? How to close the gap?

Conditions for Effective Peer and Self- assessment 4.Opportunities for revision: using feedback to improve quality of work and deepen learning

Summary Effective peer and self-assessment require: Training, guidance, and support from teachers A mastery-oriented climate Clear goals and criteria Constructive feedback protocols Opportunities for revision Emphasis on feedback, NOT grades

Conclusion Under the right conditions, students can become useful sources of as well as recipients of feedback As a result, students can learn more, get better grades and test scores, and become more self-regulated learners