Informative Assessment — understanding and guiding learning

Margaret Forster, ACER

Article comments

In the last decade a good deal of attention has focused on distinguishing between assessment purposes—in particular between summative assessments (assessments of learning) and formative assessments (assessment for learning). This presentation explores informative assessment. Informative assessment does not make a distinction between the contexts of assessment or their stated primary purposes. Rather, it focuses on how teachers and students make use of assessment information to both understand and improve learning. Informative assessment brings together research underpinning ‘assessment for learning’ with research on high performing school systems; on highly effective teachers and on how students learn. Two perspectives on informative assessment are explored: the teaching perspective and the learning perspective. Research evidence is detailed and challenges highlighted.

Abstract

See also interview with Dr. Forster at:

http://vimeo.com/6370318