In this module you will learn how to collect and record formative assessment data so that it can be used give feedback to students and make decisions about the next teaching and learning activities that will be undertaken in the classroom.
Activities
1. Watch the video 'Collect evidence'
This video discusses the processes involved in the collection and recording of formative assessment data using the specifically designed task and formative assessment rubric. It explores how the data will be used and therefore the importance of how the data is collected and recorded.
The video duration is 5 minutes 25 seconds.
Module 4 - Collect evidence video transcript
Module 4 – Collect evidence PowerPoint
2. Read pages 17–18 of the Guide to Formative Assessment Rubrics
Part 3 ‘Collecting evidence of student learning’ in
The Guide to Formative Assessment Rubrics (pdf - 1.36mb) explains the process of collecting, interpreting and using formative assessment data. The key to this process is to make sure that the formative assessment task you have developed will elicit evidence in relation to the selected phases and actions specified in the formative assessment rubric.
The primary purpose of formative assessment is to promote learning and this relates to giving feedback to students and making decisions about what students are ready to learn next and how you plan to teach this to students.
3. Decide how to collect and record student data
How you collect and record student data will be influenced by the task you have designed to elicit evidence about what students can say, make, write or do. For some tasks you can collect student work samples, for example a written lab report, which you can assess outside of the classroom session. For other tasks, you will have to record information during the task, for example if students are undertaking a performance or demonstrating a physical skill or you are observing student contributions to a small group discussion.
You need to think about whether you will record results directly onto the formative assessment rubric by shading cells, or whether you will create another data collection spreadsheet. The quality criteria in your formative assessment rubric will have been numbered, and this may assist in recording results quickly during a real-time performance, demonstration or interaction. You may also need to think about how to record a student’s achievement if it beyond the highest level described in the rubric.
The other factor that will influence the way you record student data is the way you are going to use the data. For example, if you are going to use the data to give feedback to the individual student you need to be able to see their specific details. If you are trying to identify patterns within your class to determine groupings and targeted teaching, you need the data to be recorded in a format that enables it to be sorted and analysed. You may want to use the data for both individual and group next steps, so think about how to record the information to make it easy for use in the future.
4. Make judgments against the formative assessment rubric
A high quality formative assessment rubric supports teachers to be objective and consistent in their assessment of students’ current levels of learning, as the developmental progression of knowledge and/or skills is clearly articulated. It is important that when you are selecting the quality criterion that represents a student’s learning, this is based on what you have observed in their written work and/or their performance.
When you have selected the quality criterion that best represents what a student is currently able to say, make, write or do, it can be assumed that the student has achieved the earlier quality criteria. For example, for a student who demonstrates quality criterion 2.3, it can be assumed they have already achieved quality criteria 2.1 and 2.2. This means you need to record only one piece of information for each action being assessed in the formative assessment task. While this approach is suitable for the majority of students, can you think of a student who does not follow a typical pattern of progression? How will you record what they can say, make, write or do?
When you are recording a student’s current level of learning, you may have some uncertainty. If this occurs it is appropriate for you to make an on-balance judgment, and you could then design a short follow-up task, ask an additional question of the student or seek clarification from the student when giving them feedback.
If you are seeing irregular patterns of progression for a number of students in your class it may be that the formative assessment rubric needs refinement. This process is covered in Module 9.
5. Evaluate your work
Do you think it will be easy to collect and record student data based on the assessment task that has been designed? Will you need to make any additional version of the rubric to record results?
How quickly will you be able to assess student work and then use this information to progress learning?
Share your proposed process for collecting and recording student data with your colleagues. They may have advice about alternative processes that may this easier and/or quicker.
Practice considerations
- When recording achievement using the rubrics, the skills represented by criteria are considered to be cumulative. This means that if a student is assessed at a higher criterion it can be assumed that the student can do the lower criteria. This should make the recording of information (particularly in real time) quicker than marking off every quality criteria in an action.
- It is not sufficient to record only an overall score, or the number of criteria achieved, because this will not enable detailed feedback or planning to take place. The focus of this approach is formative assessment.
- You can use a formative assessment rubric more than once. A rubric could be a useful tool to track student growth over time. The premise for a formative assessment rubric is to understand what students can make, say, do and write, and this informs future teaching and learning. It can provide immediate and explicit feedback to students about next steps and support differentiation in a learning program to better cater to students’ needs. Revisiting the criteria on a rubric at a later date can help you see what progress has been made. See also pages 17 and 18 of the Guide to Formative Assessment Rubrics.
Additional resources
Refer to ‘Further reading’ on page 25 of
The Guide to Formative Assessment Rubrics.
The rubric made it easier to gather and record evidence. Using the rubric I found I focused more clearly on the skills demonstrated by each student, rather than just looking for the expected “correct” response. The rubric eliminated “grey areas” that exist in current rubrics – that is, each section of the rubric focused on a clear and unambiguous skill. Multiple skills were not placed in one cell of the rubric, and unclear qualifiers such as “sound” or “limited” were not present …
Teacher-participant in the VCAA’s formative assessment rubrics workshops
Move on to Module 5
Module 5 explores best practice for and benefits of moderating student work against a formative assessment rubric. This is particularly important if more than teacher in your school is going to be using the formative assessment rubric.
These materials were prepared in 2019. Please note that this area of research is evolving fast, therefore these materials should be supported with additional evidence bases that more accurately reflect best practice after 2024. It is recommended that these materials be used with consideration of updated research after this date.