For each of Assessment For, Of, and As Learning, briefly describe the assessment mode in your own words and provide an example of how you have encountered this in your own learning. (3 paragraphs, 3-5 sentences each)

Assessment Of Learning:
What we first think when hear assessment, these are the summative assessment the lead to grades and should represent our overall mastery of the content. These assessments most need explicit descriptions and criteria because they are used to evaluate student progress and achievement. Therefore they are ‘higher stakes’ because parents and administration primarily evaluate student learning from this information. In my own learning I see this in the rubrics and grades that come out after assignments in my courses, and depending on that feedback I can better understand my mark and achievement as a learner.

Assessment For Learning:
This is the next most common form of teacher assessment, a check-in on how students are doing. This is formative assessment which is done both formally and informally to help you as a teacher form an understanding of your students learning. Are they having difficulty with a particular assignment? Did they all get a certain question wrong in the same way? Those issues can only be addressed if you see them. As a teacher you must assess your students and yourself so that you can quickly change you teaching to better suit their learning when there are gaps or misunderstandings happening. In my own learning I’ve seen this in the group discussions that happen in class, because although there is a lot of learning happening they’re never graded but our professors will rest or pass items depending on our understanding and interest in the topics which improves the courses.

Assessment As Learning:
This is harder to understand and use effectively, but it is ultimately self-reflection and learning about our learning done by students themselves. It can give greater insight into their own strengths and weaknesses and identify their own patterns. Delivered by themselves or their peers, it can elucidate patterns of success and common pitfalls which students can then address and improve for their own benefit. It creates a greater sense of self-control over their own learning. I haven’t experienced this as often as the other forms of assessment but the first that comes to mind is the quizzes we did in this class. It got us to assess our own learning styles and teaching values and then reflect on how we see that in reality which gave me a new perspective on some of my own behaviours.

I would use assessment for learning throughout lessons because both me and my students need to be on the same page. This can be as simple as questioning the class at large or asking individuals how the lesson is going. Assessment of learning is the most pervasive in the classroom but also the most wasted. Often assessments are confused on their purpose and don’t align well with what the real expectations are so I would work to create summative assessments of learning which avoid that. Finally assessment as learning I think is most useful either in small chunks regularly such as exit slips about lesson feedback, or peer-teaching/feedback done slightly before the end of a unit so that students have a chance to better prepare for the ultimate assessment of their learning whatever form that takes and gives them the best chance to succeed.