Self Assessment and Feedback:
The role of assessment is to gauge the progress that
both learner and teacher have made towards achieving
the aims that have been set and appraising how this
could be done better. Opportunity for feedback, leading
to revision and improvement of performance, should
constantly be available, without exams and evaluations
being used as a threat to study.
Grading and correction carried out in the
presence of students and providing feedback on the
answers they get right and wrong, and why. Asking
children about why they answered what they did assists
teachers in going beyond the written answer to engage
with children's thinking. Such processes also take away
the frightening judgemental quality of marks obtained
in a test, and enable children to understand and focus
on their mistakes and learn through these mistakes.
Sometimes head teachers object, claiming that
correction in the presence of the child reduces
'objectivity'. This is a misplaced concern for 'objectivity',
stemming from a competitive system that believes in
judging children. Such a concern for 'objectivity' is
misplaced in evaluation, which is consistent with
educational goals.
Not only learning outcomes but also learning
experiences themselves must be evaluated. Learners
happily comment on the totality of their experience.
Exercises, both individual and collective, can be
designed to enable them to reflect on and assess their
learning experiences. Such experiences also provide
them with self-regulatory capabilities essential for
'learning to learn'. Such information is also valuable
feedback to the teacher, and can be used to modify
the learning system as a whole.
Every classroom interaction with children
requires their evaluation of their own work, and a
discussion with them about what should be tested
and the ways of finding out whether the competencies
are being developed or not. Even very young children
are able to give correct assessments of what they can
or cannot do well. The role of teaching is to provide
an opportunity to each child to learn to the best of
his or her ability and provide learning experiences
that develop cognitive qualities, physical well-being
and athletic qualities, as also affective and aesthetic
qualities.
Report cards need to present to children and
parents a comprehensive and holistic view of the child's development in many fields. Teachers must be able to
say things about each child/student, that conveys to them
a sense of individualised attention, reaffirms a positive
self-image, and communicates personal goals for them
to work towards. Whether it is marks or grades that are
reported, a qualitative statement by the teacher is necessary
to support the assessment. Only through such a
relationship with each child can any teacher succeed in
influencing him/her, and contributing to his/her learning.
Along with the teacher assessing each child, each student
could also assess himself or herself and include this selfassessment
in the report card.
Currently, many report cards carry information
on subject areas and have nothing to say about other
aspects of the child's development, including health,
physical fitness and abilities in games, social skills, and
abilities in art and craft. Qualitative statements about
these aspects of children's education and development
would provide a more holistic assessment of
educational concerns.
