“Assessment is really time consuming and exhausting. So when I do it, and give a lot of meaningful feedback, I want to do it at a time that it will help them to improve.”
(Cathy Staff, Grade 8 teacher as reported in More Progressive Ways to Measure Deeper Levels of Learning (Edutopia))

When we think of assessment we usually think of tests and exams, but some subjects also have portfolio assessment. We know that it is a big (even tiresome) and time-consuming part of our lives as teachers, so let's look at how we can make it work better for our learners.

Activity 2.1

2Enable offers assessment at the end of each week. Spend five minutes experiencing an assessment in 2Enable.

Points for discussion:

• What kind of learning does the 2Enable assessment measure and what are the advantages and pitfalls of the 2Enable assessment feature?
  
  
• In what ways is the 2Enable assessment useful to you?
  
  
• How can you augment or modify the assessment in your classes?

Using assessment to diagnose learning

The most minimal thing that you can do with the 2Enable assessment is to record it in a mark book and use this in place of a "standardised class test".

However, you can use the assessment feature both before and after a week's lessons in order to diagnose:

1. what areas you should focus on in teaching (before the week);
2. how effectively you taught the concepts and whether further teaching is required (at the end of the week).

Activity 2.2

1. Working in pairs, view these two scenarios and discuss the questions that arise in each.

Scenario: The reflecting diagnostic Physical Science teacher

Scenario: The planning diagnostic Maths Lit teacher

2. Participate in the whole group feedback about these scenarios.