The role of assessment in strengthening literacy and numeracy.
Key messages
1. The primary purpose of assessment should be to support learning by generating feedback that learners and educators can act upon in terms of:
- What literacy and numeracy skills does the learner need (in relation to qualifications, work demands or social contexts)?
- What are the learner’s current literacy and numeracy skills?
- What is the learner’s next learning step to make progress towards the skills needed?
Information gathered for this purpose may also be used for other purposes, but the focus is always on addressing each learner’s own mix of learning needs. On the other hand assessment information gathered for accountability or reporting purposes typically targets selected aspects of the wider picture and aggregates data from groups of students.
2. Assessment data should be used to improve learning and teaching. We should use all available assessment data in support of learning. While improved teaching should lead to improved learning it is important to recognise that it is only learners who can learn.
3. Assessment has been shown to improve learner outcomes when it:
- Involves learners in assessing their own learning
- Provides timely and sufficient feedback
- Is valid and fair
- Is purposeful and suited to purpose
4. The primary purpose of the assessment tool is to support educators and learners in their teaching and learning of reading, writing and numeracy. The following figure illustrates the role that the assessment tool plays in the process of strengthening the reading, writing and numeracy of learners. The assessment tool provides information to help “know the learner”. This information can then be used to provide next learning step. This learning step is made in relation to what the learner currently knows and what the learner needs to know. While the assessment tool provides a strong starting point for understanding the literacy and numeracy skills of learners it may be necessary to use other assessment tools or techniques to probe further the literacy and numeracy skills of some learners.
5. The assessment tool allows learners to track their progress over time and enables educators and organisations to report on the progress made by groups or cohorts of learners
References
Absolum, M., Flockton, L., Hattie, J., Hipkins, R. & Reid, I. (2009). Directions for assessment in New Zealand: Developing students’ assessment capabilities. Wellington: Ministry of Education.
Read the article on TKI Assessment website.
Ministry of Education (July, 2006). Assessment for foundation learning. Wellington: Ministry of Education.
http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/publications/tertiary_education/27773/5499