Assessing Inquiry
Assessing inquiry based projects can seem a little daunting since some teachers may have to restructure how they assess students. Below you will find practical suggestions on how to effectively assess students so that there is a positive impact on student learning.
Assessment practices should:
• be part of an ongoing process rather than a set of isolated events
• focus on both process and product
• provide opportunities for students to revise their work in order to set goals and improve their learning
• provide a status report on how well students can demonstrate learner outcomes at that time
• be developmentally appropriate, age-appropriate, gender-balanced and consider students’ cultural and special needs
• include multiple sources of evidence (formal and informal)
• provide opportunities for students to demonstrate what they know, understand and can do
• involve students in identifying and/or creating criteria
• communicate the criteria used to evaluate student work before students begin tasks so they can plan for success
• be communicated to students so that they understand expectations related to learner outcomes (Alberta Learning, 2003, pp. 7–8).
Also, assessment practices should help and encourage students to:
• be responsible for their own learning
• be involved in establishing criteria for evaluating their products or performances
• work together to learn and achieve outcomes
• feel competent and successful
• set goals for further improvements (Alberta Learning, 2003, p. 8).
(Taken from Focus on Inquiry)
Helpful Links for Assessment
Galileo.org- Inquiry and Assessment
Assessment Across the Inquiry Cycle- Saskatchewan School Library Association
Assessment For Learning
Assessment practices should:
• be part of an ongoing process rather than a set of isolated events
• focus on both process and product
• provide opportunities for students to revise their work in order to set goals and improve their learning
• provide a status report on how well students can demonstrate learner outcomes at that time
• be developmentally appropriate, age-appropriate, gender-balanced and consider students’ cultural and special needs
• include multiple sources of evidence (formal and informal)
• provide opportunities for students to demonstrate what they know, understand and can do
• involve students in identifying and/or creating criteria
• communicate the criteria used to evaluate student work before students begin tasks so they can plan for success
• be communicated to students so that they understand expectations related to learner outcomes (Alberta Learning, 2003, pp. 7–8).
Also, assessment practices should help and encourage students to:
• be responsible for their own learning
• be involved in establishing criteria for evaluating their products or performances
• work together to learn and achieve outcomes
• feel competent and successful
• set goals for further improvements (Alberta Learning, 2003, p. 8).
(Taken from Focus on Inquiry)
Helpful Links for Assessment
Galileo.org- Inquiry and Assessment
Assessment Across the Inquiry Cycle- Saskatchewan School Library Association
Assessment For Learning