Jasneet Kaur* & Ashu Threja*

*Miranda House, University of Delhi

Key Principles of assessment ….

Integrate it with the process of teaching and learning i.e.

A shift from assessment of learning to assessment for learning

Using it as a Process by which

Assessment information is utilised and interpreted by teachers to adjust their teaching strategies for improvement in subsequent learning and teaching (Black, Harrison, Lee, Marshall and Wiliam, 2003; Blackand Wiliam, 1998)

Assessment………

has more Important role in primary classroom

To assess students with an assurance that no child held back in the same

class.(RTE)

Assess in order to prepare children for the challenges they face by elementary stage.(NCF-2005)

Assessment………….

In mathematics primary classroom…is

more crucial…

Shift from assessing procedural knowledge

to assess mathematization abilities

To assess students in a constructive

environment……

NEED arises……

To Use Assessment tools which can

provide richer feed back about pupil’s

area of strength and area to work on his

mathematical understanding as well as

her attitude towards mathematics…..

Paper attempts to study………

1. To foster the skills for quality

assessment in mathematics among

prospective teachers.

2. To explore the extent to which these

practices helped in improving quality of

learning as well as teaching.

Data resources

MCD primary school students from

grade II to V

B.El.Ed. 4th year interns

Methodology…….

Four Phases:

Phase I

Survey of assessment practices followed in

MCD primary schools by authors as well as

by pre- service teachers of B.El.Ed 4th year.

Class II Question Paper

Class II Question Paper cont….

Methodology……..

Phase II

Review the assessment practices

Preparation of format of assessment

profiles for students

Components of assessment

profiles

four point rubrics

concepts /sub concepts to be dealt

assessment indicators corresponding to the

tasks

four categories (Excellent for full

accomplishment, proficient for Substantial,

Marginal for Partial, Unsatisfied for little)

comments

anecdotal records

Format rubric

Methodology……

Phase III

Implementation of assessment practices in classes

Aspects covered:

○ implementation of assessment practices for three months

○ Rubrics to be prepared periodically viz. a record for pre-requisite skills/knowledge in the

beginning of teaching a theme

cumulative record having the sub-concepts to be dealt in a lesson plan,

Aspects covered continued……

○ Assessment indicators in correspondence with

the activities

○ Extent to which students have achieved

taught concepts

○ Comments

METHODOLOGY…….

PHASE IV

Discussion with students- teachers on

○ Feed back with respect to implementation of

alternative assessment practices

○ Challenges faced by them in implementing

Result and Discussion

Phase I

Assessment practices prevailing in MCD

schools

○ Paper pencil tests with emphasis on

assessing learners’ ability of rote memorizing

proficiency of learning an algorithm or procedural

skills

○ No qualitative feedback but only marks

Phase I discussion led to…….

Need for implementing

alternative assessment

practices

Result and discussion

Phase II

Preparation of rubrics-Lay out (attached)

writing description about the process of

students’ learning through observation in

anecdotal records.

Result and discussion

Description of samples collected of

assessment profiles

Theme: division

Class: V

Pre- requisite:

○ number representation (place value),

○ number operation (Subtraction)

○ grouping

Rubrics for assessing pre-

requisite skills

Cumulative record

Cumulative Record…..

Result and Discussion…..

Phase IV

Assessment Profiles as a resource

Helps to Design Group tasks

Heterogeneous Grouping in class to optimize Peer Learning…….An Excellent category Learner often assisting the learner with marginal indicators

Provide intern an opportunity to observe

and interact with learner sincerely and look into their processes of learning

Results and Discussion…..

Design Tasks to accommodate the

individual needs of the learners

Design Tasks employing different modes

of Representation to cater to needs of

learners at different levels of responses.

Results and Discussions

CHALLENGES

Apart from observations interns had to interact a lot personally with students to write ancedotes

It was difficult to maintain record for each student during Internship

Absenteeism of students made it difficult to maintain these records

Some interns suggested to keep a record only of the unexpected or unusual outcomes of the students

Class performance should be seen wholistically.

CONCLUSION

There is a need to prepare pre-service teachers for alternate assessment practices .

Categorizing students on the basis of the different levels depends on the mathematical content knowledge of the teachers .

In the study profiles focus on assessment of Mathematical Concepts ,Reasoning and Application of Concepts.Mathematical Attitudes and Communication though observed is not recorded.

Conclusion…..

Modified forms of Rubrics can be

implemented with pre-service education.

Future researches can be done in the

area of forming assessment indicators

,concept maps and the relevant

assessment tasks .