Assessment and Learning in the Classroom
Course Description
This course is designed to introduce elementary teacher candidates in British Columbia with theoretical perspectives as well as practical issues in relation to assessing students learning. The course will be conducted in a lecture and seminar fashion and teacher candidates’ role as participants in both is vital to this process. The course will help candidates to develop their practicum and work on the assessment section of their practicum plan thoroughly. Teacher candidates will have the opportunity to engage in teamwork, peer review of individual projects and get feedback from their course instructor. These activities go in line with the theoretical discussions and lectures provided in class. Moreover, teacher candidates will also be introduced to:
- Current trends in assessment and how this applies to teaching in BC
- How assessment, teaching, learning, and curriculum are linked (and how to link them)
- The different functions of assessment (e.g., assessment as , of , and for learning)
- Key principles of high-quality assessments (i.e., validity, reliability, fairness)
- Approaches for creating a variety of formative and summative classroom assessments
- Assessment strategies appropriate for diverse learners and adapting assessments to fit the learner needs
- Context and issues with respect to grading and reporting
- How to engage families in students’ assessment and tracking their learning progress