Category Archives: practice

Improving assessment practice

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Preston Lodge is one of a number of school across the country to have been involved in developing materials for the first phase of the National Assessment Resource(NAR). PLHS PE department have developed assessment practice in the level 3 Health and Wellbeing outcomes and experiences through gymnastics. Students learned to manage their own learning and that of peers and provide feedback to support others as well as assessing their own level of confidence with particular skills.

The PE department have done some really interesting work that will help lead the development of assessment practice not only withing PLHS but also at a national level.

Peer assessment in Art and Design

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Below is a short report from Ms Middleton in the Art department detailing some work she has been carrying out on peer assessment with her Intermediate 2 class. 

 

Peer Assessment

I carried out an extra support lesson for six Intermediate 2 Art and Design pupils in S4. Pupils are currently revising and learning how to apply their knowledge to the written art and design studies exam. This exercise was designed to help them revise and also identify areas of weakness within their own knowledge. I also think that preparing and delivering a presentation helps build confidence.

Structure of the peer assessment:

I prepared cards for the assessment. Each card explained what pupils had to do. E.g.

Art Nouveau

You have been asked to explain to the rest of the group about the movement, Art Nouveau. You must include dates, key principles of the movement and those involved.

 

Pupils had their notes (which had been previously highlighted to emphasise key points). I gave pupils 15 minutes to prepare and make notes if necessary.

Each pupil had two cards and were asked to talk in chronological order. Pupils had to ‘traffic light’ the talks. The criteria for traffic lighting was to compare the presentation to how they could have explained the topic

 

Green: meaning better than they could have done themselves

Amber: meaning about as well as they could have explained it

Red: meaning not as well as they could have explained it.

 

Results

Generally, this exercise was very successful. I found that pupils performed very well in the presentations and I personally awarded all green and only two amber. Interestingly, this was echoed in the majority of the pupil’s answers. When I asked the group why they gave amber rather than green they were reluctant to answer (I think they were being polite!) I gave a traffic light evaluation to pupils asking:

 

‘How helpful did you find this session?  (6 green)

‘Has it helped highlight areas which you need to work on?’ (i.e.gaps in your knowledge)  (3 green, 3 amber)

‘How helpful are you finding these extra revision sessions?’  (5 green, 1 amber)

 

  • In conclusion, this is a strategy that I would definitely use for art and design studies in the future.
  • It took quite a lot of preparation.
  • It might be possible to ask pupils to prepare the cards beforehand as an extra revision tool.