Support Effective Assessments

Coaches should encourage educators to use technology to create assessments with timely feedback and to help students use digital feedback tools. These may include tools such as spelling and grammar checkers, commenting tools and audio and video feedback.

ISTE explains that ‘coaches should help educators use digital tools e.g. digital camera or video, audio software, graphic design software, and writing software. Educators should be encouraged to create effectives assessments with feedback that maximises digital tools to provide student substantive feedback as quickly as possible, for example, built-in data capturing of various assessment systems and other digital tools; modelling for students how to recognise, understand and use tool-embedded feedback mechanisms (help tip, error notifications such as misspelling underlines, gamified success/ failures); using commenting tools or audio/video tools to provide direct feedback on student work.’  

There is a difference between completing work and completing work that we are proud of. Feedback is one of the bridges between these two levels of achievement.

Pupils can be sent assessments via ClassNotebook. Assessments can be created directly on to the page or previous written assessments created in Word can be added to a page. If pupils are using Assignments in Teams and working in ClassNotebook, there are numerous ways that feedback can be delivered. Audio feedback can be left as a file on the page. Praise stickers can be awarded digitally. Comments can be left on the page, either by text or by digital inking. Feedback comments and rubrics can be attached to Assignments when returning them. The benefits are the time that can be saved for teachers e.g. delivering detailed feedback in an audio or video file, and the accessibility for pupils, if audio feedback is easier for them to understand than written. The comments can be real-time in a classroom situation allowing for the teacher and pupil to communicate on feedback, where otherwise the pupil may have felt anxious to have the feedback delivered verbally in class. Coaches can help educators understand and use the best digital tools for the job.

Coaches and educators can also encourage independence in pupils, and for them to be self-directed learners who wish to review and improve their own work. They may do this independently or when working in small groups. When collaborating with others, pupils can share documents with editing privileges to all, or can share documents that allow comments to be inserted or for changes to be tracked, in order for pupils to collaborate and improve their work.

Pupils can also use the editor tool for feedback in Word to help them be independent and improve. The tool not only helps them check for spelling and grammar mistakes but also comments on refinements including inclusivity scores, clarity and sensitive geopolitical references, and also gives insights on readability. Pupils could also be encouraged to use A.I. responsibly and using platforms such as ChatGPT for feedback on essays rather than for writing them. Coaches can help educators understand these tools so they can encourage pupils to use the best digital tools for the job.

Timely feedback is important for it to be effective. Microsoft Forms can be used to create quizzes. These can be shared via Teams posts or in ClassNotebook pages. Quizzes can be self-marking and provide pupils with instant feedback.

The assessments described so far, all include written assessments. However to be future ready, pupils need to be prepared for all types of assessments. This can include assessing audio, video and live presentations. Flip is a useful tool for sharing video assessments and for allowing feedback to be delivered. Pupils can also be encouraged to improve their own work by using the Speaker Coach on PowerPoint.

Coaches can help educators understand these tools and encourage their use by pupils and foster greater independence, and hopefully motivation for them to produce their best work.