Assessment
It is generally accepted that schools develop assessment that is consistent with the Australian curriculum framework. Assessment is the process of gathering and interpreting information about student progress for a variety of purposes including:
• To direct future planning and teaching
• To inform teachers, students and parents about current understandings or misconceptions
• To identify strengths and weaknesses
• To create a ‘point in time’ snapshot of a student’s performance
• To create a record of a student’s learning
• To enable teachers to report
• To direct future planning and teaching
• To inform teachers, students and parents about current understandings or misconceptions
• To identify strengths and weaknesses
• To create a ‘point in time’ snapshot of a student’s performance
• To create a record of a student’s learning
• To enable teachers to report
Specific to Geography:
The Australian Curriculum: Geography emphasises inquiry-based learning and teaching. Opportunities for student-led questioning and investigation should be provided at all stages of schooling. The curriculum should also provide opportunities for fieldwork at all stages, as this is an essential component of geographical learning. Fieldwork is any activity involving the observation and recording of information outside the classroom. It could be within the school grounds, around neighbouring areas, or in more distant locations. These teaching and learning methods should be supported by forms of assessment that enable students to demonstrate their ability to think geographically and apply geographical skills.
Students’ enthusiasm for geographical learning should be stimulated by a wide variety of activities, for example, field trips, interpretation of remotely sensed images, reading literary accounts of places, listening to traditional accounts, statistical analysis, role plays and class debates. Learning activities should also emphasise the ability to understand, explain, appreciate and use knowledge, rather than simply reproduce it. The learning of skills should be made meaningful by using them to answer questions or communicate information. This will help to connect the two strands of the curriculum.
An identified Assessment Task provides opportunities for students to demonstrate both Geographical Knowledge and Understanding and Geographical Inquiry Skills. Both of these components must be incorporated into the Assessment Program for it to provide a valid measure of the valued student
learning. The Assessable Elements and the descriptors of quality are used to link the content descriptions and achievement standards to assist teachers to make judgments concerning student achievement.
Students will be provided with the appropriate knowledge by the teacher (e.g. Criteria Sheet/ Checklist) to develop geographical knowledge and understandings and Geography skills as components of the Geographical curriculum.
Assessment needs to occur on a continuing basis during the year and will involve:
Assessment for Learning – the process of seeking and interpreting evidence for use by learners and their teachers to decide where the learners are in their learning, where they need to go and how best to get there (Assessment Reform Group 2002).
Assessment as Learning – a process which enables students to monitor and reflect on their own learning, providing them with direction to fulfill their future learning goals.
Assessment of Learning – the process of seeking evidence of student learning and making a comparison of this evidence against a set of achievement standards for this learning area and for the purpose of reporting to parents.
The Australian Curriculum: Geography emphasises inquiry-based learning and teaching. Opportunities for student-led questioning and investigation should be provided at all stages of schooling. The curriculum should also provide opportunities for fieldwork at all stages, as this is an essential component of geographical learning. Fieldwork is any activity involving the observation and recording of information outside the classroom. It could be within the school grounds, around neighbouring areas, or in more distant locations. These teaching and learning methods should be supported by forms of assessment that enable students to demonstrate their ability to think geographically and apply geographical skills.
Students’ enthusiasm for geographical learning should be stimulated by a wide variety of activities, for example, field trips, interpretation of remotely sensed images, reading literary accounts of places, listening to traditional accounts, statistical analysis, role plays and class debates. Learning activities should also emphasise the ability to understand, explain, appreciate and use knowledge, rather than simply reproduce it. The learning of skills should be made meaningful by using them to answer questions or communicate information. This will help to connect the two strands of the curriculum.
An identified Assessment Task provides opportunities for students to demonstrate both Geographical Knowledge and Understanding and Geographical Inquiry Skills. Both of these components must be incorporated into the Assessment Program for it to provide a valid measure of the valued student
learning. The Assessable Elements and the descriptors of quality are used to link the content descriptions and achievement standards to assist teachers to make judgments concerning student achievement.
Students will be provided with the appropriate knowledge by the teacher (e.g. Criteria Sheet/ Checklist) to develop geographical knowledge and understandings and Geography skills as components of the Geographical curriculum.
Assessment needs to occur on a continuing basis during the year and will involve:
Assessment for Learning – the process of seeking and interpreting evidence for use by learners and their teachers to decide where the learners are in their learning, where they need to go and how best to get there (Assessment Reform Group 2002).
Assessment as Learning – a process which enables students to monitor and reflect on their own learning, providing them with direction to fulfill their future learning goals.
Assessment of Learning – the process of seeking evidence of student learning and making a comparison of this evidence against a set of achievement standards for this learning area and for the purpose of reporting to parents.
