Assessment "for'' "as" and ''of" learning

Compare assessment "for" "as" and "of" learning.  How are they similar? Different? How can these forms of assessment benefit both teacher and learner?

During the fifth week of the Foundations class, we engaged in an activity where we categorized various assessment strategies and conducted comparisons between them. This exercise proved to be beneficial for two primary reasons. Firstly, it allowed us as a collective to share a comprehensive range of assessment methods, and secondly, it facilitated an exchange of perspectives among peers. The process of sorting and contrasting assessment strategies related to learning objectives provided valuable insights into the effective utilization of diverse assessment approaches for gauging student learning outcomes. These approaches encompass not only traditional methods but also incorporate observation, student-teacher dialogues, and the evaluation of student-generated artifacts.

Based on the weekly reading and the research on effective assessment locates assessment for learning and as learning within a framework of three key processes and strategies that teachers and students use collaboratively to support student learning. The three processes, as identified in the research, are, knowing where the learners are going in their learning, knowing where they are in their learning; and knowing what needs to be done to get them to where they are going. In light of this research, and in practice, teachers gather information about learning by designing tasks that provide students with a variety of ways to demonstrate their learning and guide them where they need to go in terms of learning. Assessment is an ongoing process, and students can be assessed by being observed as they perform tasks. Asking open-ended questions helps students make their thinking explicit, and encouraging small-group conversations helps all students to articulate what they are thinking within their peer group and further develop their thinking. 

2. Consider your own K-12 experiences. How was assessment "as learning" integrated into your experience?

Growing up in the 80s, assessment was based on weekly or monthly written tests. It was also based on daily homework assignments that were part of some sort of assessment. It was a lot of pressure, and I had to study very hard to prepare for those tests. Formative assessments were not graded, and those were not considered any assessment as far as I remember as a student. 

Summative were long and hard exams. Usually, it will be a couple of multiple-choice questions, and with the other 5 questions, the student has the choice to pick 3, and that was the must-do. The answer to the question would be a knowledge base. That was the only way to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding.