Pupils should mark their own class work, say Government advisers

 

Last updated at 13:13pm on 17th September 2007 Comments (1)

'Peer assessment helps develop self-assessment'

 

 

 

 

Pupils should mark their own class work and decide what their school tests should cover, according to the Government's exams advisers.

Teachers should train secondary school children to set their homework and devise mark schemes, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority said.

Pupils should then assess the results, grading their own efforts and giving "feedback" to their classmates.

The QCA, which devised the new secondary curriculum, said such an approach helps children support each other and develop independent study skills.

It said: "Peer assessment and self-assessment are much more than learners simply marking their own or each other's work.

"In order to improve learning, self-assessment must engage learners with the quality of their work and help them reflect on how to improve it.

"Peer assessment enables learners to provide each other with valuable feedback so that they can learn from and support each other."

The guidelines suggested teachers in schools that decide to adopt the system would need to train pupils in marking techniques.

The "strategies" for developing pupils' peer assessment skills could include asking pupils in groups to write five questions on a topic and, following a class discussion, pick the two best questions from each group.

"Then learners should attempt to answer all the selected questions for homework.

"They should analyse mark schemes, devise their own for a specified task and mark each other's work but not give out answers.

"Asking pupils, instead, to find the correct answers from available resources".

The QCA proposed that pupils should also be involved in drawing up internal school tests and assessment tasks, which are separate from the official National Curriculum "Sats" tests and GCSEs.

Teachers use this internal testing - known as "periodic assessment" - to find out how pupils are coping with their courses and where they need extra help.

The QCA said one way to help pupils develop would be to "encourage learners to develop assessment criteria for periodic assessment tasks".

The QCA's guidance said the approach had "fundamental implications for the learning ethos in a school" and should be adopted across all subjects areas.

Teachers will need to be trained in how to help pupils adapt to the self-assessment system.

The QCA said: "Peer assessment adds a valuable dimension to learning: the opportunity to talk, discuss, explain and challenge each other enables learners to achieve beyond what they can learn unaided.

"Peer assessment helps develop self-assessment. Self-assessment then promotes independent learning, helping learners to take increasing responsibility for their own progress."

Dave's exam shall contain the following questions:

 

1 - Write your name in the space provided

 

________________________________

 

 

2 - What is 1+1 equal to?

 

_________________

 

End of paper.

Nothing new there, when I was doing revision for my a-levels, that is what the teacher used to do, spilt the class up into groups to create their own questions on a subject, then pass them around the class to get marked.