Assessment for Learning
Fri, Oct 20, 2017 1:41 PM
Excellent Read
Overall, this was an excellent article and I would highly recommend it to any science teacher. This article explains how problem-based learning (PBL) and project-based science (PBS) can enrich the educational experience for students. I especially like how well this article explains the methods used to make PBL and PBS effective in the classroom. The authors, Amy Trauth-Nare and Gayle Buck go on to talk about the importance of formative assessment being 'for' learning, not 'of' learning. The idea is to probe students and figure out what their background knowledge is, what misconceptions they might have, and what questions they still have about a topic. I can see this being a really effective way to plan a lesson or unit, although it might take more work for the teacher, it would be worth it. By giving students the formative assessment and planning a unit around their answers could also save a lot of time if you've found out that your students know a lot more than you originally assumed. I also really like that the authors included examples of charts, diagrams, and rubrics for the reader to get a better idea of how these methods can be implemented. Lastly, I really liked how the authors stressed the importance of feedback for the students. I agree that feedback should be given often and throughout the unit or lesson, not just at the end.