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Wellbeing For Students - How Can We Make Assessments A Positive Experience?

Formative and summative assessments are both important for students' wellbeing and development when used properly. Formative assessments through regular testing and feedback in the classroom help teachers evaluate students and ensure they do not develop anxiety about testing. Summative end-of-course exams complement teachers' evaluations and allow students to demonstrate their skills across different formats. It is important to consider students' wellbeing and use assessments as part of the learning process rather than something to cause stress.

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46 views

Wellbeing For Students - How Can We Make Assessments A Positive Experience?

Formative and summative assessments are both important for students' wellbeing and development when used properly. Formative assessments through regular testing and feedback in the classroom help teachers evaluate students and ensure they do not develop anxiety about testing. Summative end-of-course exams complement teachers' evaluations and allow students to demonstrate their skills across different formats. It is important to consider students' wellbeing and use assessments as part of the learning process rather than something to cause stress.

Uploaded by

Saima Abbasi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Wellbeing for Students: How can

we make Assessments a positive


experience?

Cambridge Assessment International Education

Cambridge Assessment International…

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Supporting Students’ Wellbeing in their


Assessment journeys
Students in Primary and Lower Secondary schools are enthusiastic,
open to new experiences, and less conditioned to think in a certain
way. They are naturally curious, enjoy sharing their ideas with others,
and are keen to demonstrate what they can do. For all these reasons,
the introduction of classroom-based assessments at this age can be
an exciting and positive experience.

At the same time, it is important to remind ourselves that nothing is


more important than the wellbeing of students. When schools create
the right teaching and learning environment by developing emotional
literacy and introducing assessments as an integral part of the
teaching process, then learners develop resilience and do not see
tests as anything other than part of their learning journey.
Encouraging students to view assessments positively – as
:
opportunities to demonstrate their skills and knowledge, and to
discover how they are progressing – allows them to develop and
improve. This continuous progress is highly motivating and
rewarding for students.

There are many ways to assess children at primary and lower


secondary stages, but a good balance of continuous (formative)
assessments and end-course (summative) assessments are
generally considered to be effective.

1. Formative assessment
Formative assessment takes place regularly in the classroom  – it’s
how teachers evaluate understanding and monitor progress, whether
that’s through questioning students and providing ongoing feedback,
or testing regularly throughout the year.

If tests are used, they should be designed and presented to be


accessible for the learners to help minimise unease around taking
tests. At Cambridge International, we provide assessments for 5 to
14-year-olds called ‘Cambridge Progression Tests.’ These tests are
taken in the classroom environment – so they are seen as part of the
normal teaching and learning process.

Cambridge Progression Tests are marked by teachers and the


marks are entered into a portal that provides the school with
useful performance data. Teachers then use the data to identify
the strengths and limitations of their students, allowing them to
have meaningful discussions with students and their parents.

2. Summative assessment
The goal of the summative assessment is to evaluate a child’s
performance at the end of the course. At Cambridge International,
:
we offer summative assessments for 5 to 14-year-olds called
‘Cambridge Checkpoint‘. They are taken at the end of primary and
end of lower secondary, providing a clear picture of each student’s
performance before they move on to the next stage of education.

A continuous learning journey

Learning, teaching, and assessment should be a journey in which the


teacher and student are continuously discovering where they are so
that they can be challenged to take the next steps.

Formative assessment provides a continual and positive interaction


between the teacher and the learner – helping ensure that young
learners do not develop anxiety around testing. Young learners also
respond well to the opportunity to assess their progress in the
classroom.

External summative assessments serve as a validation of the


teaching and learning that has occurred. They complement the
teachers’ evaluations, allowing them to feel more confident in their
expectations for each age group and in their abilities to assess their
students effectively and reliably.

It is important to use both forms of testing because students,


particularly those at primary and secondary levels, are often capable
of much more in the classroom than they are allowed to display in
one assessment format.

What can parents do to support their child’s wellbeing?

While tests support and guide the educational development of


students, the recent impact of the pandemic has highlighted the
equal importance of developing good social skills. Promoting open
and supportive conversations around mental health issues is vital at
:
both school and home, but what can parents do to support their
child on this journey back to normality?

Acknowledge – that these times are unprecedented, it can help


make sure you are not pushing your child too hard.
Listen – It may not be realistic to expect your child to settle
straight back into the rigorous timetable of the school day, so
allow them to pause, speak to their friends and refocus their
attention gradually.
Share – a good home-school relationship is even more
important at this time. A good way to help your child to feel
more prepared is to share the school’s plan for the rest of the
term or semester. Children often find it more helpful to know the
order of topics so that they can seek out good resources to
prepare and revise content.
Reflect – Ask them to tell you about what they liked or do not
like about learning from home during the pandemic, and ask
them to share how they felt. Reflect with them on whether any
techniques seemed to work more effectively and why this may
be.
Use our Cambridge Wellbeing Check: Developed using
published research by the University of Cambridge, schools
worldwide are using the student-led assessment to equip
teachers with the tools to evaluate, explore, teach and promote
wellbeing.

By assessing learners responsibly at a young age and providing them


with the right mental health support, together we can help them to
develop a lifetime passion for learning and allow them to fulfill their
potential at every stage.

Author: Jay Surti
:
Jay Surti is one of the Group Managers within the Assessment
Projects Group and is highly experienced with over twenty-five years
of working in assessment. He leads a team of Assessment Managers
producing assessments for primary and lower secondary Checkpoint
as well as bespoke assessments for international clients. He also, as
part of the senior leadership team in APG, contributes to strategic
planning and decision making.

This article was co-authored with Liz Masters, Assessment Manager.


:

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