Dialogue and Feedback: Assessment in the Primary Mathematics Classroom

"Assess (v. tr.) Estimate the size or quality of." (Readers Digest Oxford Complete Wordfinder, p. 80) This definition encompasses two aspects of educational assessment. The 'size' of the learning that has occurred is, in essence, what summative assessment of learning aims to measure. Such assessment has its place. Large scale assessment, for example, can be used to inform curriculum development, provide information to systems and schools about strengths and weaknesses in their programs and monitor changes across time. Assessing the 'quality' of learning, however, is better situated in the classroom, where teachers make judgements on a day-to-day basis about what their students know and can do. This kind of consideration is known as 'formative' assessment and both teachers and students should change what they do as a result. Systems acknowledge the importance of classroom-based assessment and there is a plethora of advice for teachers about 'assessment for learning' (Assessment Reform Group, 1999). Despite the many publications, projects and studies, however, assessing the quality of mathematical learning remains elusive, and formative assessment has not delivered the promised improvements (Stiggins, 2007). In essence, successful teaching and learning is about dialogue and feedback. The teacher sets up a dialogue with the students, and provides feedback based on what the students do. This is a simple recipe, but more difficult to achieve in practice than it may appear.