{"id":498,"date":"2021-05-21T09:31:27","date_gmt":"2021-05-21T16:31:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0164\/?p=498"},"modified":"2021-05-21T09:31:27","modified_gmt":"2021-05-21T16:31:27","slug":"doing-better-things-using-technologies-to-transform-formative-assessments-and-communication-of-student-learning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0164\/doing-better-things-using-technologies-to-transform-formative-assessments-and-communication-of-student-learning\/","title":{"rendered":"Doing Better Things: Using Technologies to Transform Formative Assessments and Communication of Student Learning"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>I recently was asked to respond to this task. My response is below. I&#8217;m curious how you would have replied?<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;padding-left: 40px\"><b><i>&#8220;&#8230;technology offers the possibility of not just doing things better, but of doing better things&#8230;&#8221; <\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Edtech Advocate&#8217;s Guide to Leading Change in Schools \u2013 Mark Gura. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Reflecting on this quote, explaining how technology has provided opportunities for digital transformation related to ongoing formative assessment and communicating student learning.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<style>\n       .errordiv { padding:10px; margin:10px; border: 1px solid #555555;color: #000000;background-color: #f8f8f8; width:500px; }#advanced_iframe {visibility:visible;opacity:1;vertical-align:top;}.ai-info-bottom-iframe { position: fixed; z-index: 10000; bottom:0; left: 0; margin: 0px; text-align: center; width: 100%; background-color: #ff9999; padding-left: 5px;padding-bottom: 5px; border-top: 1px solid #aaa } a.ai-bold {font-weight: bold;}#ai-layer-div-advanced_iframe p {height:100%;margin:0;padding:0}<\/style><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var ai_iframe_width_advanced_iframe = 0;var ai_iframe_height_advanced_iframe = 0;var aiOnloadScrollTop=\"true\";var aiShowDebug=false;\n\t\tif (typeof aiReadyCallbacks === 'undefined') {\n\t\t\tvar aiReadyCallbacks = [];\n\t\t} else if (!(aiReadyCallbacks instanceof Array)) {\n\t\t\tvar aiReadyCallbacks = [];\n\t\t}    function aiShowIframeId(id_iframe) { jQuery(\"#\"+id_iframe).css(\"visibility\", \"visible\");    }    function aiResizeIframeHeight(height) { aiResizeIframeHeight(height,advanced_iframe); }    function aiResizeIframeHeightId(height,width,id) {aiResizeIframeHeightById(id,height);}<\/script><iframe id=\"advanced_iframe\"  name=\"advanced_iframe\"  src=\"https:\/\/view.genial.ly\/60a3d6dc306f2e0d7e4b729c\/presentation-tic-presentation-may-2021advanced-iframe\"  width=\"100%\"  height=\"600\"  frameborder=\"0\"  border=\"0\"  allowtransparency=\"true\"  loading=\"lazy\"  style=\";border-width: 0px;;border: none;;width:100%;;height:600px;\" ><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var ifrm_advanced_iframe = document.getElementById(\"advanced_iframe\");var hiddenTabsDoneadvanced_iframe = false;\nfunction resizeCallbackadvanced_iframe() {}<\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script><p style=\"display:block !important; visibility:visible !important;margin: -18px 14px 0 0;padding-left: 3px;padding-top:3px;background: white; overflow: hidden; position: relative; line-height:15px;width: fit-content;\"><small style=\"display:block !important;visibility:visible !important\">powered by Advanced iFrame<\/small><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Mark Gura\u2019s quote touches on several benefits to the thoughtful implementation of educational technologies. It encourages us to thoughtfully implement technology to address specific needs and users. <\/span>Technologies enhance education by extending educator\u2019s abilities to offer more flexible, collaborative, and more meaningful formative assessments and communications.\u00a0 With the increasing use of technologies for assessments and communications, we can improve productivity by reducing the burdens of administrative duties on educators.\u00a0<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">These opportunities afforded by digital technologies allow us to more effectively \u201cmeet every child\u2019s needs\u201d (Agnia, n.d.). <\/span>Thereby, allowing us to do better to help students learn and students to do better learning<b>.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Digital Technologies Transformation of Ongoing Assessments\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Technology offers many advantages to formative assessment. Educational technologies offer more ongoing, flexible, collaborative, individualized, meaningful, and empowering assessments than many traditional forms of assessment.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Educators long recognize the importance of portfolios for ongoing formative assessments. E-portfolios offer some unique opportunities. In referring to e-portfolios there is also an embedded opportunity for self-reflection and self-assessment. However, the e-portfolio offers far greater opportunity for spanning a longer duration.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Some examples of tools for formative assessment with capabilities of a portfolio include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Blogs such as WordPress<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">LinkedIn and LinkedIn Learning<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">MyBlueprint<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Freshgrade<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>When technology is used for formative assessment it is more flexible<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Flexible here refers to convenience, accessibility, and a less linear or rigid structure. (Brown, Rappert, and Webster criticize the improper use of\u00a0 \u201cschool technologies [which] function in ways that leave little room for affective, embodied and spontaneous action. Instead, linear notions of progression prevail, and human \u2018agency\u2019 is channelled into productive engagement with digital technologies<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201d (as cited in Selwyn et al., 2020, p. 104).\u00a0 Instead of the linear structure, we can use technologies for individualized, project-based learning. Hooker acknowledges the use of e-portfolio\u2019s to allow students to upload various modes of responses, from oral, video, text, or image-based. The e-portfolio also allows for students to draw from and link various resources and content. Increased flexibility is also true in mobility. Students can record activities from sporting events or travel (in non-covid times) to integrate into their assessments. So there is potential here, as long as the technology is implemented thoughtfully and with ongoing supports.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Using technology for assessments can also be more Meaningful<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">BC Ministry of Education recognizes the opportunities provided by technology and independent learning and has reflected this in the new curriculum with core competencies, and big ideas. These and more project-based and independent learning emphasize relevant, personalized, and engaging learning. Assessments become meaningful when students recognize a real-life application or a personal connection.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">An example of this formative assessment is the Career Education\u2019s Passion Project. Where students are asked to reflect on their previous learning and build on their interests and skills through their secondary education program.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">These formative assessments also become meaningful in their connection to the First People\u2019s Principles of Learning. These principles include \u201cLearning is holistic, reflexive, reflective, experiential, and relational. Learning is embedded in memory, history, and story. Learning involves patience and time. Learning requires exploration of one\u2019s identity.\u201d The idea of technology enhancing long-lasting, reflective assessments supports these principles.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Individualized learning pathways through interactive and responsive technologies can also bring more meaning to learning activities. As recognized by the Ministry of Education \u201cFeedback from ongoing assessment in the classroom can be immediate and personal for a learner and guide the learner to understand their misconceptions and use the information to set new learning goals.\u201d Those goals can be more easily reviewed when recorded digitally, equally, the feedback can be more meaningful when it\u2019s more timely and can be revisited.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Assessments delivered using technology can provide a complete and more comprehensive picture of student needs, interests, and abilities as compared to traditional assessments. This allows educators an opportunity to personalize learning to make it more flexible, meaningful, and collaborative.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Technologies can also be used to make assessments more Collaborative<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A current trend in EdTech is to emphasize the human component of learning through emphasis on collaboration and communities (Weller, 2020). <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Weller recognizes the value in e-portfolios but identifies a challenge in reflecting the value through practice. The argument then is that blogs with individualized domains provide more flexibility and value beyond educational institutions (Groom, as cited in Weller, 2020). Blogs are used effectively in higher education and are more effective than the traditional portfolio for career advancement.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The traditional hard-copy portfolio\u2019s sat in a classroom only to be presented to parents during the scheduled conferences. Now, with an e-portfolio\u2019s parents and students can access the portfolio at their convenience allowing for affective asynchronous participation. These learning opportunities can include collaboration with parents and local or global educators\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A study by Hooker revealed that particularly when supplemented with observations, interviews, and surveys &#8220;the ePortfolios have the potential for strengthening formative assessment by the contribution of more voices of teachers, parents, and children\u201d (2017, p. 442). T<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">echnology-based assessment can have tremendous potential to elevate formative assessments.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Digital Transformation of Communicating Student Learning<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Now that we are aware of the benefits of assessments such as e-portfolios, we can look at the advantages of using digital technologies to communicate the learning. We\u2019ve come a long way from schools trying to block internet use in schools. By embracing information and communication technology we contribute to greater access to information.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The first step in change management is to use technology to assess the communication needs of all members. .As educators we know that one-size can\u2019t fit all, but we can improve communication, by meeting parents and children where they are. They are on their phones. This offers great potential for school-parent communication through messaging apps, management systems, and email<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Digital Communications can be more Flexible<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Access to mobile devices and individualized content allows for flexibility in our teaching and assessments. The prevalence of mobile devices also means that people are more accepting of asynchronous communications and resort to synchronous communications for only that which they see as urgent (Thompson et al., 2015). <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">There is also ease of access through embedding applications into existing LMS\u2019s.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Thompson, et al. (2015) also recognized various communications are preferred for different purposes and dependent on modes richness. A hard-copy notice can get lost between the class and the bus. But the text or email goes directly to the parent\u2019s hands.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Digital Communications can be more Meaningful<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Communicating electronically can become more meaningful if it includes offers of support through links to resources or forms for signing up for workshops. This can empower students and parents to actively contribute to the learning process.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Communication also becomes more meaningful when it\u2019s timely. Installation of AI chat boxes can be helpful in supporting parents through procedures.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Another way technology can make communicating learning more meaningful is through MyEd\u2019s standards-based grade book. In MyEd Newsletter an article discusses its value. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">According to a teacher, \u201c[The teachers] have seen their students focussing on learning\u2014not on grades. They have seen student conversations focussed on improving their proficiency level, with a better understanding of what is expected of them as learners. This is a huge success\u201d (2018).<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Collaboration through Communication Technologies<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The BC Ministry of Education recognizes the value of effective communication,<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">&#8220;Effective communication between the home and the school is central to student success. Improving and ensuring effective practices for reporting and communicating student learning assures that students and parents will receive information about the student\u2019s progress in a timely and responsive manner.\u201d (BC Ministry of Education, Curriculum).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Rogers, R., &amp; Wright, V. (2008) recognize additional advantages to digital communications. In middle schools, this allows parents knowledge and participation while allowing students a certain level of autonomy.\u00a0 They use Epstein\u2019s levels of parent engagement to recognize preferred communication styles. Easing access to communication means that parents can be empowered to support their child\u2019s learning. In a\u00a0 paper to address chronic absenteeism, Rogers and Feller (2018) recognize that if we use parent communications to provide resources such as positive engagement and problem-solving skills we empower them to positively influence their child&#8217;s attendance. In short, to be effective, we want to use communication to empower and work collaboratively with parents. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Communication technologies help to build a collaborative and supportive community for the learner.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">These traits of digital technology assessments and communication mean that educators can offer opportunities for learning that are more meaningful, flexible, and collaborative. This leads to empowering the learner and the educator. By empowering these key aspects of a learning community, we are capable of an astonishing future.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">References<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Agnia, T.\u00a0SD 22 &#8211; Technology Plan 2020-21. Technology Plan. SD22.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">BC Ministry of Education: BC Ed Plan: Focus on Learning, 2015. http:\/\/www.bcedplan.ca\/\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">BC Ministry of Education: Prescribed Learning Outcomes, 2011. https:\/\/www.bced.gov.bc.ca\/irp\/plo.php.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">First People&#8217;s Principles of Education. BC Ministry of Education.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Gura, Mark. 2018. The EdTech Advocates\u2019 Guide to Leading Change in Schools. International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hooker, T. (2017). Transforming teachers&#8217; formative assessment practices through eportfolios. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Teaching and Teacher Education<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">67<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, 440\u2013453. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.tate.2017.07.004\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.tate.2017.07.004<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<div>Malcolm, Brown, McCormack, M. Reeves, J. Brooks, C &amp; Grajek, S. (2020).\u00a02020 Educause Horizon Report: Teaching and Learning Edition.\u00a0Educause.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>MyEd.\u00a0 (2018).\u00a0Teachers at Langley\u2019s D.W. Poppy Secondary champion<\/div>\n<div>standards-based gradebook. MyEducation BC Connection, 8.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>Rogers, T. &amp; Feller, A. (2018). Reducing student absences at scale by targeting parents\u2019 misbeliefs. Nature Human Behaviour.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Rogers, R., &amp; Wright, V. (2008). Assessing technology\u2019s role in communication between parents and middle schools. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Electronic Journal for the Integration of Technology in Education<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">7<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(1), 36-58.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Selwyn, N., Pangrazio, L., Nemorin, S., &amp; Perrotta, C. (2020).\u00a0What might the school of 2030 be like? an exercise in social science fiction. Learning, Media and Technology, 45(1), 90-106.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Thompson, B. C., Mazer, J. P., &amp; Flood Grady, E. (2015). The changing nature of parent\u2013teacher communication: Mode selection in the smartphone era. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Communication Education<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">64<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">(2), 187-20.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"92bba69c-20dd-4af6-abbd-dc05da140d67\" class=\"text-item item text-div-wrapper interparagraph_small genially-view-text-indent-list-v4 genially-view-text-indent-paragraph-v5 selected-item editing-text\" data-cy=\"textItem\">\n<div>Unicef. (2020).\u00a0Tips for schools on how to strengthen communication with parents\/caregivers.\u00a0Unicef.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"5c9c2ef9-155d-4315-bd7e-3d2ae6e5fa38\" class=\"text-item item text-div-wrapper interparagraph_small genially-view-text-indent-list-v4 genially-view-text-indent-paragraph-v5\" data-cy=\"textItem\"><\/div>\n<p>Weller, M. (2020). 25 Years of Ed Tech. Athabasca University Press.Weller, M. (2020).\u00a025 Years of Ed Tech. Athabasca University Press.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I recently was asked to respond to this task. My response is below. I&#8217;m curious how you would have replied? &#8220;&#8230;technology offers the possibility of not just doing things better, but of doing better things&#8230;&#8221; The Edtech Advocate&#8217;s Guide to Leading Change in Schools \u2013 Mark Gura. Reflecting on this quote, explaining how technology has [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":186,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-498","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0164\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/498","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0164\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0164\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0164\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/186"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0164\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=498"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0164\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/498\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":506,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0164\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/498\/revisions\/506"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0164\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=498"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0164\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=498"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0164\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=498"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}