Periodic Assessment of Personal Learning and Thinking Skills

1
Periodic Assessment of Personal Learning and
Thinking Skills

• Walton-le-Dale Arts College and High School

2
The starting point what are our students
learning?

• Opening Minds curriculum in Years 7 and 8
• Personal, Learning and Thinking Skills mapped
  onto Opening Minds Competences
• Citizenship
• Learning
• Managing Information
• Relating to People
• Managing Situations

3
A problem assessing the competences

• Need to establish a students current proficiency
  in the PLTS/competences in order to modify
  planning and set targets.
• Strategies for periodic assessment of selected
  PLTS/competences need to include
• Learning logs
• Self assessment of proficiency
• Peer assessment
• Teacher assessment
• Use of the VLE (Moodle) to support assessment,
  coupled with e-portfolios of evidence created in
  Mahara.

4
So what has happened so far?

• Identification of PLTS/Competences to be assessed
• Learning how to think about things so that you
  can work out things for yourself.
• Managing Information Do you know different ways
  to find the information you need, sort out what's
  important and then use that information in
  whatever way you need to?
• Citizenship How well do you understand that
  there are many different cultures in the world
  and in our own country? Do you understand and
  respect these and the people that are part of
  them?
• Relating to People Do you understand how to work
  in a team and how to be a good team member?
• Managing Situations Do you understand why it's
  important to be able to manage your time well and
  do you know different ways to do this?

5
So what has happened so far?

• Initial assessment materials created in Moodle

6
So what has happened so far?

• E-portfolio building started using Mahara

7
So what has happened so far?

• Some peer assessment, particularly of teamwork
  competence, via additional entries in learning
  logs
• Some teacher assessment via learning logs
• Analysis of self-assessment results shows that
  students are least confident in their abilities
  to solve problems independently. This has led to
  modification of medium term planning.
• Some initial staff training via demonstration
  lessons.

8
Where now?

• Improved guidance on reflective learning logs
• Development of audio and video logs
• Reassessment of competences
• Development of e-portfolio evidence on Mahara,
  enabling effective peer and teacher assessment.
• Further staff training
• Use of the assessment information to inform
  target setting
• Embedding reflective process into teaching and
  learning.