Assessment for Learning Structure
Coláiste na hInse was established in 2008 with a specific commitment to AFL as
its baseline teaching methodology. The decision to do this was based on a
proven international research about its capacity to support student learning. Over
the years AFL has developed and become an embedded part of Teaching and
Learning in CNI. It has developed through the School Improvement Plan to
include Active Methodology and is now evolving further to examine the
introduction of Building Learning Power (2015) as part of an NAPD initiative. Our
focus is to develop students as independent learners to meet the dynamic,
demanding and evolving environment of the 21stCentury.
“If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob
them of tomorrow.”
John Dewey
1. Scope of Structure
The Assessment for Learning structure applies to the whole school and
encompasses all students, teachers, departments, subjects, classwork, homework
and home study.
2. Mission
The Coláiste na hInse Assessment for Learning structure sets out to use assessment
procedures as an essential tool in the learning process. This tool should increase
student motivation, engagement, learning, enjoyment and autonomy.
3. Rationale
Assessment for learning is the process of identifying what the learner has or has not
achieved in order to plan the next steps in the teaching or learning it involves using
assessment in the classroom to raise pupils’ achievement and is based on the idea
that pupils will improve most if they understand the aim of their learning, where they
are in relation to this aim and how they can achieve the aim.
4. Objectives of this structure
· To use AFL comprehensively as an approach to teaching and learning
· To outline effective AFL methodologies and implement them in classrooms
· To establish a dialogue amongst staff members with a view to a shared approach
to teaching through AFL.
· To regularly monitor and evaluate techniques used
5. What is Assessment for Learning?
Assessment is the process of generating, gathering, recording, interpreting, using
and reporting evidence of learning in individuals and in groups. Assessment relies
upon a number of instruments, one of which may be a test. It provides information
about progress in learning.
Assessment for learning is about using assessment in the classroom as a tool to
improve students' learning.
6. What Assessment for Learning Looks Like:
1. Sharing learning goals with students at the beginning of lessons to allow pupils to
see how topics fits into the bigger picture.
2. Helping students to recognise the standards they are aiming for through the use
of examples of work to model tasks around and using marking and feedback to
provide the steps required to improve.
3. Involving students in assessing their own learning and thus providing them with
the skills to self-assess their work so they can become independent learners.
4. Providing feedback, which helps students to recognise what they must do to close
any gaps in their knowledge or understanding and thereby progress. This is done
using constructive comments which motivate pupils to improve.
5.
Communicating your confidence that every student can improve and
differentiating work to suit individual learning styles.
6. Adjusting teaching to take account of the results of assessment.
7. How we employ Assessment for Learning:
At Colaiste na hInse we use 5 important points to realise Assessment for Learning
in our classrooms.
a. Establish Learning Objectives and share them with students
b. Give students examples of desired outcomes
c. Reflect on the type of questions asked
d. Explore different ways of Assessment
e. Give effective feed-back
a. Learning Objectives
The learning objective of a lesson is what the teacher wants the student to learn.
Prior pupil knowledge and pupil’s individual needs are key when setting these and
the following are always considered when setting objectives.
1. What the student already knows
2. Allowing Adequate Listening time
3. The use of the senses to support learning (Sensual learning): Bodily Kinaesthetic
4. The use of tactile learning: Visual-Spatial
5. Using Writing / Verbal/ Creative/Kinetic tasks to record what has been learned:
Performance
b. Modelling desired outcomes
Example employed in the school include:
 Having a variety of formats, such as examples of written/verbal/creative/kinetic
work
 Having samples of excellence on display for students. ( from students, text
books , past papers, online, and your own samples
 Making sure that students have a clear understanding of the requirement
criteria for excellence in task set. (Know structure of work and marks allotted
to each section of that structure.
c. Effective questioning
Teacher questioning is an essential part of the rhythm of classroom work at Coláiste
na hInse. Teachers ask questions for a variety of reasons, e.g. to check for
understanding, to reinforce learning, to clarify significant points in the lesson, and so
on. Our Assessment for learning structure focuses specifically on ways, in which we
can plan and conduct classroom dialogues so as to help students to learn better.
We use 2 types of questions. They are closed questions and Open questions.
Closed questions, which look for a predetermined 'right' answer.
Teachers use closed questions when they want to determine the level of information
recall or simple comprehension. Some of the traditional 'w-questions' are good
examples of this form of questioning for example, what happened? when….?
Open questions allow for a range of responses and aim to 'open up' a topic or
extend the learning possibilities for students. They encourage students to think
beyond the literal, simple answers and they enable teachers to extend the students'
understanding. They greatly enhance literacy skills and are sometimes referred to as
'higher order' questions because they encourage students to
·
Apply what they have learnt - can you find similar themes/patterns/concerns in
other areas of your work?
·
Analyse what they are learning - what makes you think that? Do you agree
with this point of view?
·
Synthesise different aspects of their learning - how does this viewpoint affect
your views on...? Given what you know about a, what do now you think about b?
·
Evaluate different aspects of what they have learnt - what makes this a
successful piece of work? Could it be better? Is it as good as x? Which is better, and
why?
d. Types of Assessment
At Coláiste na hInse we use four different types of Assessment
·
·
·
·
Summative assessment
Formative assessment
Self-assessment
Peer-assessment

Summative assessment
Summative assessment is the type with which most people are familiar. Its aim is to
see how well students have learned what they were supposed to have learned.
The results from these assessments are used to determine whether a student has
fulfilled the specified learning outcomes.

Formative assessment
Formative assessment does not form part of the student’s final grade or mark. It is
used to provide constructive feedback to improve learning and understanding.
The rationale is that students learn effectively by making and learning from mistakes,
which is difficult to do if their academic performance/final grade may be adversely
affected. Students can be more experimental and adventurous. They can challenge
preconceived ideas and develop more desirable higher cognitive skills.
The following quote has been used to explain the difference between formative
&
summative assessment:
“When the chef tastes the sauce it is formative assessment; when the customer
tastes, it is summative” (Anon)

Self-assessment
Self-assessment, being a self-regulated learner, is the ultimate aim of AFL.
Strategies include:
·
Aim to increase choice and ownership of learning activities and of the
classroom environment.
·
Develop self assessment activities in which pupils judge their work against the
success criteria and set themselves targets for improvement.
· Use metacognition, which means focusing on learning to learn.
·
Involve pupils in making sense of the written feedback on their work,
translating it into personal strategies.

Peer-assessment
Peer assessment, is central to an AFL approach. It involves pupils making judgments
and giving feedback on their peers’ work. This is a key step in progress towards
being a self-regulated learner. However, pupils need training if they are to become
effective
peer assessors.
e. Effective feedback
Effective feedback leads pupils to recognise their next steps and how to take them. At
Coláiste na hInse this is done by:
·
·
·
·
Sharing the learning intention for the lesson
Sharing the criteria for success for the class
Supportive feedback
Student profile
The supportive feedback can be given by focusing on 3 aspects of the student’s
work:
·
·
·
What the student has done well
What gaps, shortcomings or errors there are in the work
How the student can improve his/her work
8. The role of technology in AFL
Technology plays a vital role in the successful implementation of an AFL structure.
For pupils to truly be considered to be individual learners they need to be carrying
out learning tasks outside of school hours. The use of online resources allows the
pupils to have a wealth of knowledge at their fingertips and available for them to use
24 hours of the day.
Microsoft Office
At Coláiste na hInse our pupils all have access to Microsoft 365 2013 software via
the one drive network. This allows pupils to produce, edit and submit
project/homework online without the need to purchase the software.
One Drive
•
Allows teachers to upload current notes on One Drive so that students can access
them at home.
•
Students can submit assignments on One Drive encourages learning as it adds
variety to homework and most students love using technology and also negates the
need for printed documents.
•
Teacher assessing assignments on One Drive encourages students to strive
harder as they feel under more scrutiny and improve their work from home.
•
Allow pupils show their parents what work they are doing on line and this
encourages interest in learning.
Digital Books
•
Teachers can upload book on projector for use in classroom. (This allows
students to
leave their heavy books at home, saving their backs, while at the same time ensuring
that they always have their books at home for home work and study)
•
All students are engaged in the lesson as they are all watching the screen
together.
This has a powerful effect on students’ concentration. There is a sense of them all
sharing the work (like one big group), working things out together.
•
Workbooks can be uploaded onto projector and teacher and students can
correct work/tests in a communal way as solutions are worked out together on the
screen.
•
Students can write corrections into copies and learning those corrections /
doing more examples, can be that night’s homework.
USEFUL ONLINE RESOURCES TO HELP YOU LEARN
INDEPENDENTLY AT HOME
At colaiste na hInse we have a wide range of online resources for the pupils to
access:
•
www.colaistenahinse.ie – The school homepage allows access to the pupils
one drive account. Teachers encourage students to access this regularly to foster
independent research and learning.
•
Work sheets, games, puzzlemaker, quizzes etc can all be found on line to add
interest to lessons
•
www.scoilnet.ie -Sample answers from on line sites can encourage students
to strive to reach that standard themselves
www.studyclix.ie- This is an online resources that easily allows pupils to look up
topics covered and answer previous exam questions.
•
www.examinations.ie -All past papers can be accessed here. For some
subjects this allows the students to leave past papers in school as they can work
from the papers on line at home.
•
Where the past papers act as work book students can print off the paper at
home and fill that in (if they have a printer)
•
Past paper corrections can be done communally if teacher puts paper on
projector in school. This causes closer engagement of student and teacher and
allows the student a say in their own assessment
The Coláiste have produced a “Useful Online Resources” document which has been
made available to all pupils which contains online links for all subjects areas.
USEFUL ONLINE RESOURCES TO HELP YOU LEARN
INDEPENDENTLY AT HOME
Béarla:
www.leavingcertenglish.net
www.aoifesnotes.com
www.studyclix.ie
www.sparknotes.com
http://nfs.sparknotes.com/
www.skoool.ie
http://www.slideshare.net/
https://www.text2mindmap.com/
Apps:
The Journal
Word of the day
Irish Times
Irish Independent
National Theatre Podcasts
Manga Shakespeare
Twitter
@TheLeavingCert
@LCEnglish
Mata:
1.
Examinations.ie (worked solutions)
2.
Sumdog.com
3.
Tes.co.uk
4.
ixl.com
5.
studyclicx.com
6.
prezi.com
7.
geogebra (app)
8.
Kahnacademy
9.
www.projectmaths.ie
10. http://www.teacherled.com/iresources/shapes
Gaeilge:
www.mccgaeilge.com
www.msemoloney.wordpress.co
m
www.tg4.ie
Abair Leat – Suíomh Des
Bishop
Ógras
BBC Schools – Gaeilge
focal.ie
Foinse
Gael Linn
GaelChultúr
Gaelport
Gaelscéal.ie
Google
JC-Spraoi
11.
app/
http://www.teacherled.com/all-interactivewhiteboard-resources/
Logainm.ie
Met Éireann
R na G
Raidió Fáilte
Raidió na Life
Raidió Rí-Rá
Ros na Rún
rte.ie
Scoilnet.ie
SNAG
State Exam Commission
Teastas Eorpach Gaeilge
TG4
Tobar.ie
Vicipéid
VIFAX – Maigh Nuad
vocaroo
World Book – Student
World Book Online
You Tube
Aipeanna:
Duolingo
Cúla cainte
Abair leat óide
Coláiste lurgan
Greann Gaeilge
Raidó rí rá
Tg4 Player
Talking Tom
Eolaíocht:
www.thephysicsteacher.ie/
www.leavingbio.net/
www.mrcjcs.com/
www.phet.colorado.edu/
www.studystack.com/
Ealaín:
Irish Museum of Modern Art
http://www.imma.ie
National College of Art and Design
http://www.ncad.ie
Dublin City Gallery The Hugh lane Gallery
http://www.hughlane.ie
Crawford college of Art and Design
http://www.crawfordgallery.ie
National Gallery of Ireland
http://www.nationalgallery.ie
National Museum of Ireland
http://www.museum.ie
Limerick College Of Art and Design
http://www.Lit.ie
Drogheda college of Further Education
http://www.DIFE.ie
Chester Beathy Gallery
http://www.cbl.ie
Spáinnis:
www.digitaldialects.com/Spanish.htm
www.languageguide.org/spanish/vocabulary/
www.quiz-tree.com/Spanish_Language_main.html
www.spanishrevision.co.uk/ks3/spanish_beginners/arr1mod1index.htm
www.bbc.co.uk/languages/spanish/
Free Spanish Learning Apps : Babbel, Duolingo, Memrise, Cat Academy
Français:
www.atantot.com vocab and grammar games for JC.
www.languagesonline.org.uk vocab and grammar games for JC.
www.popplet.com - making vocab mind maps for all years.
www.duolingo.com – an app & website particularly good for LC OL.
www.quizlet.com – flashcards and games espec. for LC HL.
www.wordreference.com - superb online dictionary for all yrs.
www.forvo.com a pronunciation site. Type in the French word and it pronounces it.
Tíos:
The Journal
British Nutrition Foundation
Consumer Association Ireland
Food Safety Authority Ireland
CSO
The Farmers Journal
Irish Independent App
Health Promotion Unit
Quizlet.com
RTE news app
TG
practicalstudent.com
technoteachers.ie/resources/
howtodraw.pencilportraitsbyloupemberton.co.uk/
sccs-tech.weebly.com/
DCG
youtube.com/user/NiallQuigley/videos
practicalstudent.com
t4.ie
howtodraw.pencilportraitsbyloupemberton.co.uk/
sccs-tech.weebly.com/
Metal Work
irishwoods.com
thewoodworkroom.com
coillte.ie
howtodraw.pencilportraitsbyloupemberton.co.uk/
Construction Studies
constructionstudiesq1.weebly.com/
constructiontechnology.ie/
technoteachers.ie/resources/
xtratherm.com/resources
howtodraw.pencilportraitsbyloupemberton.co.uk/
Creideamh
Info on the major world faiths: http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/
Info on Moral topics http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/guide/
Info on Moral topics www.truetube.co.uk
Info on Christianity: https://www.youtube.com/user/bustedhalovideo
Info on Islam in Ireland: http://www.islamireland.ie/
Info on Judaism: https://www.youtube.com/user/JewishTreats
Info on Hinduism in Ireland: http://www.hindu.ie/
Info on Buddhism Ireland: http://www.dublinbuddhistcentre.org/meditation.htm
Atheists Ireland: http://atheist.ie/
Agnostic Ireland: http://humanism.ie/
Corpoideachas
http://www.brianmac.co.uk
athletics
http://www.peai.org/
promoting PE.
Sports Site on Coaching, Drills, Injuries for a range of sports e.g. soccer,
PE Association of Ireland Website: List of current events and resources
http://www.pecentral.org/ Excellent site with resources for coaching
http://www.teachpe.com/basketball Excellent site with instructional videos on a range of
http://www.tes.co.uk Teaching resources and posters for PE and sports
sports and skills