Improving student learning through assessment and feedback - Chapter 5 - Developing classroom assessment practice

Oct 23, 2026

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Improving student learning through assessment and feedback explains how assessment systems can enhance learning rather than merely measure it. It positions students at the centre of an assessment framework so they can monitor progress, adjust understanding, and take ownership of learning. The chapter covers quality assessment practices, the role of clear assessment policy, and how feedback—oral, written, and from student comments—supports learners’ thinking. It also outlines formative, diagnostic, and summative purposes and stresses recording, criterion-referenced reporting, and using assessment data for school development.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages14

Reading Time35 min

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5.1 Developing classroom assessment practice

Purposes and types of assessment (formative, diagnostic, summative)

Formative assessment: assessment for learning and extended aims

5: Improving student learning through assessment and feedback For assessment systems to enhance learning – and not just measure it – students need to be at the centre of the assessment framework. To become lifelong learners, they need to be able to assess their own progress, make adjustments to their understandings and take control of their own learning. (OECD 2013, p 220) . Excellent schools give a great deal of attention to improving the quality of their assessment practices. Assessment is not only critical in measuring achievement standards. It also helps students understand their own strengths and limitations, and know what they need todo to improve. Because of its significance to learners, teachers and parents, it is important to have a clear assessment policy. This chapter looks at assessment that is used to support learning. This includes feedback teachers give to students in day-to-day interactions as well as marks, comments and reports they produce. A section of this chapter looks at how teachers can provide valuable oral and written feedback to students. Feedback that teachers get from students’ comments in class and work is critical in helping them understand how the learner is thinking. Assessment information needs to be recorded and tracked in away that is meaningful. This chapter suggests that criterion-referenced reporting against clear learning and assessment objectives is a good approach that helps make learning progression understandable. Teachers need to be sure they have a common understanding of assessment standards so we briefly consider standardising teacher assessments. Using assessment data is important for the school development planning process as well as reporting to parents and other stakeholders. 5.1 Developing classroom assessment practice Assessment is central to the teaching and learning process in the classroom, not only to measuring student achievement and progress. The following different uses of assessment are often distinguished: • Formative – assessment activities which are used primarily to help student learning by providing feedback during the learning process. This enables teachers and/or learners to modify teaching and learning activities to improve learning. • Diagnostic – activities which identify learning difficulties or issues and indicate where help or change is needed. • Summative – an assessment of learning that has taken place at the end of a course or unit of study. This is designed primarily to measure achievement but could also involve ranking, certifying competence or accountability. Harlen (2012, p. 98) believes it is better to describe assessment purposes and practices as a dimension. At one end are informal formative procedures which directly influence the next steps in learning. These are characterised by immediate feedback as a normal part of classwork, and usually not planned in advance. This broadly corresponds to assessment for learning in the sense Swaffield (2009, p. 8) describes: “Assessment for learning’s prime concern is with the here and now of learning. It occurs in the flow of activity and transactions occurring in the classroom. The focus is on the learning of these students now, although there is also consideration given to their learning in the 33 Developing your school with Cambridge learner attributes A guide for school leaders 5: Improving student learning through assessment and feedback continued future.” Formal formative processes are more structured. An example might be a brief test planned for the whole class, with feedback into the teaching of that class. Informal summative assessment might be a more structured process that is primarily used to monitor progress. Formal summative assessment would be a higher-stakes text or exam. The distinction between formative and summative is largely based on considering what the assessment is used for. In practice, summative assessments that are primarily designed to assess learning

FAQs

How does assessment help learning beyond measuring achievement?

Assessment supports learning by giving feedback during the learning process, helping students understand strengths and limitations, and enabling adjustments to teaching and learning activities to improve outcomes.

What are the main types of assessment described?

The chapter distinguishes formative (feedback during learning), diagnostic (identifying difficulties and where help is needed), and summative (assessing learning at the end of a course or unit, often used to measure achievement).

Why is feedback from students’ comments important?

Feedback teachers receive from students’ comments in class and work is critical for understanding how learners are thinking and for improving the assessment and feedback process.

Oct 23, 2026

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