Self assessment
Self assessment and Proofreading: underestimated skills
The stage between between receiving feedback from their supervisor on their only draft and producing the final piece can often lose momentum, especially when there is a long summer holiday in between. Supervisors can also feel frustrated working with the guidelines of feedback as they know that they are limited in the quantity and style of feedback that they give. Using descriptors of specific bands and preparing students with proofreading skills can bring the process to a close in a really satisfying way.
Tips for encouraging self assessment throughout the reflective project process
A key step to self assessment is feeling comfortable with the assessment criteria.
1. Use the language of the assessment criteria in every lesson and feedback
If students are familiar with the language of the assessment criteria as part of their lessons and supervisory sessions then they will feel more comfortable assessing themselves.
2. Develop the assessment criteria with students
This is an excellent exercise to do before looking closely at the key criteria and helping students understand it better. Ask students to name 3-5 elements that are assessed in each criterion using key words. They will also automatically put it into their own words and understanding during the process. This is developed and expanded upon in the lesson plan below.3. Use lots of exemplars
There are a wealth of exemplar material out there for the reflective project. The more examples students look at steadily over a length of time, the more they can understand the criteria. However they also gain confidence when they realise that reflective projects can be very different from one another. Asking them to assess specific criteria or look for key identifiers helps early understanding. Build to asking them to give a mark to the whole thing and justify their response!
4. Vary the work they assess
This follows on from the previous tip. Do not just look at top grade exemplars. It defeats a main purpose of the reflective project which is a stress on the process and not just the outcome. Use examples of essays or sections of essays with aspects they can aspire to or want to improve on: strong student voices, good bibliographies, good paragraph structure, interesting connections made, clear understanding of bias and validity, strengths and weaknesses of arguments assessed well, strong conclusions.
5. Devote time to this
Don’t use peer/self assessment as a plenary task right at the end of your lesson. Try to structure your lesson so it starts and ends with self-assessment; this way students can chart their progress and reflect in the RRS for later use in their RPPF.
7. Play Jeopardy
Once students have completed an assessment of an exemplar or excerpt, and they have given feedback using the criteria, don't leave it there. Ask them to create the questions they should ask themselves of their own work that is suggested by their feedback on specific criteria. eg. Have you included more than two perspectives? Have you referenced consistently throughout the essay? Even with a checklist at the ready and excellent open questions from the supervisor, asking students to identify these open questions themselves, paves the way for solid self assessment.
Proofreading
The Learner Profile attributes of Thinker, Communicator and Principled all come out in the final stages of the reflective project for the committed student. However, teachers often find that in both internal assessments and exams, students can be reluctant to read back through their work. This may be a result of lacking confidence or time management. You can find here tips for students to break down the task of proof reading into a less intimidating task.
Voice it, check it, colour it, question it, take a step back from it.
These are just some of the ways you can encourage students to look over their work. Really, for students to do this effectively, it should be a process they are used to throughout their course and not just at the end of the reflective project itself. Using PPS and/or reflective project lessons to do short activities where they can try out specific techniques, will make it easier in the long run.
Some key points for students:
- Never rely on a spellchecker: you are not being assessed on your spelling, punctuation and grammar officially but the success of your reflective project relies on clear communication and spelling, punctuation and grammar certainly help
- Allow time between writing and proofreading (not too long!)
- Read your project aloud and not too fast
- Read your project aloud to a friend (who is not doing a reflective project in the same area)
- Divide your project into sections and break up the task
- Proofread at the time of day you are most alert
- Proofread for specific criteria.
Students should have access to the marking criteria from the start of the process but here is a summary of descriptors for top band work.
Criterion A: Focus and Method
Work in this band does not present just for and against an ethical dilemma. It also considers effects of bias, misrepresentation of evidence and value judgements. Source materials are well chosen, varied and used precisely
Criterion B: Knowledge and understanding in context
Work in this band begins to show subtleties and contradictions in mutiple perspectives but this might not be consistent. A range of different perspectives is analysed rather than just presented. Furthermore strengths and weaknesses of arguments are assessed. Similarly, the impact on communities and/or global and cultural perspectives is considered
Criterion C: Critical thinking
There is a clear, confident and coherent argument; one that looks at the big picture and the little details.
Subtle understanding of concepts such as cause and effect such as unintended negative consequences of positive actions.
Conclusions do not just repeat the essay but give a knowedgeable overview of the issue and associated ethical dilemma.
Work in this band begins to synthesize, bringing together and connecting ideas and information.
Criterion D: Communication
Structured to develop an argument systemmatically to a conclusion with precise use of terminology.
Criterion E: Engagement and reflection
Demonstrates how understanding of the issue and dilemma has evolved throughout the process
Scrutinises the research methods taken and links to issue and dilemma. It shows the student has their own ideas and not just the ideas of others. There is a real sense that iniative has been taken.
Summary of requirements and advice
Proofreading concentrates on the body of work itself but the finished product must be presented in a certain way according to an academic piece of work.
The finished piece must have references, citations and bibliography
Students can use, if related to the reflective project and referenced : illustrations, gaphs, charts, tables, cartoons, photos and other images
Student must not put anything important in the appendix to the understanding, argument or structure of the reflective project or the achieving of specific assessment criteria as examiners do not have to read them
It must not go over the word limit. Examiners will not read anything over. There is no minimum word limit.
The word count does not include:
• the contents page
• maps, charts etc as listed above.
• equations, formulas and calculations
• citations or references, footnotes or endnotes
• the bibliography
• appendices.
Path a) Ask students to name 3-4 elements that are assessed in each criterion using no more than 3 words to summarise each element. eg in Criterion A, 'issue and dilemma' is important. They will also automatically put it into their own words and understanding during the process.
Path b) Alternatively give students the jumbled up phrases below and ask them to allocate them to a specific criterion.
This is an excellent exercise to do before looking closely at the key criteria and helping students understand it better. Give students a copy of the full marking criteria or the summary version given here.
Teacher notes for both exercises
A: FOCUS AND METHOD
Issue and Dilemma
Bias and Validity
Thorough research
Appropriate sources
B: KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
Different perspectives
Developed Knowledge
Local and global examples
Ethical impact
Cultural perspectives
C: CRITICAL THINKING
Convincing Discussion
Interpretation
Perceptive Conclusions
Sustained Connections
E: ENGAGEMENT AND REFLECTION
Authenticity
Evaluative
Setbacks
Intellectual engagement
Creativity
Initiative
Self Assessment
1. Criterion focused: Advise students to focus on one specific criterion and highlight/make a note of three times their work refers to it. If your student has opted for an additional format, they need to juggle this over both formats.
2. Paragraph focused: students create a colour code for each criterion and highlight whole essay; the result should indicate to them how balanced their essay is. This is recommended below as a proofreading tip too.
3. Examiners' descriptors: Give students access to the descriptors from the top band of the IB marking support material as detailed below. You can differentiate this for each student giving them descriptors in keeping with their target rather than too limiting or aspirational.
Proofreading - 5 Ways to Proofread
Students can experiment with these different ways of proofreading: they each have a specific purpose in mind. Works well for individual work and also in pairs. However make sure there is not a a conflict of academic integrity with students from similar topics or subject areas working together.