Thinking with Technology

Activity 4.3

Drafting an Outline for Your Assessment Plan

An assessment plan ensures a project stays focused on intended learning goals and should be developed along with project activities and tasks. Because project tasks allow for broader expression of individual learning, assessment strategies need to be open enough to accommodate a range of learner work, yet focused on expected results.

An assessment plan outlines methods and tools that define clear expectations and standards for quality in products and performances. It also defines project monitoring checkpoints and methods to both inform the teacher and keep learners on track. The plan should involve learners in reviewing and managing their learning progress during the project. A plan will answer the following key questions:

How will you know your learners have met the learning outcomes?
By what criteria will learners be assessed?
What methods of assessment will you use throughout the project in order to inform you and your learners about the learners’ learning progress?
What reporting and monitoring methods will you use to encourage learner self-management and progress during independent and group work?

An assessment timeline is a simple way to show an assessment plan and check that a variety of assessment methods occur throughout the learning cycle. During this activity, you will lay the groundwork for your assessment plan by drafting an assessment timeline.

Assessment Timeline

The image above shows an example of a timeline that indicates how assessment can be embedded throughout a project. There are endless combinations of assessment methods that can be woven into a project plan.

Outline your initial ideas on the next page for an assessment timeline so that you can keep these ideas in mind as you plan your project’s activities.

Note: Click here for additional samples of assessment timelines and summaries

If desired, you may type the answers directly into your Project Plan Template in the timeline portion of the Learner Assessment Plan section. You will flesh out your Assessment Plan and create one or more assessments in Module 11.

Open your Project Plan and review your higher-order thinking skills (your “Thinking Skills / Habits of Learning ") and assessment standards. You also may want to review your project priorities.
What types of assessment methods and resources are you considering to use at the beginning of the unit before project work begins?
What types of assessment methods and resources are you considering to use during the project?
What types of assessment methods and resources are you considering to use at the end of the project?
From your ideas above, type your draft ideas for ongoing assessment in the timeline section of your Assessment Plan.
Save your Project Plan.

Next: Proceed to Module 4 - Extension Activity

Thinking with Technology Module 4 - Planning Learner-Centred Assessment

	Activity 4.3 Drafting an Outline for Your Assessment Plan An assessment plan ensures a project stays focused on intended learning goals and should be developed along with project activities and tasks. Because project tasks allow for broader expression of individual learning, assessment strategies need to be open enough to accommodate a range of learner work, yet focused on expected results. An assessment plan outlines methods and tools that define clear expectations and standards for quality in products and performances. It also defines project monitoring checkpoints and methods to both inform the teacher and keep learners on track. The plan should involve learners in reviewing and managing their learning progress during the project. A plan will answer the following key questions: How will you know your learners have met the learning outcomes? By what criteria will learners be assessed? What methods of assessment will you use throughout the project in order to inform you and your learners about the learners’ learning progress? What reporting and monitoring methods will you use to encourage learner self-management and progress during independent and group work? An assessment timeline is a simple way to show an assessment plan and check that a variety of assessment methods occur throughout the learning cycle. During this activity, you will lay the groundwork for your assessment plan by drafting an assessment timeline. The image above shows an example of a timeline that indicates how assessment can be embedded throughout a project. There are endless combinations of assessment methods that can be woven into a project plan. Outline your initial ideas on the next page for an assessment timeline so that you can keep these ideas in mind as you plan your project’s activities. Note: Click here for additional samples of assessment timelines and summaries If desired, you may type the answers directly into your Project Plan Template in the timeline portion of the Learner Assessment Plan section. You will flesh out your Assessment Plan and create one or more assessments in Module 11. Open your Project Plan and review your higher-order thinking skills (your “Thinking Skills / Habits of Learning ") and assessment standards. You also may want to review your project priorities. What types of assessment methods and resources are you considering to use at the beginning of the unit before project work begins? What types of assessment methods and resources are you considering to use during the project? What types of assessment methods and resources are you considering to use at the end of the project? From your ideas above, type your draft ideas for ongoing assessment in the timeline section of your Assessment Plan. Save your Project Plan. Next: Proceed to Module 4 - Extension Activity