Assessment for learning: Why, what and how? (Inaugural Professorial Lecture) - Softcover

Wiliam, Dylan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 085473788X ISBN 13: 9780854737888

Publisher: Institute of Education, 2009

Synopsis

Arguing that if we are serious about raising student achievement, Wiliam illustrates that not all investments are equally effective, and some, such as helping teachers make greater use of assessment for learning, are more effective than others. If we are to be successful as well as being clear about what we want teachers to do differently, we have to understand why changing teachers' practice is so difficult, and this will require radical changes in the way we treat teachers' professional development.

About this title

Review:

In this small booklet Dylan Wiliam assembles his argument that, for professional development of teachers to be effective, we must not simply theorise about formative assessment but address behaviours in the classroom and how teachers might be supported to change. Now that the central significance of formative assessment in learning has been fairly widely established William considers the misunderstanding and misuse of the term and helps us comprehend the intention of assessment for learning through wry statements such as 'the difference between a medical and a post-mortem'. In a few pages he conveys how his two decades of experience has shaped an effective, scalable model for professional teacher development. It is a clear, concise and compelling read for anyone engaged in education for the professions. Whilst the primary audiences are teacher development professionals and policy makers the content is readily transferable to the wider Higher Education audience... In my institution we plan not only to buy copies for the library but to buy in bulk for resale direct to our post graduate medical education students. This is a little book with a big punch. --Linda Jones, Principal Lecturer Clinical Education and Leadership, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Postgraduate Medical Education. ESCALATE Review: 6th October 2009.

So, who should read this book? Anyone who is involved in teaching will gain something, even if it is just an understanding of why it is so difficult to improve one s practice as a teacher. I would particularly recommend the booklet to those who have responsibility for CPD in a school or teacher education in a wider sense, because they are the ones who need to be implementing the ideas in this book. --Jane Gabb, Book review in 'Equals', the journal of the Mathematical Association, Vol. 16, No.3.

Synopsis:

What are the most cost-effective ways of ensuring that today's students have the skills they need for an uncertain and unpredictable future? In this lecture, Dylan William will argue that if we are serious about raising student achievement, the only way to do this is by investing in the professional development of teachers. He will also argue that not all investments are equally effective, and some, such as helping teachers make greater use of assessment for learning, are more effective than others, such as increasing teacher content knowledge. If we are able to be successful, however, as well as being clear about what we want teachers to do differently, we have to understand why changing teachers' practice is so difficult. This will require radical changes in the way we treat teacher professional development.

About this edition

• Publisher: Institute of Education
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 085473788X
• ISBN 13: 9780854737888
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 44