Assessment in the classroom

The right answer approach is deeply ingrained in our thinking. This might be fi ne for

some mathematical problems which do indeed have one right answer. The diffi culty is

that most of life isn’t that way, it is deeply ambiguous. (Richard Van Oech, A whack on

the side of the head, 1990)

Assessment is an ongoing dialogue between pupils and their teacher. Its purpose is not only

to gain information on how much progress each pupil has made, but also to learn about the

best ways forward in teaching and learning. Feedback to pupils can be given and received in

many different ways. The key is that it should lead to thinking on the part of the pupil

(Wiliam, 2011).