ABSTRACT
Of all the challenges involved in using talk in the classroom, the task of assessing talk often poses teachers the greatest challenge. There are many reasons for this.
The first is the debate among teachers about whether talk should be assessed. Some of those who have promoted the debate on the use of small group learning believe that talk is intrinsic to learning and can be evaluated but should not form the basis for summative assessment. Exploratory talk is by its nature tentative and should be leading to greater clarity or understanding. It is not necessarily appropriate for an exploratory discussion to be observed or assessed. Indeed, in many cases any form of assessment might inhibit the discussion. Presentations by pupils demonstrate outcomes but they, again, do not need to be assessed in order to be valued by the students. Many might argue that teachers need to consider carefully whether assessment is required and when it is required to focus on formative judgements that help students identify areas for improvement.
