ABSTRACT
Assessment reform has become an important part of the reform agenda for the education system in Hong Kong, as it reaffirms the main aim of assessment: to support student learning, otherwise known as Assessment for Learning (AfL). In contrast to assessment of learning, which is summative and “intended to certify learning and report to parents and students about students’ progress in school, usually by signalling students’ relative position compared to other students” (Earl, 2003, p.22), AfL offers an alternative perspective to traditional assessment in schools. AfL is a process of seeking and interpreting evidence for use by learners and teachers, in order to decide where the learners are in their learning, where they need to go and how best to get there (Assessment Reform Group, 2002). The idea of AfL has its roots in the research conducted by Black and Wiliam (1998), which reviewed more than 250 assessment studies to present strong evidence of how formative assessment, or AfL, could improve student learning and development. The AfL movement reached its full potential with the identification of ten principles (Assessment Reform Group, 2002) for teachers to determine the crucial elements of effective classroom assessment practices and to understand why it is important to use AfL. This trend was echoed in Hong Kong and the government document Basic Education Curriculum Guide (Curriculum Development Council [CDC], 2002) which stated:
All schools should review their current assessment practices and put more emphasis on assessment for learning. The latter is a process in which teachers seek to identify and diagnose student learning problems, and provide quality feedback for students on how to improve their work. Different modes of assessment are to be used whenever appropriate for a more comprehensive understanding of student learning in various aspects, (p.1)
