ARG

ARIA

Analysis and Review of Innovations in Assessment

Across the UK, various projects have considered how to engage teachers in both formative assessment (where the assessment is integrated into classroom teaching specifically for supporting learning) and summative assessment (where teachers make dependable assessments of pupils' learning for reporting to the pupils or other stakeholders).

These projects have been initiated in response to fresh thinking about the role of teachers not only in using assessment for learning but also on assessment of learning. Yet while having considerable influence on those involved in their development, several of these projects have had less success in implementation on a wider scale.

ARIA, 2006 -2008,was a Nuffield-funded project that sought to explore these projects to help develop our understanding of assessment involving teachers: how it can be made more dependable, how it can be disseminated more widely and how it can be successfully and appropriately developed to improve learning for pupils at classroom, school and system level.

The policy implications of these issues were a major focus of the ARIA work.

ARIA explored a variety of aspects of assessment in order to address the following questions:

•  How can we improve assessment by teachers for formative and summative purposes?

•  What facilitates the dissemination of improved practice in classroom assessment?

•  What changes are needed in policy relating to classroom assessment, in order to improve engagement in learning and raise standards?

The project worked through holding seminars with those involved in initiatives both locally and nationally and interviewing key players. It is organised its finding round seven main themes: innovation, warrant, dissemination, professional learning, agency impact and sustainability. A summary of the outcomes was produced in the form of an ARG pamphlet Changing Assessment Practice (see publications). A book pubished by the OU Press is planned for late 2009. Dissemination conferences took place throughout 2008. For further information see the ARIA website www.aria.qub.ac.uk.

The members of ARG particularly concerned with this project were

John Gardner
Wynne Harlen
Louise Hayward
Gordon Stobart

Contact John Gardneri
Queen's University Belfast
69-71 University Street
Belfast BT7 1HL

aria@qub.ac.uk

© ARG 2008