Assessment For Learning

PREFACE

Our schools are the living laboratory and workshop for providing education i.e. helping the students in their learning. What type of education or learning experiences should be imparted to them for their needed growth and development is a ticklish question. A lot of energy and resources are utilized by the concerned agencies for developing and implementing a suitable curriculum for this purpose. The decision, what type of learning experiences are to be given to a learner in a learning situation, however rests on the teacher who is entrusted with the responsibility of looking after the well being of the students. He has to see the readiness and potential of the learner for learning and grasping a thing before setting it as a target for his learning. The awareness about the learners readiness and potential can fairly possible only after resorting to the process of proper assessment or evaluation of the learner’s potential, abilities, interests, attitudes and his entry behaviour regarding the learning of a thing or task. One should thus have a proper knowledge, understanding as well as skills related to assessment for learning. Traditionally we have been emphasizing over the application and use of the mechanism related to assessment of learning. However, assessment for learning is the need of hour as its concept is directly linked with the practices of the philosophy of constructivism and constructivist learning. Moreover there are a number of new trends and practices emerging on the scene of evaluation. A teacher must be well acquainted with these practices and issues related to students evaluation. In this concern, NCTE has provided guide lines to the Universities and Teacher education institutions to modify the existing teacher education programs. As a follow up, M.D. University, Rohtak has introduced a compulsory paper entitled “Assessment for Learning” in its two years B.Ed. program. The present text is specifically designed to meet the requirements of this paper.

For the preparation of this text, the authors has taken help from the writings of many scholars. Their work has been constantly inspired by many of their students and colleagues. The authors feel a deep sense of gratitude to all of them.

What has been presented in the present text may appear a reiteration of what has been effectively said in some already existing publications covering various aspects of this text. However, as happens, every writer has his or her style and way of presentation. The present text, accordingly differs much in many ways with some of its features highlighted as under: