The role of Technology in Supporting Formative Assessment in Science and Mathematics in Ireland

Author(s):

Niamh Burke(presenting / submitting)Ann O'Shea(presenting)Majella Dempsey

Conference:

ECER 2016

Network:

09. Assessment, Evaluation, Testing and Measurement

Format:

Paper

Session Information

09 SES 11 B, Formative and Summative Assessments

Paper Session

Time:

2016-08-25

17:15-18:45

Room:

NM-F103a

Chair:

Mareike Haas

Contribution

This paper reports on two case studies, one in science and one in mathematics, in Ireland carried out as part of FaSMEd, an EU project funded under the FP7 scheme, on the use of technology in formative assessment (FA) classroom practices in mathematics and science. It will explore the pedagogical differences and similarities between second level mathematics and science teachers. The effects of a classroom intervention strategy on teachers’ use of technology within assessment practices will also be considered.

The FaSMEd project (formative assessment in science and mathematics education) aims to research the use of technology in formative assessment classroom practices in ways that allow teachers to respond to the emerging needs of all learners especially low achievers, so that they are better motivated in their learning of these subjects. This international project is in its final year and has adapted and developed existing research-informed pedagogical interventions.

Participants in the Irish study consist of thirteen second level teachers, six mathematics and seven science, and their first year students (aged 12-14). In total three schools participated in the research. Case studies were created focusing on the teaching practices of one science and one mathematics teacher.

Throughout the research the following questions were addressed:

How do teachers process formative assessment data from students using a range of technologies?
How do teachers inform their future teaching using such data?
How do students use formative assessment data to inform their learning trajectories?
When technology is positioned as a learning tool rather than a data logger for the teacher, what issues does this pose for the teacher in terms of their being able become more informed about student understanding?

This project aims to:

Foster high quality interactions in classrooms that are instrumental in raising achievement.
Expand our knowledge of technologically enhanced teaching and assessment methods in mathematics and science.

Major objectives for the project were to:

Offer approaches for the use of new technologies to support the formative assessment of students.
Develop sustainable teaching practices that improve attainment in mathematics and science.
Produce a toolkit for teachers to support the development of practice and a professional development resource to support it.
Disseminate the outcomes.

The research utilised the FaSMEd Framework developed by the projects to analyse data. This framework is an enhancement of the Wiliam and Thompson (2007) model of formative assessment, which states that formative assessment can be conceptualised as consisting of five key strategies. A new dimension describing the role of technology was added in order to create a FaSMEd specific framework as a basis for analysis.

The FaSMEd Framework is a three dimensional cuboid made up of smaller cuboids, that describe categories in three different dimensions:

• The participant responsible for/doing the assessment:

- Teacher, peer, learner

• The strategies of formative assessment:

- Clarifying learning goals and criteria for success

- Engineering diagnostic tasks

- Providing feedback

- Activating students as resources for one another

- Activating students as resources for themselves

• The function of technology within the assessment:

- Sending and sharing

- Processing and analysing

- Sending and sharing

This project is funded by FaSMEd which is a three year, €1.9 million project, led by Newcastle University that is taking lessons from around the world to help improve mathematics and science skills in second level schools in Europe and South Africa.

Method

We utilised a Design Based Research methodology as described by Swan (2014) as: A formative approach to research in which a product or process (or “tool”) is envisaged, designed, developed and refined through cycles of enactment, observation, analysis and redesign, with systematic feedback from end users. (p.1) The Irish research team worked with teachers and students to test and modify formative assessment practices using technologies in classrooms throughout the 2014/2015 academic year. Case studies formed outputs detailing practices across the partner countries including Ireland. For the purpose of this submission the findings of the Irish Science and Mathematics Case Studies will be examined in detail. The process of design based research follows a cycle of design, implementation and analysis with teachers (Stephan & Cobb, 2013), in which activities are planned in professional development sessions, carried out by teachers in classrooms and reviewed in meetings with our team and also in group sessions. The teachers in Ireland participated in four professional development sessions in total, which focused on different aspects of formative assessment including: -Building on prior knowledge and feedback -Identifying and responding to conceptual difficulties -Improving questioning -Increasing student collaboration -Students becoming assessors Technology was integrated into all of the above FA strategies and ranged from tablet-based applications that aid in teacher feedback and co-operative learning, to interactive learning environments for students and teachers. All sessions with teachers had allocated time for teachers to discuss and reflect on activities already completed within their FaSMEd lessons. Data for the project were collected using the following methods: 1. Semi-structured interviews with teachers at the beginning and end of the research; 2. Semi-structured interviews with students at the end of the research with the focus on a Q-Sort activity (a ranking of 48 statements printed on small cards); 3. In-class observation of formative assessment methods; 4. Video data analysis of recorded in-class curricular/formative assessment activities; 5. Questionnaires collected from all students; Data were analysed using the following methods: • Interviews were transcribed and coded using MAXQDA software; • Q-Sort data were analysed using PQ method software (Schmolck & Atkinson, 2002). Both centroid analysis and principal components analysis were carried out followed by varimax rotations; • Video data were analysed using a video analysis template designed by the researchers; • Questionnaires were analysed using SPSS and Winsteps (Rasch analysis software). A factor analysis was carried out to identify themes.

Expected Outcomes

Data analyses indicate some improvements to teachers’ assessment pedagogy. Specifically they developed their capacity to activate students as resources for one another. Providing students with effective feedback was a further FA skill enhanced by both teachers. Data from both cases conveyed how students are still somewhat reliant on the teacher for guidance, although small improvements in activating students as resources for themselves were noted. Differences were observed among the cases in relation to questioning, class structure and technology. The mathematics case highlighted the teacher’s awareness of the impact the project had on her questioning style and she noted how she had become more reflective of her practice. Prior to the project, the mathematics teacher’s lessons were tightly structured and teacher centred. Following her participation she was surprised that through FA the rigid structure of mathematics lessons became more fluid, with activities varying from one class to another. Technology was integrated effectively into science lessons with the teacher commenting on how it had aided her FA practice especially in providing student with feedback that moves learning forward. This was not apparent with the mathematics teacher due to technology being integrated on a lesser scale in these lessons, however improvements in FA practice were still evident. This presents the case for the necessity of technology in FA, a concept that will be examined in more detail in the completed paper. Findings from the Q-Sort data and the questionnaires are indicating that both the mathematics and science students have strongly positive opinions about the relevance of science and mathematics outside of the classroom. Science students expressed their enjoyment of lessons and held more positive views about technology than the mathematics students.

References

Schmolck, P., & Atkinson, J. (2002). PQMethod (version 2.35). Retrieved from http://schmolck.userweb.mwn.de/qmethod/downpqmac.htm (accessed 11th January 2016) Stephan, M., & Cobb, P. (2013). Teachers Engaging in Mathematics Design Research. In T. Plomp & N. Nieveen (Eds.), Educational design research-Part B:Illustrative cases (pp. 277–298). Enschede, the Netherlands: SLO. Swan, M. (2014). Design Research in Mathematics Education. In S. Lerman (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Mathematics Education. Springer. Wiliam, D., & Thompson, M. (2007). Integrating assessment with learning: What will it take to make it work? In The Future of Assessment: Shaping Teaching and Learning (pp. 53–82). Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Author Information

Niamh Burke (presenting / submitting)

Maynooth University, Ireland

Ann O'Shea (presenting)

Maynooth University, Ireland

Majella Dempsey

Maynooth University, Ireland

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