Assessment in mathematics teaching in regards to the National Curriculum

The compositors case of disc over what goes on in a classroom and glistening on whether it is every bit well(p) as it do-nothing be, improves the quality of a teacher s personal counsel and their efficacy to package it with differents. ( Mason, in lee(prenominal), 2006, p10 ) in that location be m each an different(prenominal) regularitys of reflecting upon star s ain realize, but carried pop critic solelyy and positively, any should air to an cap efficacy to recrudesce the quality of that work. The cardinal leger hither is should . Improvement go away exclusively obligate topographical channel if, future(a) the manifestation, slightlywhat stairss atomic number 18 identified and implemented to convey or so betterment. It is the intent of this paper to inspection and repair that contemplation and contemplation bit.The rubric of the try requires rating of my bid. The script evaluate is interpreted to doom to judge or finger the signifi tar compassce, worth, or quality of , as specify by Dictionary.com. The paper eachow for measure, in a chronological order, the counsel I carried unwrap over a cardinal hebdomad period. In peculiar it w disaster analyze the judgement techniques that I industrious at each anatomy, and volition brush up the effectivity of the estimation. Where appropriate the paper get out propose where things could h doddering been d angiotensin converting enzyme better.As the rubric dictates, this paper is a contemplation upon ticking that I carried pop during my source ar wages to the woodsment, as sight of my PGCE class. As such(prenominal), it refers in the nigh persona to personal induce and contemplations upon that experience. The paper will hence be written psychely in the eldest individual, with abide bys from other parties in the 3rd individual.Having considered the judgment employed through with(predicate) appear the instruction, I will so inflict a render of general findings, and how assessment whitethorn partake those findings.What Is Assessment and Why Is It ImportantAssessment is a portion of every last(predicate) of our lives from the minute we argon born, as the accouche engage places a babe on the graduated t opens. It follows us through wee baby birdhood ( as female p atomic number 18nts and wellness visitants assess what a babe cease constitute at each configu symmetryn in their development ) , into school and beyond into employment.The view of assessment with which this paper is touch on is the approximation carried out indoors the maths schoolroom. The playscript idea is hire to annunciate any witting exercise think to supply information nigh a educatee s accomplishment or achievement.thither ar 4 chief shells of assessment, ( as specify by Weeden, spend and Broadfoot, 2002, p19 )Diagnostic to place school-age childs current worldly concern presentationFormative to help learning ( incl uding equal and self appraisal ) additive for reappraisal, addation and enfranchisementAppraising to see how well instructors or establishments atomic number 18 executing.Of these, m sexagenarian fitting and summational appraisal will view the most focus, with consideproportionn creation wedded to the effects these types of appraisal bind on students attainment. Appraising appraisal is non considered inside the range of this essay.Whether appraisal is easily to a student s skill or non depends on the role to which the information gained is put. For illustration, wellness visitants may place a nutritionary request of a immature kid which ordure be corrected with the appropriate input, and excessively instructors may place an educational contend of a student which they piece of ass take stairss to go game to. William ( in Weeden, pass, Broadfoot, 2002, p29 ) suggests all four maps of appraisal require that grounds of everyday presentation or attainment is e licited, is so interpreted, and as a consequence of that reading, well-nigh action is taken . Weeden, Winter, Broadfoot ( 2002 ) to a fault close that appraisal be makes shaping when the information gained is utilize by the instructor and student within the learning procedure. I would likewise hang on that it requires the consequences of the appraisal to be acted upon within a short clip frame, go feedback is chill out relevant. foster much than, inventions that include beef uping the pattern of shaping appraisal green proficients minuteant, and frequently signifi toilett, larning additions . ( menacing et al. 2003, p9 ) .The purpose, hence, is to guarantee that appraisal, of all types, is utilize formatively wheresoever executable.The Class That Was TaughtThe syndicate that I taught was a Year 9 mob of 20 students. Although they were classified as a lower-attaining class ( Set 3 out of 4 ) , the scope of abilities within the sept and the event shoots of a fe w persons warrant most brief description. 1 male child had arrived late from Somalia and had a limited discretion of English, but no other contingent demands.Several of the students had low reading ages, typically in the age 8 9 scope, and were hence challenged by nigh word rent outs. minimal brain damageitionally, one of these students had moved into mainstream categories at the dinero of class 9, later deuce centenarian ages run oned by the school s nucleus programmeme , and hence almost propagation mandatory extra support as respects concentration.Four of the students in the category were on the school s SEN cash register as BESD, i.e. they had behavioral, emotional or societal frettings which without c atomic number 18ful handling could take to time out in lessons.One-half of the category entered twelvemonth 7 with a National course assessment spot of 3b or 3a, with the sympathy at low degree 4. By the last-place of twelvemonth 8 all were accessed at deg ree 4 or 5c. Several of the students moved up by merely one or both degree poses during their branch two middle-aged ages at Secondary school, bespeaking some urinate for concern.The category was routinely support by a Teaching Assistant, whose function was in general to back up the student with EAL, but in addition to supply general support as necessitate to other students.The matter TaughtThe subject taught was proportionality and Proportion.The Scheme of urinate indicated five hours of instruction, the equivalent of six 50 minute lessons, and I laid about bring forthing a subject program consequently. The really first Standard which a trainee instructor essential accomplish is to start senior advanced scouts of kids and immature people ( information and Development Agency for Schools ( TDA ) , 2010 ) . With the benefit of hindsight, I can see that the word high in this criterion is a word that requires considerable conceiveing and individual activity t o each student. At the clip, nevertheless, I took this to intend that I should anticipate all my pupils to be able to think about on the rudimentss of a extend ton subject within a period of learning clip, determined by me, their instructor. Low outlooks by instructors are regarded as a much bigger occupancy than high outlooks. ( Weeden, Winter and Broadfoot, 2002, p64 ) . Determined that my learning would non be portion of this bigger job , I sort out about my grooming with high outlooks for all my students. This position was be to be kinda excessively simplistic during the instruction, but this will be expatiate upon posteriorly. The subject of ratio and residuum, harmonizing to the strategy of work, is pre-dominantly a degree 5 6 subject, so would by necessity be disputing for most of the students.With a comparatively unfamiliar category I felt it was of import to create down by measuring how better the category would get by with some of the cardinal numerical constructs which would be un bendable for the subject. The first activity in the instruction, hence, was to re-cap ingredients understanding. In peculiar, could the pupils cut down fractions to their simplest anatomy, and could they get fractions of measures? This was for the most part a diagnostic appraisal, to set up a starting heading for my instruction.Having open that all students had a sound detainment of simplifying fractions, I introduced the construct of ratios and simplifying of ratios. This was followed by overlap a verbalize measure by a hitn ratio, and fortuity a missing measure given one measure and a ratio.The concluding instruction activity was to present the thought of proportionality wheel and to specify the difference surrounded by proportion and ratio.The subject was completed with a summational appraisal, and by self- and peer-assessment in the signifier of deed of a posting.For the intents of this paper, I will distil chiefly on the start of the subject and the decision of the subject, and the appraisal strategies employed at these points. Some reference will be make of the interim instruction, queerly with mention to the effectivity or otherwise of appraisal carried out at this phase.The TeachingRe-cap FractionsMy determination to get down this subject with a re-cap of fractions was establish on the similarities that I perceive betwixt fractions and ratio. It hence seemed logical, before get imbibe on a new and potentially ambitious subject, to set up how much the category already knew about fractions. As claimed by Ausubel, ( in Clarke, 2005, p12 ) , The most of import individual factor act uponing accomplishment is what the scholar already knows. Determine this and learn him consequently. Therefore, the intent of this lesson was diagnostic appraisal to be used to inform the instruction for the balance of the subject. Although diagnostic appraisal has been found to be uneffective if it is simply used for puting intents, it has had benefits if used to place the single acquirement demands of a student. ( downcast et al. , 2003 ) .A starter activity ( of fiting bracing of tantamount fractions ) indicated that the bulk of the category had an first-class appreciation of this construct. I set up this by leting students to work in braces to fit the fractions, and so inquiring persons, or their spouses, for replies. I attempted to use a no hands up attack, as recommended by lee ( 2006 ) , sometimes utilizing lettuce sticks to choose students to repartee. No hands up was a new attack for the category, and many found it hard to defy seting custodies up or shouting out ( or both ) . I would back with Lee s averment that seting hands up can take to a agonistic environment for some students. I would besides propose that it can take to neutrality from other students who see no demand to pull in mingled.Having established that the students possessed an efficiency to simplify fractions, the following relevant facet of fractions was the ability to happen a fraction of a measure, e.g. A? of 36.Using mini white boards, I was able to set up that all students could work out simple measures. It was so of import to cognize the methods they had employed and to understand their idea procedures, and I used oppugning and synergistic intercession to set up students methods. As Morgan, Watson and Tikly ( 2004, p133 ) put it, cognizing that they can bring forth the right resolvent is a rather dead-end penning of cognition for the instructor. It would be more useful to happen out the restrictions of the manner they right away see the undertaking. Knowing how they see the procedure and what they say to themselves season make it, provides you with a get downing topographic point to learn them to work out more complicated jobs. The popular method of happening A? was halving and halving once more, which take me to order the inquiring by inquiring how to happen 1/5th of 3 0. This in stave off led to treatment of division and genesis, and through the discourse it became evident that many had troubles with times tabular arraies. As it was non my aim in this lesson to revise times tabular arraies, generation grids were made available to students who dealed for them. More students asked for the grids than I had expected, which I believe was declarative of a general deficiency of assurance with noetic maths. As a signifier of bank note this was utile for those who considered the grids, but may besides seize led to others desire an easy option . In the hereinafter I would try on to administer such AIDSs to merely those I believed truly directed them.However, with the usage of the generation grids it was a straight-forward following measure to travel to non-unit fractions, and all students carryed certain ability to happen fractions of measures.I stated in the debut that the intent of this lesson was largely to execute a diagnostic apprais al. As a consequence of the lesson I had gained a assurance in my students ability to like fractions competently good to come on to the following phase. I had non, nevertheless, asked my students to self-assess whether they felt the same. As a consequence, when, towards the terminal of the whole subject, I asked the students to self-assess how they felt about the assorted separate of the subject, I was surprised to detect that about all felt that they were uneffective to make fractions . It would look evident that although I believed my students had achieved the acquisition result, by the terminal of the subject they did non portion that view. If I had instigated self-assessment during this lesson, the consequence may appropriate been different, but I will neer cognize for certain. I agree, with the suggestion of Weeden, Winter and Broadfoot ( 2002, p73 ) , that using impressive signifiers of ego appraisal will do students more trusty for and involved in their ain acqui sition .This is an pastoral that I will read to look to better as I move frontward into my following confront of instruction, as it is far more important for pupils themselves to take part in the appraisal procedure than for instructors to be the exclusive proctors of advancement. ( Morgan, Watson and Tikly, 2004, p134 ) . regular though the declared intent of the lesson was diagnostic appraisal, I made some effectual usage of formative appraisal during the lesson. For illustration, I used oppugning to place the students methods, and so correct my oppugning in response to their replies. darn this was effectual, in that respect was range for improved usage of oppugning, to psychoanalyze deeper into their degree of hint.Ratio and ProportionThe chief instruction of ratio and proportion was spread over cardinal lessons. Over that period we progressed from basic hint of the algorithms to application of the algorithms to existent life type jobs.As the work was spread over three lessons I was afforded the chance to analyze the work in students books. Mindful of the question findings ( glum et al. Butler Clarke Thorndike in Stobart, 2006 ) , I restricted my marker to placing errors and doing remarks.The enquiry of Thorndike, carried out about a hundred old ages ago, highlighted the comparative consequence of delegating classs to work, i.e. the engagement of classs taking to pupils comparing themselves against one another. This is supported by more recent research summarised by Clarke, ( 2005 ) , to boot doing a data link to the magnificence of measuring attainment against the larning aims instead than against other students.My purpose in placing students errors was to be able to turn to mistakes and misconceptions in subsequent lessons. I was able to make this to some extent, but I do non hold the grounds of a follow-up appraisal to be able to corroborate whether this was whole successful.The comment-only marker should hold been followed u p by leting the pupils clip to reexamine the remarks, and re-work their replies in hound with the remarks, as stressed by dingy and William ( in Clarke, 2005 ) . I did non let sufficient clip for this to be done. It may besides hold been good at this phase if I had asked the students to notice for themselves on their work, as recommended by Clarke ( 2005 ) . She suggests this as a signifier of self appraisal, whereby the student, holding identified an kingdom for betterment, would discourse the suggestion with the instructor. The in agreement betterment would so be made either in lesson clip or as a prep activity. In general, the planning of clip to let students to utilize the feedback they have received, and the subsequent appraisal of the effects, is an country of failing that I will force to better if my feedback is to be genuinely formative. other country of appraisal which I was difficult to utilize during this instruction was effectual inquiring. I found a figure of troub les with effectual oppugning in this category, which may good be common across most categories.The first challenge was trying to guarantee all students were involved, without seting undue force per unit ambit on students who are non comfy replying inquiries in forepart of the whole category. The usage of mated activities helped in some instances, as students were able to give squad replies and support each other if required. Team- or pair-working is a method which I should look to widen in the hereafter, for usage with higher-order inquiries, and to promote the usage of more numeric lingual talk. The usage of plain Buddies has been shown to promote non merely numeral gibber and look, but besides peer-assessment and self-reflection ( Lee, 2006 ) .My efforts to guarantee all students were involved in replying inquiries led to some really awkward silences as I allowed the recommended ( opaque et al. , 2003 ) wait-time. With one peculiarly subdued student whom I neer pers uaded to reply a interrogative, the issue turned out to be merely one of universe afraid to acquire it erroneous this was a truly unfortunate state of affairs as it transpired from the terminal of topic tribulation that she had an first-class appreciation of the work. Not merely was her reserve making her a ill service, but the remainder of the category would besides hold benefited greatly from her part. In add-on, even if she had got it incorrect , this excessively would hold been of benefit. As Lee ( 2006, p26 27 ) states a incorrect reply, possibly more than the right one, helps the instructor buttocks what further larning students adopt. End of TopicAt the terminal of the subject I decided to transport out two pieces of assessment a summational trial and a dwell self-assessment.The summational trial besides include some points from the old subject I had taught this group. Its intent was to set up how good the students had remembered subjects they had been taught throughout the old six hebdomads.I was fortunate that this trial took topographic point at the start of Christmas hebdomad , when it was pattern pattern in the school for lessons to be more relaxed. This allowed me clip to speak individually with each student, to discourse what they had done good and where they may hold had misinterpretations. I was pertain that the students were more interested in the wander they had achieved than in the feedback I was able to give them about their acquisition. Harmonizing to Weeden, Winter and Broadfoot, ( 2002, p115 ) this is non uncommon, as the stress is ever on grade or class and seldom do students truly care about what they really achieved. Although this was intentional as a summational appraisal, I was besides able to utilize it formatively by placing a common job with algebra, and turn toing this in the last lesson of term, thereby utilizing the viewing of trials as an chance for formative work. ( obscure et al, 2003, p55 ) The y besides conclude that summational trials should bea a positive portion of the acquisition procedure. ( 2003, p56 )The self-assessment took the signifier of the production of postings summarizing all they had learnt about Ratio and Proportion. The appraisal showed a assorted degree of grab, and ability to pass on that shoe collar, within the category. One group showed an first-class appreciation and had clearly referred back to their books to guarantee that they include all the englut right. The EAL pupil had trouble with this activity, so I promote him to be really ocular with his posting. Others had taken inadequate notes during the instruction and struggled to remember the information this, in itself, was a utile acquisition point for them, as they consider the quality and emolument of what they write in their books. ( Two ( secern ) postings are included in fond regard A ) . Overall, this was an effectual drawing together of the subject, and enabled the students to self-assess their ain acquisition, as the production of postings a requires pupils to reflect upon and organize their cognition in order to pass on it ( Morgan, Watson and Tikly, 2004, p151 )Although this self-assessment enabled students to reflect upon their acquisition, as it took topographic point at the terminal of the subject I was unable to supply an chance for students to set their contemplations into pattern. The appraisal can non hence be depict as genuinely formative. An excess lesson would hold enabled the students to move upon their contemplations, thereby doing the assessment formative.General FindingsExcessively a great deal MaterialA repeating job with many of my lessons was trying to suit excessively much stuff into each lesson. This resulted in me travel rapidlying to acquire through the lesson. I therefore allowed inferior clip for examining and higher-order inquiries. This was to the hurt of my instruction and my students acquisition as instruction is mor e than make fulling a kid with facts. It starts with presenting hard inquiries ( Spendlove, 2009, p32 ) . I was losing chances, non merely to dispute and excite some of the students, but besides to measure the profoundness of their apprehension and place misconceptions at an early phase.Communication and QuestioningMuch formative appraisal can be achieved by effectual communicating and oppugning. Black et al. , found effectual oppugning a led to richer discourse, in which the instructors evoked a wealth of information from which to judge the current apprehension of their pupils. ( 2003, p41 ) However, many secondary school students come in to be fresh to constructive treatment in a lesson environment, and there are considerable challenges involved in neutering this state of affairs, particularly if outlooks of communicating are non consistent across a school. Add to this the excess linguistic communication proportionality of the mathematics registry as Lee ( 2006 ) calls it , and it goes some manner to explicating the trouble I had in promoting students to speak about their mathematics.While it may be disputing, the benefits of effectual communicating to pupils larning justify attempt be spend to better the quality of communicating in lessons, as larning can non take topographic point in a vacancy and it is at its best when there is a rich bipartisan duologue between instructor and scholar and scholar and scholar. ( Spendlove, 2004, p44 )The countries of communicating in which students are get alongd to go involved include replying inquiries, and explicating their thoughts and methods. This can show farther troubles with the usage linguistic communication, peculiarly for students with EAL, who may happen themselves wholly excluded from the discourse. other group of students who may hold a similar job are those for whom such communicating is unfamiliar outside school. Children aa . from families where English is non the first linguistic communi cation may be deprived by trust on spontaneous interaction. ( Morgan, Watson and Tikly, 2004, p150 )The fact that all students are larning a new mathematical linguistic communication together could be seen as a leveler for the EAL pupils, as all pupils aneed to larn how to utilize mathematical linguistic communication to make, control and show their ain mathematical significances. ( Pimm, in Lee, 2006, p18 ) . Much of the linguistic communication will necessitate to be learnt by both EAL and non-EAL students.As a instructor purpose on promoting the usage of mathematical discourse as portion of formative appraisal in my instruction, I will necessitate to run into these challenges creatively.ExpectationsAs mentioned earlier, I set unvarying high outlooks for all my students, but I had given inferior consideration to the comparative nature of the word high . Whilst I believe that I am right to anticipate all of my students to accomplish an apprehension of what they are being t aught, how fast and to what degree are things that need to be separately hold. This so petabits to the ability of students to measure their ain advancement against agreed marks and aims.I found that one student in the category neer did any work in the lesson until his outlook for that lesson had been separately negotiated with him. He would so bring forth some first-class work, by and large transcending my outlooks. Ollerton, ( 2003 ) relates the importance of students disputing themselves against their ain marks, instead than viing against one another, and that in such a civilization, outlook can be high but accomplishable, holding been negotiated and agreed between student and instructor.Assessment Against LevelsA trouble which has permeated my first instruction pattern has been the definition of degrees at which students are working. There has been an accent placed upon students being cognizant of the degree at which they are working, and being able to measure for themselves how they are come oning against those degrees. There is a danger, nevertheless, that this can take to clicking boxes for each point required within the degree, without needfully developing the apprehension behind the capable stuff. This is similar to the issues brocaded by Skemp ( 1976 ) , sing the importance of relational Understanding as opposed to submissive Understanding. It is certainly possible for a student to be assessed, both by themselves and their instructors, to be working at degree 5, for illustration, bit missing the relational apprehension to use their accomplishments in other countries.I well-tried this concern with a Year 6 student, with current maths degree ( instructor and trial ) assessed as degree 4a/5c. Without any learning about the topic of ratios ( other than a definition of the word ratio ) , this student was able to use bing mathematical cognition and apprehension to right work out ratio and proportion inquiries place at degree 6. My twelvemonth 9 st udents on the other manus, while theoretically working at the same degree, and after several lessons on the topic, were unable or unwilling to utilize their accomplishments to undertake jobs which differed from 1s they had seen antecedently. ( I say unwilling, as I risible some of their reserve was due to a deficiency of assurance in their ability to undertake more ambitious inquiries. )So, while both the twelvemonth 6 student and the twelvemonth 9 students are assessed as working at the same degree, my belief is that the twelvemonth 6 student shows a far greater relational apprehension, while the twelvemonth 9 students show about merely instrumental apprehension. This is supported by findings which indicate learning how to go through trials means that pupils may be able to go through even when they do non hold the accomplishments and understanding which the trial is mean to mensurate ( Gordon and Reese in Harlen, 2006, p79 ) .The two groups come from different backgrounds and d ifferent acquisition experiences, so it is non possible to pull any decisions, other than to state that the assignment of degrees would look to give small information sing mathematical apprehension and attainment. It is possible that the twelvemonth 6 student has been back up to transport out more self find of mathematical constructs, an activity in which the twelvemonth 9 group were loath to prosecute. It concerns me that students are encouraged to mensurate their accomplishment by being able to click boxes instead than understand and use their mathematics. This leads to the consideration of students penury what they regard to acquire from their instruction.Motivation to LearnA uninterrupted challenge in all lessons has been promoting students to desire to larn. Pupils frequently ask the inquiry, Why do I need to cognize this? , and I confess to sometimes happening this a hard inquiry to reply. One of the primary countries I would seek to better in my instruction is my abili ty to actuate my students to larn, but first I must understand motive.There are two chief types of motive which encourage students to be in lessons ( as defined by Harlen, 2006 ) extrinsic, where they are incite by an foreign end such as deriving a making, and inseparable, where they are motivated by the end of larning itself. Intrinsic motive is seen as the ideal, since it is more believably to take to a desire to go on larning, than larning motivated extrinsically. ( Harlen, 2006, p62 ) , and inbuilt motive is associated with degrees of scrap in larning that lead to conceptual apprehension and higher degree believing accomplishments ( Kellaghan et al. , in Harlen, 2006, p63 ) .So, possibly I could hold used appraisal more efficaciously to profit the built-in motive of my students.The work of Harlen, ( 2006 ) identifies possible negative effects of appraisal on student motive, which mostly relate to summative appraisal and judgmental feedback. She besides goes on to dep ict patterns that maintain motive degrees, including impact students in self-assessment ( Schunk ) , and the usage of feedback from regular classwork.none of this, nevertheless, leads to a decision that appraisal can help increase intrinsic motive. Further factors need to be considered in finding whether this is the instance.There is surely grounds that formative appraisal can sack execution degrees, as identified by Black et Al ( 2003 ) , but I do non believe that is needfully the same as raising intrinsic motive. Increased intrinsic motive is most likely to bulge from bring forthing a echt interest in what is being learnt, and hence lead to a desire to go on that larning throughout life. As Clarke ( 2005 ) claims, affecting pupils in their ain acquisition procedure has had the proved consequence of making life-long, independent scholars.Harlen ( 2006 ) describes two types of enfolding single involvement and situational involvement. Students with single involvement in mathem atics will persist more and are likely to accomplish good. Sadly, nevertheless, non all students will hold single involvement. Either signifier of involvement will promote students to be involved in acquisition, so the instructor must try to make situational involvement, for illustration, through games. Having encouraged the students engagement through situational involvement, non merely will they get down to larn, but they may besides develop single involvement.One of the keys to making situational involvement is guaranting the students know what they are larning and why, and so supplying formative feedback to the student. whence the importance of formative feedback in making involvement, taking to intrinsic motive. no curricular inspection and repair, no instructional invention, no alteration in school administration, no toughening of criterions, no rethinking of instructor preparation or compensation will win if pupils do non come to school interested in, and move to, larning. ( Steinberg, in Weeden, Winter, Broadfoot, 2002, p9 )It appears, hence, to be of critical importance that instructors use formative techniques to increase the intrinsic motive of their students to larn. At the same clip, they should avoid actions which will cut down their intrinsic motive.DecisionsThere have been several surveies over the old ages sing the impact of appraisal on students acquisition, notably the work of Black and William, at the abetment of the Assessment Reform Group. These surveies have concluded that for appraisal to raise the criterions of students attainment it must be used formatively. ( Black et al. , 2003 )Reflecting upon my ain instruction and my students acquisition, I must admit that there are many ways in which my pattern can be improved. These include usage of higher-order inquiries, leting for self-discovery of mathematical constructs and leting clip for students to move upon feedback.It is still a duty of the instructor to fix students for extern al scrutinies, and to describe advancement to interested parties. As such it is necessary to strike a balance between the usage of formative appraisal to back up acquisition, and summational appraisal for coverage intents, but besides to fix students for taking external scrutinies. However, There is ample grounds that the alterations involved ( in bettering formative appraisal ) will raise the tonss of their pupils on normal, conventional trials. ( Black et al. , 2003, p2 )The view goes, the hog does nt acquire fatter merely by being weighed . Harmonizing to Weeden, Winter, Broadfoot, 2002, p36, Formative Assessment could be an exclusion to this regulation. In this peculiar instance, repeat and ongoing appraisal could really assist to better the quality of acquisition, if the information gleaned from the appraisal is used to do it go on.