Author(s): |
Serafina Pastore, dept. Scienze della Formazione, Psicologia, Comunicazione, University “Aldo Moro”, Bari, Italy Monica Pentassuglia, dept. Scienze della Formazione, Psicologia, Comunicazione, University “Aldo Moro”, Bari, Italy |
Abstract: |
The scientific
interest for formative assessment practices is greatly increased in recent
years because of research that has shown its effective use to improve students’
learning outcomes (Kingston & Nash, 2011; Bennett, 2011; Dunn &
Mulvenon, 2009; Black & Wiliam, 2009). Formative assessment can be defined as
all activities undertaken by teachers and students to gather information to be
used diagnostically in order to modify teaching and learning: It works because
it has a powerful effect on the two most important protagonists in the
teaching-learning process (teachers and students). However, things appear
different when the focus is posed on Higher Education. The current trend in
assessment seems to lose its strength when the focus is placed on the
university student’s level of achievement. Current research interests in this
area are mainly oriented towards identifying forms and models for assessing
teaching-learning processes and to implement a controlled system assessment.
The most common assessment practice is aimed to gathering students’ opinions about
the teaching-learning services in the course of study. Starting from this
assumptions, the present paper reports on the first step of a larger multiple
case study conducted with the students of the Graduate School of Education at
theUniversityofBari(Italy).
It is focused on their representations and conceptions of formative assessment
(and the practices of self and peer-assessment).
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