Planning Issues
Assessing the objective/outcome
A characteristic of most objectives, though not all, is
that they are capable of being assessed. Assessment is a vast, complex and,
at times in history, an inexact activity. It is not the purpose of this
section of the site to consider this whole complex area. You are advised to
read chapter 10 of ‘Learning to Teach History in the Secondary
school’ in order to understand the wider issues involved.
Here we are concerned with the day-to-day assessment that
arises from a lesson or combination of lessons. This is usually called,
‘formative assessment.’ An important aspect of ‘Thinking It
Through’ is the planning in advance in order to provide those learning
experiences and that data, which will enable you to assess whether your
pupils have achieved the desired outcomes. At the same time you should be
aware of the limitations of your assessments and take care you are really
assessing what you think you are assessing.
In order to illustrate how the process off our basic
model, described earlier, is carried through to the assessment stage,
further use is made of the five exemplar lesson plans and in particular the
highlighted objectives.
Example A.
Objective 3: Assessing Causation.
In this lesson the pupils offer reasons which are fielded
by the teacher who then creates a spray- or spider-diagram. The pupils then
copy or make notes from this diagram. Should the teacher wish to reinforce
the pupils’ understanding of causation, the diagram could be used to
highlight long term / short term causes, choice of the most important
cause, etc. at the same time as emphasising the variety of causes that
contribute to a particular outcome. Further evidence of understanding would
come with the marking of the written work, where pupils give their reasons
for Henry’s victory. More evidence of understanding of the generic
features of the concept could come later when pupils, without prompting,
are asked to explain why Henry V11 was able to hand over, on his death, a
more peaceful and efficiently run country in 1509 than it was in 1485. Note
the difference between copying a diagram and asking pupils to explain a
diagram in their own words or use it for a piece of extended writing as a
means for providing data for assessment.
Objective 4: Assessing oral contributions.
One difficulty that can arise is when assessing whether
objectives have been attained is when pupils are making oral answers or are
involved in a class discussion. How can you ensure that all pupils
participate and have understood? This can be very difficult. However, pair
work, as recommended here, and the strategy of trying to involve as many
pupils as possible, can help. Similarly not allowing some pupils to
dominate and nominating pupils, once you know the class, will also increase
the numbers involved. Even then you have to make a mental note of
perceptive contributions or limited understanding. You really need other
evidence to complement oral contributions.
Example B
Objective 3: Assessing group work
This objective targets KSU 4a using a range of sources.
The pupils have to produce a list and later a spray diagram. The group list
sheets will produce some data for assessment, but as the list involves
contributions from several pupils, individual assessment is difficult. A
homework activity, which asks pupils to try to add to the list / diagram
would provide further data about individuals. Some assessment data can also
be obtained by moving about the classroom, monitoring and noting individual
contributions to group work, but, as ever, take care you are assessing what
you think you are assessing i.e. historical understanding not personality
or behaviour.
Example C
Objective 3: Assessing Chronological Skills
The target here is chronology, KSU 1 and again assessment
is by group. In the feedback sessions, both during the lesson and in the
lesson conclusion, you could nominate pupils, who you think might have been
passengers in their group. Otherwise there remains a summative test.
Example D
Objectives 4 and 5: Evaluating Interpretations
Assessment here is more straightforward as you have some
written work to mark. Completion of objective 4 will show how much the
pupils rely solely on the text-book. They should be encouraged not to do
so. Where pupils discount some theories with valid comments not in the
text-book, this is a good indicator of ability. With objective 5, the
quality of the reasons for the decisions will provide very useful data for
assessment. Credit the informed sceptic and note the concluding point about
being influenced by the nature of the evidence available.
Example E
Objective 5: Assessing knowledge of physical evidence
and the concept of change.
The explanations pupils offer for the changes in building
materials could furnish some useful insight into much the pupils understand
change. A homework following this lesson and the next could ask pupils to
use all the information covered to explain the changes in housing between
the 15th and the 17th centuries under specified
sub-headings. Again, a piece of extended writing will provide the best data
for your assessment.
Consolidating an objective
A usual consequence of your assessment of how
successfully your pupils have attained the objectives will be consolidation
or reinforcement. In some situations, you may have to repeat part of a
lesson or an explanation in a later lesson. Often the key teaching points
are reiterated in the succeeding lesson. Many of the objectives dealing
with concepts, skills and values are on going and need constant
reinforcement with new content.
Marking is an important part of consolidating the
learning. It may be rather time-consuming but it is usually time well
spent. Give praise and encouragement, of course, but also indicate and
counter any misunderstandings. An interesting method of marking is to
open up a dialogue with the pupil in which you ask the pupils to read
your comments in class and to make a written response either in class or
for homework. With some (abler) pupils you might even seek to ask further
questions, requiring a response. For example, with Example E, pupils could
be asked to consider how they might tell whether a building was genuinely
16th century or ‘mock Tudor’.
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