Multiplication and Division Pre-Test & Ability Grouping
Standard 5 - Assess, provide feedback and report on student learning
Standard 5.1.1 - Assess student learning
Standard 5.4.1 - Interpret student data
Demonstrate the capacity to interpret student assessment data to evaluate student learning and modify teaching practice.
Shown below is a Diagnostic Assessment that was created for a Multiplication and Division unit of work. As we had no knowledge of the students strengths, weaknesses or knowledge on this topic, we thought it was appropriate to create a diagnostic assessment as it would help us plan what to teach and how to teach it. (ACT Education, 2016) This assessment strategy allowed us to assess the students learning at the beginning of the unit on the topic of Multiplication and Division.
After the students sat the diagnostic assessment, we interpreted the student assessment data to determine the students’ prior knowledge of this topic. Whilst marking, we decided to create three different groups. The first group ‘Circles’, were the students who excelled in the diagnostic assessment. The second group ‘Triangles’, were the students who had a grasp of the questions but needed some explicit instruction to build upon their knowledge. The third group ‘Squares’, were the students who struggled and needed heavy explicit instructions to learn the content.
By sorting out these assessments into the three groups, we were able to evaluate students learning and gain an understanding of the ranges of marks. As the range of the marks were quite significant, we decided to modify our teaching practice. Instead of teaching the exact same content to all the students, we created three versions of a lesson, with each group learning the same content at the same time. (See below). However, as the higher group learnt at a much faster rate, we provided those students with harder equations to solve. As for the lowest group, they were given more face-to-face time with their teacher, simpler equations to solve and manipulatives to assist them.
I believed that this worked immensely well, as I saw the students confidently working collaboratively. I will definitely be implementing diagnostic assessments and ability grouping into my future teaching, as they assisted me in learning more about the students and their strengths and weaknesses in the topic of Multiplication and Division. (332 words).
