Co-construction and/or co-creation   (Janet)

Observations in Hong Kong

s   Hong Kong teachers’ assessment literacy has been heightened in the past years.  Yet, more needs to be done to help them set better assessment tasks so that students’ learning can be appropriately assessed.

Inquiry points derived

What professional and/or on-job training is provided to teachers to enhance their assessment literacy?  Are there any measures in place to ensure sustainable development of teachers’ assessment literacy, e.g. forming teacher network for continuous professional sharing?

Learning points

s   It was noticed that co-construction and/or co-creation is a fundamental values in the education system in the province of Ontario.

System level

s   The curriculum in Ontario is not a top-down initiative which solely serves the policy instrument function.  Rather, it was the product of co-construction between political party and schools.

Functions of Curriculum Guidelines

Source : OSIE

School and teacher level

s   Before becoming superintendents and principals, they usually have background as frontline teachers.  This allowed them to have deeper understanding of the industry and hence be able to exercise their professional judgments in driving school improvements more effectively.  After being such senior personnels in the school system, they do not isolate themselves from the frontline teachers.  Instead, they learn with teachers together.

s   It is also a merit to have APs to conduct professional exchanges with TPs in the system so they worked jointly to generate new knowledge about effective teaching :

A cycle of learning – collaboration between Aps and TPs

Source : Ministry of Education of Ontario

Student learning

s   Ample examples of teachers co-constructing success criteria with students were observed during our school visits:

The P2 class English teacher co-constructed success criteria

of letter writing task using probing questions at Clinton Street Public School

Example in English learning at Orchard Park Primary School

 

Example in Science and Art learning at Chris Hadfield Primary School

Example of whole-school approach in co-constructing criteria with students
at Lester B. Pearson High School

 

Facilitating factors for the co-construction of success criteria

A strong emphasis on development of students’ thinking abilities, e.g. planning skills, processing skills and critical / creative thinking processes, is seen as an important step to equip students with better readiness for intellectual processing and metacognition which in turn enables them to co-construct success criteria with teachers and peers.

System level

Thinking has been made one of the four key aspects of reporting in the Achievement Chart for Arts (Grades 1-8), Science and Technology (Grades 1-8) and English (Grades 9-12).  The Achievement Chart outlines the indicators for different standards of performance in different key areas.

The Achievement Chart for English : Grades 9-12

Source : Growing Success

Teacher level

To equip teachers with the ability to guide their students to think and reflect in greater depth and a more efficient manner, measures are adopted to help teachers build their capacity in questioning and feedback, effective coaching, etc.

(a) 5-day professional training programmes for Assessment Partners (APs)

Source : OMoE

(b) Online video library for teachers’ access on various topics, including:

- Planning Assessment with Instruction

- Learning Goals and Success Criteria

- Questioning

- Descriptive Feedback

- Self-Assessment 

Video library on questioning

Source : http://www.edugains.ca/newsite/aer2/index.html

Video library on descriptive feedback

Source : http://www.edugains.ca/newsite/aer2/index.html

Classroom level

1.  Thought-provoking questions are used to guide students’ thinking process

-  Example ONE

The Five Finger Method to guide students to choose an appropriate book

Source : Orchard Park Public School

-  Example TWO

The Question Generator that develops 36 types of critical and creative thinking

Source : Chris Hadfield Public School

    -  Example THREE

Use of questions to guide thinking

Source : Orchard Park Public School

2.  Abstract ideas are translated into student-friendly observable behavioural indicators

-  Example ONE

Observable success criteria co-constructed in class

Source : Clinton Street Public School

-          Example TWO

Listing of student behaviour that demonstrate the desirable qualities

for specific task

Source: Orchard Park Public School

-          Example THREE

(a)   Defining what descriptive feedback looks like and how it can be given

(b) Teacher’s modeling of how to give descriptive feedback

(c) Student application and use of descriptive feedback in a P2 class (gifted class)

Source : Chris Hadfield Public School

-  Example FOUR

A unit template that outlines observable indicators of students’ behaviour that demonstrate learning of certain thinking skills

Source : Lester B. Pearson High School

3.             Teachers’ firm belief that student learning can be tracked using an evidence-based approach

Justification of effective learning and teaching strategy

using an evidence-based approach

Source : Orchard Park Public School