COULD HUMANS LIVE IN SPACE?

Making sure that there is a balance of both formative and summative assessment is important in order to inform and improve student work, as well as lessens the burden of taking in everything for marks. Having a balance of assessment also allows students to feel more at ease, knowing that they are able to make mistakes without large consequences that may affect their grades, since we know that many students struggle with this. Furthermore, making sure to take into account the different learner needs of students can help challenge students at a level that is appropriate to them. It also crucial to remember to be both constructive and positive when giving feedback, as improving assessment and feedback maximizes student achievement (Stiggins, 2002).

Engaged learning by students occur when engaging teaching practices and strong assessment practices are present (Jacobsen, Lock, & Friesen, 2013). High and clear expectations of students’ work and deliberately choosing learning activities, curriculum content and assessment that showcase student learning is important, as noted by the OECD (2017). Ensuring that there is ongoing assessment and constant, descriptive feedback shows students the importance of their learning, as well as better informs it by reflecting on teacher responses (Friesen et al., 2015).