Assessment in SESE

Assessment: an integral part of teaching and learning

The assessment of children's learning is an essential and on-going part of the teaching and learning process in SESE: in some form it will be a part of every lesson in geography, history and science. Teachers are constantly making judgements about their pupils' learning as they plan how to introduce and develop topics, concepts and skills, consolidate earlier lessons, assess the progress of individual pupils, identify difficulties, and praise and encourage learners.

Assessment enhances the teacher's awareness of each individual's learning, provides accurate information about the child's understanding and skills, and creates a picture of the child's holistic development throughout the broad range of curricular areas. It provides the basis for decisions about the pupil's further learning needs, assists in planning better educational experiences and is a natural element of a progressive child-centred curriculum.

Roles of assessment: why assess in SESE?

Assessment enhances teaching and learning in a number of ways. Primarily, assessment in SESE, as in other areas of the curriculum, should assist in planning and supporting future learning for the child. Assessment should indicate the positive achievements of each pupil as he/she is engaged in the study of geographical, historical and scientific topics and should indicate possible areas of development in the child's learning. Used in this way, assessment plays a constructive, formative role in the child's education. Information gained about the child's learning will be used primarily by the teacher but assessment will also involve the pupil in self-evaluation and in the setting of personal learning targets.

Assessment will also indicate areas of learning difficulty encountered by the child. The learning difficulties identified in SESE may include weaknesses in the child's understanding, gaps in his/her knowledge or a lack of certain skills. As assessment fulfils this diagnostic role it should help the teacher to identify approaches or learning experiences which would help to improve the child's learning. At times learning difficulties may be identified in one aspect of the child's geographical, historical or scientific development but on other occasions a weakness encountered in one area of SESE will reveal information about the child's learning in the other SESE curricula. Many teaching and learning experiences in geography, history and science draw on and use a wide range of skills and concepts so SESE may also provide valuable opportunities to gain evidence of a child's progress in areas such as mathematics, language and social development.

Assessment should provide an indication of the child's overall achievement in a systematic way at regular intervals. Assessment may be used to fulfil this summative role when teachers seek to establish the outcomes of learning following completion of a unit of work or when they report to audiences beyond the child, for example when they communicate with parents or other teachers about the child's progress.

Assessment can also help the teacher to evaluate the suitability of the SESE programme selected by the teacher and school for a particular agegroup, and can assist the teacher in assessing the effectiveness of the educational resources, methodologies and approaches deployed. Used in this evaluative role, assessment can help to identify how the learning experience could be improved for the child.

Assessment in geography

Assessment and the nature of geography: what should be assessed?

In geography children will learn about the Earth, its inhabitants and environment and the interrelationships between them. They will explore and become familiar with the lives of people in various environments and the links these have with the natural and human features to be found in these places. They will also come to appreciate how natural and human processes have helped to create or change environments. Learning in geography involves the acquisition of knowledge about environments and at the same time the development of geographical skills and the cultivation of important attitudes and values. Valid assessment in geography therefore must attempt to measure the child's achievements and progress in all these aspects of learning.

Strands and strand units

The geography curriculum is arranged in a number of strands and strand units. These outline the knowledge are as of the curriculum and indicate how appropriate skills may be developed as work on the units is completed. The range of geographical features, processes and environments to be explored and the depth of treatment expected in each strand is indicated by a progressive development and expansion in the strand units as the child progresses from one class level to another. The section on Classroom planning in the teacher guidelines illustra tes how the strand units may be incorpora ted into schemes and units of work. The knowledge aspects of these units of work will be one important dimension of assessment in geography.

The curriculum makes it clear that much of the work in the infants to second class curriculum may be delivered through integrated themes and topics, and assessment should be sufficiently flexible to accommodate this pedagogical approach. Assessment techniques will also have to take cognisance of the varied range of environments which may be used as the basis of geographical work in the middle and senior classes, and the criteria which should inform the planning of a broad and balanced geography curriculum.

The flexibility offered by the curriculum and the requirement that the child studies elements from local, national and more distant environments make comprehensive planning, effective summative assessment and record-keeping essential within the school.

Geographical skills and concepts

The development and application of geographical skills and concepts is a second important dimension of valid assessment in geography. At each level in the curriculum the sections A sense of place and space, Maps, globes and graphical skills and Geographical investigation skills outline the skills and concepts which should be developed as the child engages in the observation and investigation of the environment and in the representation of spatial, locational and other geographical information in plans, maps, models and other forms. The objectives and exemplars listed under each heading in these sections are intended to indicate the degree of skill which should be expected at each level. In general, these geographical skills should not be developed in isolation but should be acquired as they become relevant in the context of work on local or other environments.

Skills, of their nature, involve process activities, so progress and achievement may not be immediately verifiable or readily recorded, especially in a skill such as observation. Children's understanding and mastery of geographical skills are demonstrated best when they are applied during the exploration and investigation of environments and the features and processes found in these places. The child will use geographical skills when working individually, but frequently the application of skills will be observed more readily in group work, class discussion and outdoor activities.

Many of the skills developed in geography, such as individual observation, estimating, measuring, predicting and analysing, will be complemented by similar skills in the science curriculum. Similarly, the child's ability to apply some skills, such as estimating, measuring, analysing, recording and communicating, may be contingent on elements of the mathematics, science and language curricula. This could also apply to the concepts of space, relative location, distance, direction and aerial perspective involved in A sense of place and space and Maps, globes and graphical skills.

If assessment is to be a valid indicator of the child's geographical skills and understanding it must seek to record and acknowledge the ability which the child demonstrates through a range of activities in varied learning situations. Assessment must involve the use of tools which can accommodate the subtleties of this learning process and assess the child's learning in the context of the environments with which he/she is familiar.

Values, attitudes and responsibilities

Assessment in geography will also be concerned with the values and attitudes which are developed in the child as he/she is engaged in the study of geographical topics. The curriculum stresses the role which geography may play in cultivating a sense of responsibility for sustaining and enhancing the environment and in fostering an appreciation of the interrelationships of all living things and their environments. Geography also cultivates open, questioning attitudes, a respect for various ethnic, cultural, religious and social groups, and an appreciation of human interdependence.

These attitudes are fostered by a balanced curriculum of geographical topics from local, national and wider environments in which the child is encouraged to apply geographical skills and concepts in an open, critical way. As in the case of skills, a child's development of these attitudes can only be gauged in the context of authentic discussions and learning situations. Assessment of the child's attitudes in geography must therefore rely strongly on the teacher's observations and his/her professional judgement of the child's approach and reaction to geographical topics and activities.

Assessment tools: how to assess

Assessment in geography must assess the child's knowledge and understanding of environmental matters, the acquisition of geographical skills and the development of attitudes. A range of assessment tools will be necessary, ranging from informal assessment techniques to more structured approaches. All the approaches used should arise naturally out of teaching and learning, and their effectiveness will be dependent on crucial teacher skills of observation, listening, interacting with the child and scrutinising the outcomes of learning tasks used in geography.

The following are among those which schools will find most useful:
teacher observation
teacher-designed tasks and tests
work samples, portfolios and projects
curriculum profiles.

It should be understood that it may not be practicable or desirable to use all these tools in every learning situation or within a particular time span.

Teacher observation

The details of the child's learning noted by the teacher in a variety of learning situations furnish some of the most important information about the child's progress. This information will be used to adjust the pace of lessons, to choose the most appropriate teaching strategies, and to identify the need for further reinforcement or appropriate extension work. Much can be gleaned from observing and noting the child's responses in a variety of situations, including:

• the responses the child makes to teacher questions and suggestions
• the participation of the child in the whole-class discussion of geographical features, processes, interactions and phenomena
• the way in which the child may identify and discuss environmental issues in a variety of environments
• the participation of the child in efforts to enhance the environment and to solve environmental problems
• the interaction of the child with others in discussions and group work
• the reaction of the child to learning materials.

Observations of children's learning in geography may be made in an incidental manner but at times the teacher may wish to assess children's progress in a more structured way. During such observation the teacher may decide to concentrate on a group of pupils rather than a whole class and observe the children's competence in a focused way. The teacher may take an active role in the proceedings by participating in the activities, talking to the child or asking questions, thereby gaining insight into the child's understanding of geographical concepts and mastery of geographical skills. The teacher may find that making a simple written note of observations can make the planning of further work for the individual, group or class more focused and systematic.

Teacher-designed tests and tasks

During work on the units of the geography curriculum, children will be engaged in a range of learning activities. Almost all these learning experiences may be used by the teacher to observe and collect evidence of children's progress as they explore geographical phenomena and processes and apply geographical skills.

Children should engage in a wide range of activities, including:

• giving oral, written or pictorial accounts and descriptions of environmental factors observed or studied
• collecting information from sources such as direct observation in the environment, interviews and books, electronic sources and the internet and other materials in the classroom and library
• observing accurately both inside and outside the classroom
• predicting outcomes of an investigation
• estimating, measuring and comparing
• analysing objects and processes
• sorting and grouping people, events and natural phenomena
• recognising patterns
• completing work cards or activity sheets which guide the child towards fulfilling particular tasks
• undertaking a range of outdoor tasks
• displaying and reporting on completed project work and on work in progress
• using elements of graphicacy
• using interactive multimedia computer programs which enable the child to explore geographical themes and topics and complete a range of tasks, puzzles or problems
• using maps and globes
• completing independent geographical research, recording and presenting the results
• completing teacher-designed revision tests on a unit or units of work
• engaging in practical environmental investigation or enhancement
• asking questions about aspects of the environment.

Teacher-designed tests and tasks that are intimately linked to the teaching and learning process may be used to assess both the child's knowledge of geographical topics and his/her ability to use geographical skills. The use of a range of tasks ensures a broad programme and encourages the child to demonstrate the fullest extent of his/her geographical understanding. The inclusion of tasks in media other than writing will enable the teacher to assess more accurately the level of geographical understanding of children with less developed literacy skills.

Work samples, portfolios and projects

Children's progress in geography may be documented and assessed over a term, a year or a longer period through the collection of a range of samples of their work in geography portfolios. Depending on the school's assessment policy, and the need to make the handling, scrutiny and storage of portfolios manageable, these may contain examples of work in progress or best samples of finished pieces together with teachers' comments.

The diverse learning activities in which the child will be engaged in the geography curriculum will provide a range of work from which samples may be selected. The inclusion of the child's efforts at map work, photographs of models constructed and areas visited, completed trail booklets, the results of project work, record sheets from experiments, computer disks and other forms of electronic storage should be considered for inclusion in the portfolio in addition to written work in copybooks and other formats.

Portfolios are particularly suited to the assessment of geography and provide positive reinforcement for the learner. The older child can be responsible for the maintenance of his/her portfolio, so gaining a pride in his/her achievements, and this can be further enhanced by encouraging the child to select his/her best samples for inclusion. Portfolios provide a simple yet effective record-keeping scheme within the school and can inform the summative assessment of the child's progress. An analysis of portfolios by the teacher can help in the evaluation of the content, methodologies and approaches which he/she has used and may facilitate the pooling of teaching and assessment experience among the school staff.

Curriculum profiles

Curriculum profiles comprise a number of indicators of achievement, i.e. short sentences which outline the range of geographical knowledge, skills and attitudes which might be expected of the child at different stages. The teacher seeks to match his/her observations of children and their work to the indicators in the profile as learning progresses or as work is completed on a unit and at other regular intervals. In this way, the profile may be used to assist the teacher in arriving at a professional judgement of the child's progress. At times sets of the indicators may be grouped, sometimes in the form of short paragraphs, so as to provide a general description of achievement at a number of particular levels. The profile may also be used to record progress as children demonstrate mastery of indicators. It may then be used to inform summative assessment and to report to parents and others.

The development of suitable geography profiles would facilitate greatly the reliable and valid assessment of the geography curriculum. The geographical skills and concepts outlined in the sections A sense of place and space, Maps, globes and graphical skills and Geographical investigation skills would provide a basis for the development of some of the indicators to be included in a geography profile, while other indicators would refer to the knowledge areas outlined in the content strands and the attitudes which are described in the aims and broad objectives of the curriculum. The close links which the strand units and skills sections of the geography curriculum have with the science curriculum should also be borne in mind.

A balanced approach to assessment in SESE

The primary aim of all assessment is to enhance the learning experiences of the child and it will be important that the assessment techniques utilised in geography and other areas of SESE should not detract from teaching time. The school's policy for geography should guide teachers in using assessment tools in a manageable and reliable way which is closely integrated with teaching and learning. The development and use of common approaches to recording teacher observations, the outcomes of learning experiences and the compilation of portfolios and curriculum profiles will facilitate a balanced and practical approach to assessment in the school.

Recording and communicating

Teacher observations, teacher-designed tasks and tests and work samples or portfolios, together with curriculum profiles and pupil profile cards, constitute a comprehensive system of assessing and recording each child's progress and achievements in the geography and wider SESE programme. The pooling and discussion of this information among the teaching staff can enable teachers to share expertise and develop a common understanding of pupil progress and assessment in SESE (a process referred to as moderation). Such co-operation can help to ensure continuity and reliability in the use of the assessment tools.

The range of assessment tools in SESE should provide essential information about the child's learning for pupils, teachers, schools, parents and other professionals and so facilitate future decisions about the child's learning.

Pupil profile card

The recording and communication of this information about the child's progress will be facilitated by the use of a pupil profile card. The pupil profile card, which may be developed for use in all primary schools, should contain a summative assessment of the child's progress in all curricular areas and of other aspects of his/her development.

The teacher's professional judgement of the child's development in geography based on the outcomes of teaching, learning and assessment throughout the year will form one aspect of the profile card. The section of the profile card for SESE should be sufficiently flexible to allow for the highly integrated nature of the area in the infant, first and second classes. As it should provide a basis for the planning of the child's future learning in another class or school it should include, or be accompanied by, information regarding the selection of geographical topics which the child has explored.

The possibilities and advantages offered by information technology in facilitating the recording, storage and transfer of pupil profile records should be explored and if possible used in the compilation of any widely used pupil profiling system.