Self-Assessment - 15-min Teacher Guide

This 15-minute guide serves as both a theoretical foundation and a practical toolkit for teachers looking to develop self-assessment in their classrooms. It provides a solid understanding of the concept and offers actionable strategies to implement it effectively.

1. Purpose and Context:

   • This is a 15-minute teacher guide focusing on Self-Assessment, which is one of eight key Evidence-Based Learning (EBL) skills.
   • It’s designed to help teachers understand and implement self-assessment strategies in their classrooms.

2. Benefits of Self-Assessment:

   • Increases student motivation and engagement
   • Improves understanding of material
   • Develops metacognitive skills
   • Promotes lifelong learning
   • Reduces teacher workload by sharing feedback responsibilities
   • Enhances students’ ability to become independent learners

3. Key Components of Self-Assessment:

   • Students monitor and evaluate their own thinking and learning
   • Students identify strategies to improve their understanding and skills
   • Involves reflective activities
   • Helps students develop criteria for evaluating their work

4. Implementation Strategies:

   • Teach students to ask key questions about their learning (e.g., “Where am I now?”, “Where am I trying to go?”)
   • Use rubrics to provide clear criteria for self-assessment
   • Create a classroom culture where mistakes are viewed as learning opportunities
   • Implement self-assessment during the learning process, not just at the end
   • Combine self-assessment with peer assessment for better results

5. Connection to Other Skills:

   • Self-assessment is closely linked to metacognition and self-regulation
   • It’s a stepping stone towards developing 21st-century skills like creative thinking, critical thinking, and problem-solving

6. Research Support:

   • The guide includes numerous research-based quotes and findings to support the use of self-assessment
   • This research could be used for teacher professional development

7. Practical Considerations:

   • Self-assessment requires practice and guidance from teachers
   • It should be implemented gradually, with clear instructions and opportunities for students to apply and refine their self-assessment skills

By incorporating these self-assessment strategies, teachers can help their students become more self-aware, motivated, and effective learners. This guide provides a solid foundation for understanding the importance of self-assessment and offers practical ways to integrate it into classroom practice.