Research Summary of Assessment for Learning
This report looks at the research and literature on formative assessment/assessment for learning.
The use of effective feedback in the classroom has been shown to have a high impact on learning outcomes for a very low cost. Since the terms ‘assessment for learning’ and ‘formative assessment’ were coined in the late 1960s, there have been many different approaches to classroom implementation. This report examines the wealth of literature on the subject. It brings together sixteen articles, provides a precis of each one, and separates them into two sections – a review of generic research applicable to all subject areas of teaching, and research specifically focussing on assessment for learning in language teaching.
The general research section opens with the comprehensive survey by Paul Black and Dylan Wiliam, and the literature demonstrates that ‘attention to formative assessment can lead to significant learning gains’ (page 5).
The second section considers assessment for learning through the lens of language learning, and the third section collates articles, reports, journal special editions and useful websites to suggest materials for further reading and research.
