Harnessing the power of feedback in Assessment for Learning

Assessment for Learning (AfL) originates from Black and Wiliam’s (1998) initial research into the role of formative assessment in the classroom and its positive impact on pupil achievement. However, with assessment’s ‘traditional’ connotations of testing and exams (Wiliam, in Stewart, 2012), along with the government’s increasing push for progress and “higher standards” (ARG, 1999, p.2) the original intentions of Assessment for Learning have become confused with Assessment of Learning. This is particularly evident when we consider the government’s misleading interpretation of AfL, which proposes a strategy based on summative assessment and measureable progress through national curriculum levels (DCFS, 2008). In fact, Torrance (2011) points to the potentially disastrous effects of the tension between two opposing desires: to improve current assessment practices to help enhance learning and “policy which demands for school improvement and political accountability” (Torrance, 2011, p.464)