14
September Tuesday
14
September Tuesday

Schools2030’s Approach to Assessments – UKFIET Symposium 2021

Time

10:00 am – 11:30 am

UKFIET Symposium 2021: Schools2030 Approach to Assessments: Rebalancing power dynamics and reconceptualising ‘rigour’ in measuring learning

In the Schools2030 approach to assessment, teachers sit at the centre of a process of deciding what is important in their classroom, how it can most usefully be measured, and how the results of the measurements can be used to design solutions for their classes. Putting this into practice involved rethinking what is meant by rigour in educational assessment, its role in participatory learning improvement and who should hold the power to decide what should be measured, and how we should measure it.

We will host a symposium which is both global and interactive. A mixture of short talks and interactive sessions will take participants through the insights generated on assessment from the design and first year of Schools2030 implementation. This is intended to generate discussion and insights into how Schools2030’s approach to assessment can change paradigms and power dynamics on measurement and research in education. The symposium will be chaired by Dr Caine Rolleston, of University College London, who will act as discussant for the final discussion.

Introduction
Dr Bronwen Magrath, Global Programme Coordinator for Schools2030, will introduce the programme and the purpose of the symposium. This introduction will highlight Schools2030’s vision to shift perceptions and power structures, empowering teachers and amplifying their understanding of necessary change.

Assessment in Schools2030
Dr Rachel Outhred, Managing Director of Oxford MeasurEd, Schools2030’s global assessment partner, will introduce the approach to assessment. This talk will highlight the radical rethinking of what rigour means in assessment in Schools2030. Emphasising the centrality of context in high-quality measurement instruments, Rachel will focus on the value of using iteration between stakeholders in the development of assessments. In closing, she will explore on what it means to respect children and young learners as stakeholders with ‘skin in the game’ when developing and implementing assessments.

Power dynamics in what gets measured
Arjun Sanyal, Senior Education Officer for Aga Khan Foundation/Schools2030 India will talk through the process of bringing together a range of stakeholders, including policy makers, learners, parents and teachers, to prioritise what gets measured by defining the programmes holistic learning domains. This talk will focus on what was learned by this process, and what it can tell us about inclusive dialogue around what is important in improving learning outcomes.

Practical Activity: Defining What is Important
Facilitated by Oxford MeasurEd, this activity will use Mentimeter to allow for interactive audience engagement. The facilitator will lead participants through a group reflection on:
1. How their engagement with the education sector influences their perception of learning
2. How they perceive the interconnectedness of academic and non-academic learning
3. How this understanding shapes their perception of both teaching and measurement of learning.
Using Mentimeter will allow for live responses to create visualisations to support reflection.

Defining What gets measured – Perspectives from Uganda
This portion will feature a dialogue between two individuals involved in defining the targeted learning domains in Uganda. Brenda Nagayyi a classroom teacher and Emily Tusiime, the Schools2030 Assessment Lead for East Africa will reflect how varying perspectives and priorities were balanced to define what is to be measured in Uganda.

Discussion
Discussant, Dr Caine Rolleston (University College London), will lead a discussion on Schools2030’s approach to assessment, and its potential to shift the balance of power from the global to the local, and its potential to empower teachers to describe their classrooms in their own terms using bottom-up assessment tools. This will be an opportunity to discuss opportunities, risks and areas to watch for the Schools2030 assessment approach.

For more details on the UKFIET 2021, and to register to attend, please visit the UKFIET 2021 Conference site.

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POST EVENT: Listen to the podcast and read about the UKFIET Symposium event