ASSESSMENT for EMPOWERMENT Indira Vijaysimha
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ASSESSMENT FOR EMPOWERMENT Indira Vijaysimha While thinking about the topic of assessment I to be realistic in this as their claims were not recalled a story from the Ramayana as told by my challenged by Jambavan. However, in the case grandmother. Since I am recalling this story from of Hanuman, who remained silent and unsure memory, allow me at the outset to apologize to of his abilities, Jambavan was in a position to scholars of the Ramayana if the way I remember make a true assessment of his abilities and thus the story does not quite find a match in literature. empower him to undertake the daunting task of Without digressing further let me tell the story crossing the ocean. How I wish that as classroom and then follow it up with why I feel it is relevant teachers we are expected to use assessment in the context of educational assessment. solely as a tool of empowerment – following in In their search for the abducted queen Sita, a the steps of Jambavan! group of Vanaras reached the southern seashore. However, most of us use assessment unthinkingly Across the sea was Sri Lanka, and in order to find since it has become a naturalized and inevitable Sita the sea had to be crossed. Gazing on the vast part of teaching. More often than not assessments expanse of water, the Vanaras considered the are also used to evaluate students and grade possibility of leaping over the waters. Members of them or sort them as being more able or less the Vanara group began to estimate their ability able in some given domains or some set of skills. to undertake the task at hand. Some of them said In common parlance, assessment and evaluation they could leap quarter the distance and others are used synonymously indicating our general said they could manage half the distance. Angad, tendency as teachers to categorize students and the Vanara crown prince then stepped forward label them. On many occasions the larger system and boldly declared that he would be able to leap requires teachers to do this and to clearly tell right across, but would not have the strength to other stakeholders – parents, school boards, return. As the Vanaras stood uncertain of their employers about the extent to which some next course of action, their wise old advisor, desired knowledge or skill has been acquired by Jambavan spoke to Hanuman and told him that the pupils. A range of assessment and evaluation he alone had the capacity to leap the ocean tools are routinely used by teachers and, although and also return with news about Sita. Hanuman they are designed to test performance in specific proved equal to the task and many further events areas the reports about these performances unfolded before Sita was brought back. connote other meanings as well. To my mind, this small sub-plot within the epic Students themselves tend to read a great tale of Ramayana, can be seen as an example deal more than warranted into performance of how a wise use of assessment can serve as a assessment which is usually reported in the form tool for empowerment. The individual Vanaras of marks or grades. They tell themselves things were seriously engaged in self-assessment of like, “I am not good at mathematics!” instead of their capacities and in general they seemed something like, “ I don’t seem to have understood Section A 01 how to calculate compound interest” or , “ I am assessment about a students’ work. I am acutely the best in English”, instead of “How could I make aware that it is quite possible that someone my essay interesting enough for my classmates else may have assessed differently. I find myself to want to read it.” or “I know all about this topic picking up students’ work and assessing it again in science”, instead of, “This is really interesting! a second time and feel vastly relieved that I I wonder if this is how it would work in….” The have awarded the same grade this time too. broad general conclusions that they draw from How would the student assess her own work? their test/exam grades are usually not focused Would she agree with my assessment? These are or specific enough for them to take realistic questions that rise up as I plod steadily through actions to enhance their learning or improve end semester correction work – a painful and their abilities in desired directions. Surprisingly inevitable part of every teacher’s life I suppose. teachers often come to similar conclusions about I envy Jambavan for in my mind’s eye I see him students based on test performances. This leads indulgently looking on as the brave Vanaras self- to students being labeled as high or low achievers assessed their individual abilities. Next I see him according to perceptions that have little objective patiently helping Hanuman to arrive at a realistic basis. and empowering assessment of his enormous There is a fair amount or evidence from research capability. How happy the outcome! All the suggesting that an emphasis on letter or number Vanaras surely cheered as Hanuman leaped grades to assess students is counterproductive. across the ocean. Firstly, research indicates that “grade orientation” Yet, in the classroom I become aware of the and “learning orientation” tend to pull in opposite tensions that assessment creates, even if it isn’t directions and that students may end up using meant to stratify students. Students seem to various shortcuts in order to get high grades become distrustful of the teacher or even worse of instead of focusing on genuine learning. Secondly, their own abilities when they receive a low grade. grades tend to reduce students’ preference for “It’s only this little essay/assignment/exam! It is challenging tasks and thirdly, grades tend to not a comment on anything else. You are just as reduce creativity. precious and valuable and wonderful as a person There are more problems with grades – this regardless of this stupid grade!” This is what I time in terms of the reliability and validity of feel like telling the students and sometimes do the grades awarded by teachers in the course tell them that. Grades create tensions between of their classroom teaching. I worry all the time students too and then I feel like saying, “Hey, about the fairness with which I grade student listen the purpose of learning is far greater than work. No matter how much time I spend devising grades. Surely you can learn more from each an “objective” set of criteria for grading, it other by cooperating instead of competing.” ultimately boils down to my interpretation and Sometimes I think students understand this and subjective response to what the student has at other times I think they get too focused on the written. On the other hand a strictly objective grades and that diminishes their joy of learning. type question paper does not allow me as a Another difference between what Jambavan did teacher to gauge the depth and quality of the and what we teachers often do comes to mind. students’ engagement with ideas and their ability Jambavan did not assess performance – there to persuade me of their point of view. Unlike, the had not been any leaping exam for him to do wise Jambavan, I am never completely sure of my that. Instead he assessed competence, based 02 Learning Curve, August 2013 on his observations and interactions with the that information. Rather, possibilities for Vanara braves. When the time came he used his more meaningful and constructive forms of assessment to enable and empower, not to dis- assessment open up. These include narratives hearten and de-motivate. (written comments), portfolios (carefully chosen Basil Bernstein, one of the most powerful collections of students’ writings and projects that theorizers about education distinguished demonstrate their interests, achievement, and between what he called the ‘performance’ improvement over time), student-led parent- and the ‘competence’ models of pedagogy. teacher conferences, exhibitions and other In the performance model the focus is on the opportunities for students to show what they can specialization of subjects and skills and learning do. If I remember my grandmother’s telling of the is structured in terms of selection, sequence Ramayana correctly, she told us that Jambavan and pace. The learner’s performance is graded spoke to Hanuman about his past adventures and stratified and evaluation is product based and exploits and thus was able to provide an with emphasis on what is missing in the product. authentic assessment of his competence in a way The pedagogy in the competence model is more that built Hanuman’s self-confidence. learner focused, taking into account existing Am I using the story to conclude that we should competences and prior experience and learning go back to some ancient, mythical practices? I is based on enquiry through projects, a range assure that I am not advocating for any such thing of experiences, and sharing of experiences. – the story serves as a convenient peg from which Evaluation is process based, with the emphasis to hang some important ideas about education on the learner’s progress. and assessment. Stories have a curious power to As already mentioned research evidence serve as productive metaphors, but that is the clearly points us away from the type of grading subject for another essay to be written some and assessment practices associated with the other time! performance model. In the Indian context, the NCF 2005 advocates a shift away from the performance model and towards the competence model as does the RTE act which talks of child- “It’s only this little essay/ centered pedagogy.