Wood-Wallace, d (2016) ‘The Role of Assessment in Teaching and Learning’

b) The role of Closing the Gaps (CTGs) in marking:

Another way I have formatively assessed pupils is through marking their work and providing feedback to ‘develop and improve learning’ (Scriven, (1967). Within both my base school and my second school I have employed the school’s marking policy when assessing pupils’ work (appendix A1, A4b, A6c, A7, A10a-b) in order to praise strengths, identify weakness and provide suggestions to move the learning on. Closing the Gaps (CTGs) form part of this marking policy. Identified as a key aim in the new primary national curriculum (NCTL, 2014), the literature advocates that CTGs are an effective way to feedback to students and ensure conceptual understanding is reached (Sherrington, 2012, Fletcher-Wood 2013, Hildrew, 2014). Simply put, ‘closing the gap means acting on feedback’ (Sherrington, 2012: 1). Directly linking to the learning objectives and success criteria given to pupils (appendix 7a), CTGs within my base school are used for 3 reasons: to consolidate existing learning (appendix 1b), to move learning on to the next step (appendix 1b), or to embed reasoning into learning (appendix 1a, 4a) (NCETM, 2014). Personalised CTGs are given during marking for pupils to action at the start of the next lesson. Implementing this approach contributes to teaching and learning as it re-loops learning but at a deeper level (C4EO, 2011), its personalised approach impacting and promoting the progress of all students (DCSF, 2008). Embedding GTCs within marking clearly embodies 1, 2, 5 and 6 of the Teachers’ Standards (see Self-Assessment of Standards Grid), as it allows the feedback given to scaffold learning (Wiliam, 2011).

c) Higher Order Questioning (HOQ):

A third technique I have incorporated into my practice to formatively assess learning is higher order questioning (HOQ) (appendix 1a, 2b, 4c, 10a). It is argued

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within the literature that HOQ is an effective strategy to accelerate progress and attainment as it ‘promotes deeper levels of learning’ and ‘encourages critical thinking’ (Bloom et al, 1956, Milton, 1982, Stark et al., 1990). Some theorists go as
far as to say that the level of student thinking in the classroom is directly proportional to the level of questions asked (Clasen and Bonk, 1990). Implementing this strategy is useful as the teacher can differentiate HOQs to assess the needs of individual pupils, having the impact that teachers can then alter planning or target support based on this. This promotes good progress by all students and communicates a more personalised approach to learning (DCSF, 2008). Within both my base school and second school I have used HOQ orally within the lesson (appendix 2b, 4c) and also within marking feedback (appendix 1a, 4b, 10a) in order to assess how much students conceptually understand, whether misconceptions have formed, and where the gaps in knowledge are. Additionally, I have also posed HOQs in order consolidate learning, move the learning on or to encourage pupils to reason. HOQ contributes to teaching and learning as it allows the teacher to assess students using an informal approach then use the responses to take learning to the next level (Clasen and Bonk, 1990). This strategy directly links to 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 of the Teachers’ Standards (see Self-Assessment of Standards Grid) as it productively uses assessment in order to promote good progress and outcomes by pupils.