New Assessment Strategies - The magic of feedback

MOOC: https://www.pok.polimi.it/courses/course-v1:Polimi+ASS101+2021_M5/about

Skills:
Soft skills: Social competences, Leadership, Creativity
Tools: New technologies
Students’ activating: Active learning
Students’ support: Tutoring, Mentoring
Methodological competences: Problem based learning, Project based learning, Design thinking, System thinking
Innovation
Professional responsibility,
Critical thinking,
Organization of learning

Description:
Many times in students’ lives assessment is synonym of stressful experience, and connecting “learning” with “stress” means making it an awful experience after all, which compromises long term memory of what you have learned. Neuroscientific research proved it already; positive motivation, on the contrary, promote a qualitative improvement of the brain circuitry involved in memory and executive functions.
Superior learning happens in classroom experiences relevant to students’ lives, interests and experiences. So: what if we moved the assessment within the learning path? We could transform it in a check-in to see if learning is there, otherwise we could give feedback and support students to get back on track. A question or an exercise, every once in a while, does not interrupt the learning flux but supports it in keeping the right direction, toward the achievement of the learning outcomes. After that learning will be already there, it’s only a matter of its measurement.