Features of Assessment for Learning:

1. Formative: Assessment for learning is ongoing and formative in nature, which means it is used to gather information about students’ current knowledge, skills, and understanding to guide instruction and provide feedback to improve learning.
2. Diagnostic: Assessment for learning involves diagnosing students’ strengths and weaknesses to identify areas that require further support or intervention. It helps teachers understand what students already know and can do, and what they need to learn next.
3. Varied Methods: Assessment for learning uses a variety of methods such as observations, conversations, self-assessment, peer assessment, and formative assessments like quizzes, exit tickets, and informal assessments to collect data on students’ learning progress.
4. Focus on Improvement: Assessment for learning focuses on helping students improve their learning by providing timely and specific feedback. It emphasizes the use of feedback and goal-setting to motivate students, build self-regulation skills, and foster a growth mindset.
5. Involvement of Students: Assessment for learning encourages students to be actively involved in the assessment process, enabling them to reflect on their learning, set goals, and monitor their progress. It promotes student ownership of learning and fosters metacognitive skills.

Features for Assessment as Learning:

1. Self-Regulation: Assessment as learning emphasizes self-regulation, as students learn to assess their own learning progress, set goals, and reflect on their performance. It helps students develop metacognitive skills, such as self-assessment and self-reflection.
2. Reflection: Assessment as learning encourages students to reflect on their learning process, strengths, and areas for improvement. It promotes critical thinking skills, self-awareness, and self-directed learning, as students become active participants in their own learning journey.
3. Authenticity: Assessment as learning emphasizes authentic tasks and assessments that reflect real-world contexts and challenges. It encourages students to apply their learning to authentic situations, fostering transferable skills and deep understanding.
4. Collaboration: Assessment as learning often involves collaborative activities, such as peer assessment, group projects, and peer feedback, which foster teamwork, communication skills, and social interaction among students.
5. Goal-Setting: Assessment as learning involves setting goals, both short-term and long-term, which helps students develop a sense of purpose and motivation to achieve their learning objectives. It promotes student agency and autonomy in the learning process.

Features for Assessment of Learning:

1. Summative: Assessment of learning is typically conducted at the end of a unit, course, or program to measure students’ overall achievement or performance. It is often used for grading, ranking, and certification purposes.
2. Standards-Based: Assessment of learning is often aligned with standards or learning outcomes, which are predefined criteria or benchmarks that students are expected to meet. It focuses on measuring the extent to which students have achieved these standards or learning outcomes.
3. Evaluation: Assessment of learning involves evaluating students’ performance against predetermined criteria, often using standardized tests, exams, projects, or other formal assessments. It aims to provide an overall judgment of students’ learning outcomes and may involve assigning grades or scores.
4. Accountability: Assessment of learning is often used for accountability purposes, such as evaluating the effectiveness of educational programs, comparing students’ performance across schools or districts, and measuring student and teacher performance against external standards or benchmarks.
5. Feedback: Assessment of learning may also include feedback to students on their performance, but it is typically provided after the assessment has been completed, and its primary purpose is to inform students of their achievement rather than to guide their learning during the process.

It’s important to note that these three types of assessment are not mutually exclusive and can be used in combination to support effective teaching and learning. The key is to use assessment practices that align with the intended learning outcomes, provide meaningful feedback, and promote student engagement