Students Speak — Assessment
At Future Design School, we leverage a user-centered approach to solving big problems in the world around us. This means that we work to develop a deep level of empathy for our users by seeking to better understand their unmet needs and motivations in relation to a problem.
As you may or may not know, we’re working to transform education so that students are better equipped with the skills they’ll need to be successful no matter what path they choose to pursue in life. We believe that by helping students develop these skills, they will be creative, optimistic, resourceful problem solvers. Just what we need in the world today!
How might we begin to develop this deep level of empathy? It starts by listening to students. When we empower them to tell their stories, we better understand all the factors that play into their educational experiences and can better work to meet their needs. That’s why we’re starting Students Speak!
Students Speak! Is a collection of posts dedicated to giving students an opportunity to powerfully share their experiences in an effort for us all to understand their needs deeply..
We’re calling all educators to take the time to listen to what students are saying, and consider sharing the amazing insights you gain along the way.
Students, we’re opening up the lines of communication for you. Have a powerful story to share about your education experience? We want to hear it! We know that it’s the only way to truly identify new and innovative ways to make education even better.
And now, our first Student Speaks! post, a grade 6 student shares his experiences around assessment in a speech that he wrote:
Hi — today I’d like to talk to you about why tests are bad and should not be used in schools AT ALL! I think tests are bad because they cause a lot of stress and don’t actually show your teachers what you are capable of.
When people have tests all they do is study because they are worried that if they fail their parents will get really mad. Tests could also cause stress because some people will be too busy studying when they have a test and that’s not healthy because they may miss meals.
Tests are useless because a lot of people think that if you do bad on a test you will never get a good job or go to a good high school. In reality, if you do bad on one test it’s not the end of the world.
A lot of people think that standardized tests are so important. If you think about it they are really useless, as all they are really testing is the teachers, but maybe the teacher is doing everything right and their students are not the best kids at doing tests. The Ontario Ministry of Education would think badly of the teacher when they get the test scores even though the teacher could actually be an amazing teacher.
School can cause a lot of anxiety and other mental health issues and tests are one of the reasons that may cause people to get anxiety issues. If I was a teacher, I would give the kids tests when they didn’t know it was a test. I would give them work, like a worksheet, and never give them back the mark, but just tell them what they need to improve on. I understand that teachers need to get marks to see how kids are doing, but tests seem to me to just be too anxiety causing.
Also, sometimes people will spend hours and hours studying for a test and once the test is done they forget everything they ever did, so it is really useless to spend all those hours and have so much stress and then you forget everything that you learn.
Tests are also bad because they take away time from being outside, socializing and playing — and when you have a test you are stuck inside memorizing worksheets instead of enjoying your life.
I think the school boards in Ontario should try for one year to have no tests at all and then see at the end of the year if the kids were any better or worse. What you might see is happier kids coming to school, less stressed kids, more time outside and kids that are more interested in learning and less worried about their marks.
I think the students should start a club where they give ideas to teachers and principals about what they think would make learning better, because the teachers would then know what kids are feeling and this would also make kids more interested in learning.
I’m pretty sure most kids don’t think they learn much from taking tests but maybe they could come up with other ideas for how to figure out if they are doing fine in school. For example, they could do more projects to see what kids are learning. For example, kids could make a board game about their favourite subject in school and they would be learning new stuff while doing something fun.
I think we should make it no test March at Ledbury.
I hope this speech convinced you that tests are not necessary and there are many options besides tests that teachers and principals should seriously consider in order to help kids do better in school.
Wow! This piece gave me the chills. Already at such a young age, this student is thinking about ways in which to tackle assessment and student-well being. More importantly, he understands that it starts with taking the time to actually listen to the needs of students. Not only is he sharing his feelings towards tests but he’s actually offering great ideas for potential solutions and sharing the impact this can have on millions of students.
His speech got me thinking about the following points that I’ll dig into for this piece:
- Choice in assessment
- Student mental health and wellbeing
- The value of feedback
- The big picture
Choice in Assessment
When I think about good assessment practices, I can’t help but think of the triangulation of evidence. That is where product, conversation and observation are all seen as equally important when we are looking to better understand what students know, understand and do. As this student so eloquently put it in his speech, tests are just one way to assess and they may not adequately capture what the student has learned during a course of study. When students are given choice in the way in which they demonstrate their learning, the educator is better able to assess the skills that matter most and note merely how much content the student can regurgitate. I hear this student saying that there are a variety of ways in which this can be done if and when we are open to diversifying our assessments to include the voice and choice of students.
Student Mental Health and Wellbeing
What we choose to assess matters to students. The culture we create around assessment has an impact on their mental health and wellbeing. If there is fear associated with failure and not failing is the focus, students pick that up rather than thinking of “fail” as being the first attempt in learning. This piece reminds me of the balance that we are all so eager to achieve in life. How do we empower students to also value the learning that happens outside of the classroom when they are participating in sports or even in free-play after school? Those skills and that balance in life is essential to their success. It also reminds me of the no-homework policy that I had in my classroom. Whenever parents asked for it, I would share with them a list of activities that they could do with their child at home that would work to develop their collaboration and communication skills, along with problem solving. How are we doing in valuing the mental health and wellbeing of our students? Where is the emphasis being placed? What culture are we creating in our classrooms and schools? What message are they receiving?
The Value of Feedback
I love this student’s idea of “stealth tests”! Ones in which students don’t necessarily know it’s a test but they just have the opportunity to walk you through what they know giving you opportunities to provide feedback on what to improve on in a timely manner. Students can then take this and continue on the learning journey rather than thinking that the test is the final opportunity to show what you know. Don’t get me wrong, I think students need to know how and when they are being assessed but I love that the focus is on understanding where they are at in their learning and determining next steps. This is powerful. I know that there is often a focus on assessment of learning, but I hear this student saying that assessment as learning is really where there is a greater opportunity for students to deepen learning. Again, it’s about mastery of skill and actionable growth based on feedback rather than memorization and regurgitation.
The Big Picture
Ultimately if we are looking to create a shift in education, we need to be listening to students and this student captured that beautifully in his idea of creating a club for stakeholders to actually stop and listen before thinking they have all the answers. He understands the big picture and the implications of pushing ahead with ideas or initiatives without truly listening to those whom we wish to serve. We’re on a mission of developing deep empathy for kids.
How might we listen more deeply to what our students are saying? Find out how to leverage user-centered design by bringing us to your school and uncover new opportunities for deeper and more meaningful student learning.
Future Design School enables schools through professional development, comprehensive curriculum & strategic support. Talk to us about how we can bring future-ready assessment to your school at: team@futuredesignschool.com
