ASSIST-ME

ASSIST-ME is a high level research project that investigates formative and summative assessment methods to support and to improve inquiry-based approaches in European science, technology and mathematics education.


PROJECT HAS ENDED

ASSIST-ME is an abbreviation for Assess Inquiry in Science, Technology and Mathematics Education.

Based on an analysis of what is known about summative and formative assessment of knowledge, skills and attitudes, the project designed a range of combined assessment methods. These methods were tested in primary and secondary schools in different educational cultures and contexts in Europe.

Summaries of the research and results are available on this page. The teachers link contains the assessment methods and the materials teachers used to assess them. Teachers and teacher educators can use these materials to assist them in transforming their current teaching and assessment practices. The researchers link contains an overview of the research questions, the research designs, and the project outcomes. Researchers can use these materials to validate and innovate assessment methods in their own contexts. The policy makers link contains the research questions, conclusions from national stakeholders about the utility of project results in various contexts.

Policy Makers

This section allows policy makers to inform decision making on curriculum design, teacher training and assessment strategies at institutional, regional and national levels taking into account relevant system characteristics and variables.

 

 

 

 

In November 2016 we had two final ASSIST-ME conferences, a conference for researchers in Copenhagen and a dissemination conference in Brussels.

The Conference for Researchers

This conference aimed at researchers was held in Copenhagen in November 2016. Each partner country had invited external researchers to get an insight into our research methods (and to engage with them via carefully planned group activities) as well as an insight into and discussions about the project outcomes, and new research directions. 

The Dissemination Conference in Brussels

The aim of the conference was to disseminate findings and formulate guidelines and recommendations for policy makers, curriculum developers, teacher trainers and other stakeholders in the different European educational systems to strengthen assessment in STEM inquiry classrooms.

Participants, ASSIST-ME Conference in Copenhagen

Participants, ASSIST-ME Conference in Copenhagen

 

 

 

Teachers

Teachers and teacher educators can develop effective combinations of formative and summative assessment in daily practice in primary and secondary schools.

ASSIST-ME research results provide suggestions for transforming common teacher formative and summative assessment practices into methods which provide greater feedback on progress for both teachers and students.

 

Below are four commonly used assessment methods, showing what the project results for each of eight European countries suggests for transforming your current teaching and assessment methods for greater feedback.


Written Feedback

ASSIST-ME suggests the following steps to increase the quality of written feedback to students:

  1. Students produce certain artefacts (lab reports, ideas for experiments, journals, mind-maps, portfolios etc. associated with the competence in focus.

  2. Teachers give feedback to the students focused on their artefacts. Written feedback is given to individual students via paper or web based platforms.

  3. Teachers' feedback is supported through specially designed templates which provide a check-list with the competence in focus for the lesson/the teaching unit and learning progressions.

  4. Upon receiving comments from the teacher, each student revises the relevant artefact, taking into account the feedback received.

Oral on-the-fly Feedback

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF METHOD

ASSIST-ME suggests the following steps to increase the quality of oral on-the-fly feedback to small groups of students:

  1. The teacher suggests an activity in order to investigate a hypothesis that emerged during a discussion.

  2. The teacher poses a question that is intended to promote students' thinking about the topic being discussed.

  3. The teacher poses clarifying questions to help students furhter articulate a seemingly valid contribution they made.

  4. The teacher takes the opportunity to use what the student said in order to conclude/provide feedback.

  5. The students express several ideas that allow the teacher to ask them to compare the ideas.

  6. The teacher gets a contribution from the students and asks for further explanation with the intent to help them evaluate and adjust their reasoning.

Peer Feedback

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF METHOD

ASSIST-ME suggests the following steps to increase the quality of student-to-student (peer-to-peer) feedback:

  1. Develop teaching and learning materials targeting relevant competencies.

  2. Before the implementation, the students should be introduced to the roles of the peer-assessor and the peer-assessee. During the implementation, the students alternate between the two roles.

  3. As part of the teaching and learning materials, student(s) submit to their peers certain artefacts they produce, associated with the competence under emphasis. These artefacts can be produced either by individual students or by groups of students.

  4. The student(s) provide feedback to their peer(s). The process of exchanging peer feedback is supported by specially designed templates, which encompass criteria for assessing the specific artefacts. These tools are developed by the teacher. In the ASSIST-ME-project, we used two specially designed templates that you can access by clicking here and here.

Structured Assessment Dialogue

ASSIST-ME suggests the following steps to increase the quality of "structured assessment dialogic feedback:

  1. Teachers develop teaching and learning materials targeting the competence in focus.

  2. The teaching plan includes a ritualized conversation (5 minutes) between one student (the student in focus) and the teacher, based on the student's preparation and the teacher's filled-in template mirroring the demands for the competence to be assessed. The teacher has prepared questions that will help mapping student attainment of learning goals in terms of learning progression.

  3. This is followed by a peer-feedback phase, where the student in focus discusses the dialogue with a group of feedback students (What would be needed in order for the student-teacher dialogue to better cover the learning goal?).

    The feedback students are instructed on guidelines for the feedback beforehand.

  4. During these two interactions, the rest of the class observes and reflects on their own understanding.

  5. In the end, all students write down reflections about their perceived level of achievement and future learning path using a student self-reflection tool.


 

 

 

 

 

Researchers

This section allows researchers to study formative and summative assessment methodologies and practices in different educational systems.

 

The ASSIST-ME project has four main research questions that sought to investigate how summative and formative assessment can be combined across various European educational contexts:

1. What are the main challenges related to the uptake of formative assessment in the daily practices in science, technology and mathematics in primary and secondary schools in different European educational systems?

1.1 In their efforts to enact innovative inquiry-based teaching sequences, how do teachers approach the need to monitor student learning as it develops? To what extent do they use structured formative assessment and in what formats?

1.2 What systemic support measures and what tools do teachers need in order to integrate fotmative assessment of student learning in their clasroom practice?

2. What changes are needed in summative assessment practices?

2.1 To bring them into consistency with the learning aims of IBE in STM?

2.2 To ensure that they support and do not inhibit the practice of formative assessment?

3. How can formative and summative assessment methods including the use of ICT be used together to promote learning in inquiry-based STM?

4. How can research based strategies for the use of formative/summative assessment be adapted to various European educational traditions to ensure their use and avoid hindrances?

4.1 How can the diverse roles of summative and formative assessment be clearly delineated for teachers and what strategies can help them make appropriate use of both, each to fit its own purposes?

4.2 How can relevant stakeholders be invited to take co-ownership to the research results and how can a partnership between researchers, policy makers, and teachers be established in order to secure relevant actions following implementation guidelines?

Read more about the background for these research questions in the ASSIST-ME project proposal.

 

Written feedback

Focus: Investigation of the potential of certain tools to facilitate the effective implementation of the assessment method “Written feedback” by supporting teachers’ attempt to interpret students’ data, diagnose difficulties/needs and provide them with productive feedback.

View document


Oral feedback

Focus: In-depth analysis of the enactment of the assessment method “interactions on the fly” in certain situations as well as documentation of relevant challenges.

View document


Peer-feedback

Focus: Investigation of the facility of peer feedback to serve as an effective method for formative assessment and exploration of the potential of a specific tool to enhance it.

View document


Structured-assessment

Focus: Exploration of the facility of structured assessment dialogue to serve as an appropriate context for formative assessment.

View document

 

The project consists of seven work packages (WP). Each work package is governed by a project partner, and is concerned with different aspects of the ASSIST-ME project.

(PDFs WITH LINKS)

WP1: Project Management

Objectives:

  • To create and maintain a harmonious, balanced and mutually beneficial environment within the consortium for all partners and enforce high standards for project deliverables.
  • To interface with the European Commission and other institutions involved in innovative processes and with specific programmes and development strategies.
  • To manage the overall consortium’s legal, contractual, financial and administrative aspects; ensure that partners obtain audit certificates and financial security when requested by the Commission.
  • To ensure overall quality of project deliverables throughout the duration of the project in relation to their objectives.
  • To ensure that each work package is in step with all other work packages and that there are enough resources to carry out the work planned at any point throughout the project.
  • To seek high visibility for the project through project website, the SCIENTIX platform, regional networks and media

WP1

Outcomes:

Deliverable number

Title

D 1.3

Public ASSIST-ME Website


WP2: Synthesize Existing Research

Objectives:

  • To review what we know about formative and summative assessment of competences in STM and what methods can work to improve student outcomes, including use of ICT tools.
  • To collect recent work that has been conducted in the partner countries on assessment in STM.
  • To synthesize the outcomes from other EU-projects on IBE, e.g., Mind The Gap, S-TEAM, ESTABLISH, Fibonacci, INQUIRE, Primas, SAILS.
  • To formulate an operational definition of IBE related to STM and give guidelines for measuring the degree of IBE.
  • To provide recommendations for WP4 and WP5.

This work package has provided a review of the existing research on inquiry-based education in STM with a particular focus on the role that formative and summative assessment play for successful learning in STM classes. Beyond the synthesis of international research literature, particular emphasis has been be put on collecting data about the current research on assessment in all partner countries. Thus WP2, led by IPN, has formed a basis for the development of new ideas in formative assessment in inquiry-based STM education (see WP4 and  WP5).

Outcomes:

Deliverable number

Title

D 2.1 Guidelines for partner countries to facilitate collecting national research on assessment
D 2.3 National reports of partner countries reviewing research on formative and summative assessment in their countries
D 2.4 Report on current state of the art in formative and summative assessment in IBE in STM – Part I and part II
D 2.5 A definition of inquiry-based STM education and tools for measuring the degree of IBE
D 2.6 Report of outcomes of the expert workshop on formative assessment in STM and IBE
D 2.1-2.6 Recommendation report

WP3: Characterize Educational Systems

Objectives:

  • To identify educational system variables with relevance to formative or summative assessment and IBE in STM
  • To map out the participating countries with respect to these variables.
  • To provide the consortium and especially WP4, WP5 and WP6 with systemic information needed for trial implementations.

Outcomes:

Deliverable number

Title

D 3.1

Educational system factors influencing student assessment methods in science, technology and mathematics education

D 3.2 National Reports: Educational system factors influencing student assessment methods in science, technology and mathematics education
D 3.3 Matrix of educational system factors influencing student assessment methods in science, technology and mathematics education
D 3.4 Educational system factors influencing student assessment methods in science, technology and mathematics education

WP4: Design Assessment Methods

Objectives:

  • To determine and finalize a list of formative assessment methods that will be tested.
  • To describe ways to combine these formative methods with summative assessment methods.
  • To determine the competences that are the outcome of the inquiry-based lessons.
  • To map out a matrix which relates the assessment methods to domain specific and transversal competences.
  • To develop an assessment protocol, i.e. specific guidelines for each assessment method and how to monitor it in daily instruction

Outcomes:

Deliverable number

Title

D 4.4 Manual for Teacher Expert Panels
D 4.7 Description of the ASSIST-ME assessment methods and competencies (Practical examples)

WP5: Trial Implementation of Assessment Methods

Objectives:

  • To steer and coordinate the research on the trial implementation processes of the formative assessment methods from WP4 on the basis of WP2 and WP3 outcomes.
  • To describe a frame for the trial implementations of the assessment methods and to plan a distribution of the methods among the partners securing coverage of all variables for all subjects and educational levels.
  • To decide the methods used for research of the trial implementations of the assessments.
  • To collect data from all partners and sum up the results in a synthesis.

Outcomes:

Deliverable number

Title

D 5.11 Synthesis of factors determining the uptake of various assessment methods in different educational settings

WP6: Transform Results into National Contexts

Objectives:

  • To assure a national stakeholder involvement throughout the project.
  • To align the research processes with the understanding and perspectives of the stakeholders for enhancing the feasibility of the results.
  • To secure a meaningful communication between researchers, teachers, and stakeholders (including policy makers).
  • To refine the project's assessment methods and procedures based on stakeholder feedback.
  • To select the main findings and describe them in easily understandable formats.

Outcomes:

Deliverable number

Title

D 6.1 Social Network Analysis Method - Method for mapping stakeholder networks
D 6.2

National Stakeholder Panel Guidelines

D 6.3

Report with National Stakeholder Panel Feedback

D 6.4 Illustrative Examples: A sample of illustrative examples of the use of formative assessment methods in inquiry-based education
D 6.5 Assessment Transformation Package

WP7: Promote Guidelines and Results

Objectives:

  • To develop guidelines for promoting actions on national and supranational levels that encourage teachers and schools to integrate formative assessment strategies in IBE.
  • To formulate recommendations for policy makers and other stakeholders.
  • To maximise the impact of ASSIST-ME through a variety of dissemination activities with user communities including policy makers and other stakeholders.
  • To use media exposure to support and communicate evolving project findings.

Outcomes:

Deliverable
number

Title

D 7.2

Teacher Guidelines

D 7.3 Recommendations for Policy Makers and Other Stakeholders

 

 

 

 

Project overview

 

Assess Inquiry in Science, Technology and Mathematics Education

The overall aim of ASSIST-ME project has been to provide a research base on effective uptake of formative and summative assessment for inquiry-based, competence oriented Science, Technology and Mathematics (STM) education. This was done in primary and secondary schools in different educational contexts in Europe. The research base was used to give policy makers and other stakeholders guidelines for ensuring that assessment enhances learning in STM education. In order to do this, the project goes through three phases shown below.
PhasesPhase 1 is about establishing a foundation for the project. This phase consists of an analysis of what is known about summative and formative assessment of knowledge, skills and attitudes related to key STM competences and an analysis of European educational systems.

Phase 2 is about finding results. Based on the analysis from Phase 1 the project will in Phase 2 design a range of combined assessment methods. These methods will be tested in primary and secondary schools in different educational cultures in Europe in order to analyse the conditions that support or undermine the uptake of formative assessment related to inquiry processes.

Phase 3 is about influencing and dissemination. In Phase 3 the resulting synthesis of opportunities and restrictions for implementing an assessment culture using both formative and summative approaches will be evaluated and discussed in relevant forums. This will be done in order to formulate guidelines and recommendations for policy makers, curriculum developers, teacher trainers and other stakeholders in the different European educational systems.

The project consists of seven work packages. Each work package is concerned with different aspects of the ASSIST-ME project. As the projects goes through each of the three phases focus will be put on each of the work packages. Read more about each of the work packages in project outcomes.

 

During the ASSIST-ME project various assessment methods will be tested in order to make an empirically grounded research base for the project.

Implementation rounds

In the beginning of the second phase of the ASSIST-ME project four assessment methods were designed. In order to test the designed methods, the methods will be implemented in selected primary and secondary schools in Europe. During the project three implementation rounds will be carried out, lasting 6 months each.

The first implementation round began in September 2014, and ran until the first of February 2015. The first round was seen as a trial round were teachers and researchers had the opportunity to get to know each other, understand the research designs and work through whatever obstacles that may appear during an implementation round.

The second implementation round will run from February 2015 until the summer of 2015 with the end of the school year.

The third implementation round will run from august 2015 until February of 2016.

Assessment, research designs and competencies

In each partner country teachers from primary and secondary schools are a part of the ASSIST-ME project. In the classes the teachers will, during the implementation rounds, evaluate their students based on the different designed assessment methods. In order for the researchers to capture these assessment methods in a research setup, the methods have been transformed into five research designs.

The teachers will during the implementation rounds implement inquiry based science education (IBSE) in their classes. In addition to this the teachers will design their teaching so that it promotes selected key STM competencies.

Each partner country will together with their teachers choose the research designs and competencies they are interested in working with during the implementation rounds.

Listed the ASSIST-ME project is working with:

4 assessment methods:

  • Questioning and other interactions on the fly
  • Structured classroom dialogue
  • Marking (grading and feedback)
  • Student peer and self-assessment

5 research designs:

  1. Interactions ”on the fly”
  2. Structured Classroom Dialogue
  3. Marking (Graded and written comments)
  4. Marking (Graded and written comments)
  5. Peer feedback

6 competencies:

  • Empirical investigations in science
  • Problem solving in mathematics
  • Design in engineering/technology
  • Argumentation
  • Modelling
  • Innovation

The first three competencies are subject specific and will be the same for each implementation round. The last three competencies are generic, and can be used for all subjects.

Read more about the design of assessment methods in WP4.

Read more about the implementation of the assessment methods in WP5.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Resources

Here you can find various publications and other project material aimed at researchers and stakeholders

 

The aim of the ASSIST-ME Report Series is to provide insight into results from the project. The reports are peer reviewed by project participants belonging to other institutions than the author.

Report Series No. 1

PDF

The book is available as print on demand at lulu.com

Report Series No. 2

PDF

The book is available as print on demand at lulu.com

 

Below you can find articles and conference papers related to the ASSIST-ME project.

Articles

ASSIST-ME reference list PDF
POHLEDY NA FORMATIVNÍ A SUMATIVNÍ HODNOCENÍ ŽÁKA V ČESKÝCH PUBLIKACÍCH PDF
Formative Assessment and other Assessment Methods in Biology Education and Pre-service Biology Teacher Training in the Czech Republic PDF
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT METHODS IN BIOLOGY EDUCATION: PEDAGOGICAL STUDY AT PRIMARY SCHOOL IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC PDF
Evaluering mellem mestring og præstation Mona, 2016(1), 51-62

Conference Contributions

Basis for implementation of research on formative assessment in inquiry-based education PDF
Kan formativ evaluering også bruges summativt?. Abstract from Big Bang 2016, Aarhus, Danmark
Få redskaber til at anvende læringsprogression Abstract from Big Bang 2016, Aarhus, Danmark
Affordances and Challenges of Written Feedback as Formative Assessment in Inquiry-Based STEM Education Abstract from NARST, Baltimore, USA
The viability of written feedback as part of formative assessment in IBSTME Abstract from ESERA 2015, Helsinki, Finland
ASSESSMENT IN INQUIRY BASED EDUCATION IN PRIMARY MATHEMATICS. PDF

 

Here you can find various materials from presentations that have been given by the ASSIST-ME partners at various conferences, seminars etc. Some of the materials are in country-specific languages, others are in English.

Presentations by Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz, FHNW

Inquiry-Based Learning: Von einer Definition hin zum formativen und summativen Assessment

PDF

Formative Beurteilung im forschendentdeckenden Unterricht in den Naturwissenschaften

PDF

Formative Assessment in Inquiry Based Science Education

PDF

Implementing formative assessment methods in inquiry-based science education in Switzerland

PDF

Formative Assessment Methods for Inquiry Learning (ESERA, 2015)

PDF

Diagnose und Feedback durch die Lehrperson im Rahmen «formativen Assessments» am Beispiel von schriftlicher Beurteilung

PDF

Methods of formative assessment for inquiry learning (NARST, 2016)

PDF

Presentations by University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, JU

ASSIST- ME: výzkumný projekt ověřující možné postupy formativního hodnocení při badatelsky orientované výuce přírodovědných oborů a matematiky

PDF

FORMATIVNÍ HODNOCENÍ V BADATELSKY ORIENTOVANÉM VYUČOVÁNÍ V PŘÍRODOVĚDNÝCH PŘEDMĚTECH A MATEMATICE

PDF

FORMATIVNÍ HODNOCENÍ V ČESKÉ REPUBLICE – IMPLEMENTACE PROJEKTU ASSIST-ME

PDF

TEACHERS’ AND STUDENTS’ NEEDS RELATED TO IMPLEMENTATION OF FORMATIVE PEER ASSESSMENT IN IBSE IN CZECH SCHOOLS (first findings of ASSIST-ME Project)

PDF

PROJEKT ASSIST-ME: VÝZKUM FORMATIVNÍHO HODNOCENÍ V BADATELSKY ORIENTOVANÉM PŘÍRODOVĚDNÉM A MATEMATICKÉM VYUČOVÁNÍ

PDF
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT METHODS IN BIOLOGY EDUCATION: PEDAGOGICAL STUDY AT PRIMARY SCHOOL IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC PDF
Metodické problémy sběru dat pro účely formativního hodnocení badatelsky orientované výuky přírodovědy. PDF
METODICKÉ PROBLÉMY SBĚRU DAT PRO ÚČELY FORMATIVNÍHO HODNOCENÍ BADATELSKY ORIENTOVANÉ VÝUKY PŘÍRODOPISU PDF
STUDENTS' ATTITUDES TO PEER-ASSESSMENT IN INQUIRY-BASED TASKS IN BIOLOGY LESSONS AT LOWER SECONDARY LEVEL PDF
Formative assessment methods appropriate for use in empirical investigations in biology lessons at primary school in the Czech Republic PDF

Formative assessment in inquiry based elementary mathematics.

PDF
Alena Hospesova, 2016.  ICME, invited lecture at 13th International Congress on Mathematical Education (July 24 - 31, 2016; Hamburg, Germany) -

Presentations by the University of Copenhagen, UCPH

Structured Assessment Dialogue (SAD) - Linking structure in teacher-student dialogue to student self-assessment PDF

 

Here you can find materials and results from the participating countries

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Denmark

Finland

France

Germany

United Kingdom

Switzerland

 

 

 

 

ASSIST-ME logo

Project Supporter

ASSIST-ME was supported by FP7.

ASSIST-ME website on SCIENTIX

Project: ASSIST-ME 
Start:  February 2013
End:  December 2016

Contact


Jens Dolin, Project Coordinator, Leader of WP1

Robert Evans, Project Manager, Leader of WP6

Anne Oftebro-Svendsen, EU-officer, liaison with EC

Project Outcomes

The project consists of seven work packages (WP). Each work package is governed by a project partner, and is concerned with different aspects of the ASSIST-ME project.

(PDFs with everything)
WP1: Project Management
WP2: Synthesize Existing Research
WP3: Characterize Educational Systems
WP4: Design Assessment Methods
WP5: Trial Implementation of Assessment Methods
WP6: Transform Results into National Contexts
WP7: Promote Guidelines and Results

Related Projects

SAILS aims to prepare teachers, not only to be able to teach through
Inquiry Based Science methods but also to be confident and competent in the
assessment of their students’ learning.