ASSESSMENT OF THINKING SKILLS

Involving pupils in their own assessment

Starting points

• HOW IS ”COGNITION” DEFINED?• WHAT ARE ”THINKING SKILLS”?

- Cognitive functions; metacognitive functions- Processing information- Remembering- Constructing: assimilation, accomodation

Conception of Learning

• Socio-constructivism, students’ active role

• Learning is situational - importance of school culture and learning environment

• Inclusive pedagogy • Balance between academic achievement

and student welfare

How to support children with special needs?

• Co-operation with parents• Assesment -Initial, continious, self- assesment, discussions• Support services - Health, physical, psychological and social

well- being -Multi- professional network

1. Background factors in learning

• Previous knowledge• Abilities• Intelligence• Personality; concept of self as a learner• Family background• Learning environment; curriculum, teaching

methods, subject, teacher, assessment methods

2. Learning process

• Strategies, learningstyles, ways of processing

• Metacognition, being aware of own learning

• Motivation, orientation

3. Results of learning

• Conception of the phenomena• Mental models• Skills• Achieving learner`s own goals• Working habits and working forms• Results of learning tasks• Grades, feedback

How does a child learn?

• A child assesses which are the most important knowledge and skills and sets goals for his/herself.

• A child learns by thinking, by experiencing, by investigating and by training

• A child is contructing new knowledge and skills for his self.• When a child is choosing different kinds of acting models in

different learning situations hi/ her learning can be called intentional and strategical

• Being aware of own learning

= metacognitive skills and knowledge

Consciousness of mental processes = 1. Metacognitive knowledge

• Personal knowledge of self and others as learners and information dealers

• Knowledge of different tasks and the effects of their features on performance and actions

• Knowledge of different strategies and how they effect on achieving goals in learning(what, how, when and why)

2. Metacognitive skills

• Planning skills- setting goals- assessing of requirements- choosing procedures and acting models

• Conducting skills- directing and regulating own actions

• Assessing skills- checking, testing- assessing

3. Metacognitive experiences

• Individual sense and knowledge of - own actions- own intellectual competence- own ways of thinking- own strategies- own feelings

LEARNING THE STRATEGIES :

INSTRUCTING THE CHILD FOLLOW UP HIS OWN WAY OF

• understanding,• remembering, • learning,• problem solving,• keeping up his motivation and • regulating of emotions.

Annevirta, T. & Iiskala, T. (2003). Annevirta, T. & Vauras, M. (2006)

”Miten tukea oppilaiden metakognitiota luokkatyöskentelyssä? ”

= ”How to support pupil`s metacognition in classroom?”(The Research Centre of Learning , University of Turku)