Finally, I arrived. It’s been some amazing weeks full of learning. There is a lot I have learn since my first ADC. The journey begun with two simple questions in my ADC 1.0, at my ADC 4.0 I had six questions with their respective background and evidence of understanding. I can finally say that I completely understand what is expected from me in an ADC and how to perform; but above all things, as this has been an assessment for learning, I realized how formative feedback helped me getting here. It was the compass through crossroads.

For Dylan Wiliam, co-author of the article Inside the Blackbox: Raising Standards through Classroom Assessment, Formative Assessment consists of using information about students’ achievements to make adjustments to the students learning. As part of my Gender Studies, I look at movies as an essential part of society. In this context, I research the sociocultural representation of women in films. For this to be teach and learn, continuous feedback needs to be set, so the teacher could assess if the Gender Theory presented in class has been put into practice – through the analysis of films – by students. Therefore, constant feedback is essential.

But, how did I reach The Final Cut! (My film’s assessment)? I already explained my area of studies and how films have a protagonic role on it. Realizing the necessity of direction, students need to look at movies from a different perspective, a group of directed questions pop up. It was like creating special glasses for students so they can watch a movie from a different angle. But for this assessment for learning to be completed and viable, UbD was essential.

Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe presented Understanding by Design, a practical method which helps us set the goal and work from it. By setting my short-term goals and my long-term goals, I worked on the actual questions my students need to address to open their minds from a Gender Studies perspective.

I would like to share with you my ADC 3.0 and next, the final questions of my ADC 4.0 Let me know what you think!

My ADC 4.0 questions are:

1. Does this assessment help the teacher to make adjustments to the students’ learning?
2. Does this assessment allow students to demonstrate their knowledge?
3. Does this assessment is accessible to all learners?
4. Does the assessment help students to check their progress?
5. Does the assessment provide space for corrective feedback or reinforcement?
6. Does this assessment reflect any bias that could be hurtful to some group of students?

The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) (Vygotsky, 1978) explains how important feedback is to meet students where they are, while also helping them get where they are supposed to be! This is fundamental in my assessment. I plan to reach this by dividing the final assessment in parts, so the students could access it step by step while every week a new movie is assign; and feedback, feedback, and more feedback so the gap between students performance and the learning goal can be closed up.

There are other important facts regarding assessments and our students wellness. For instance, the use of technology should be a tool to better teach, not a tool to invade our learners’ privacy. CMS are technology resources to meet our students, to give all of them an equal opportunity to achieve knowledge. As said before in my previous blog, if an assessment requieres students to act on their knowledge, there is simply little probability that the students will be able to execute if they haven’t learned. So, if motivation and feedback are set in, I am quite sure they will succeed.

And last, but no least. I added a question on my ADC 4.0 regarding bias and racism. Reading the Leaders Project’s Understanding Assessment: The consequences of bias, I realized bias can occur throughout the assessment process in both the evaluator as well as in testing materials. Reevaluating my assessment was an amazing journey into myself, an adventure and profound evaluation of my bias. As a Feminist Theory researcher, I looked at how a non-feminist student could feel hurt through my language. I learned as well as I intended to teach.

Now… I am ready to walk a few more steps (a few more weeks) to continue my path through assessment. Learning to teach, teaching to learn!

Let’s see a movie and learn to see the world of films from another angle!