What is an Initial Assessment in education?
An Initial assessment is a brief assessment (usually lasting around 30 minutes) carried out at the beginning of a learning program. They’re used to give educators an idea of the level students are working at before the start of the program. This can help inform decisions about the program’s starting point and support the plan with planning.
A good Initial Assessment can help you ensure that your students get as much out of the learning program as possible. They can also help save time for educators by assisting with planning and organization.
Initial Assessments are called “On-Entry Observation Assessments,” especially learning programs aimed at EYSF learners and other programs designed for younger children.
What are the aims of an Initial Assessment in education?
An Initial Assessment aims to understand a learner’s confidence level and ability before beginning the course. Typically, Initial Assessments in education focus on core functional skills, such as literacy, numeracy, and ICT; however, they can be used effectively in any subject.
Initial Assessments and the learning cycle:
Initial Assessments can be considered the first step in a learning cycle centered around the learner. The cycle beings with identifying the needs of the learner. A learning plan is created to meet those needs, and teaching follows the program. Finally, the progress made by the learner is evaluated as the learning takes place so that the plan can be adjusted accordingly.
Check out this handy diagram to see how this student-focused learning cycle works:
Tips for carrying out a practical Initial Assessment:
Now that you know the answer to “what is an Initial Assessment?” you might wonder what makes a good one. Well, here are some handy hints and tips to help make sure both you and your students get the most out of the process:
- Try to ensure that in your Initial Assessment, there’s a good mix of practical task-based assessment and traditional test-based assessment. This will help you understand how well your students can adapt their skills to different challenges. It can also help you identify individual children’s learning styles.
- Ideally, the content of an Initial Assessment will be in a format and context the learner is familiar with. This will help children perform well in the assessment, ensuring that the evaluation indicates the student’s ability level.
- Try to frame the Initial Assessment as a positive experience. Terms like “assessment” and “test” can make some children nervous, stopping them from performing to their true potential. Ideally, the Initial Assessment should feel like a collaborative project that is being done with the learner, not to them, so feel free to have some fun with it.
