Case Studies
The following schools were asked to describe their experience of Alfie.
Primary Schools
Hurley Primary SchoolHurley Primary School is a rural school on the outskirts of Birmingham. Regarded as having good practice in the Warwickshire and the West Midlands this school was looking at a way in which it could enhance its already well-established assessment strategy so that it could focus more on the needs of the individual learner. Previously, pupil attainment had always been monitored using manual methods. While this method was fairly accurate it wasn’t always reflective of individual requirements as the pupils’ were assessed in groups. The class teacher knew that some of her year 6 - KS2 class were having difficulty in certain objectives in the mathematics and science curricula. However, the trouble was identifying the specific objectives that each individual pupil was having difficulty with. Investigating the answers to each question for each pupil meant that the teacher would spend hours analysing assessment results. This methodology was both laborious, time consuming and took away form preparation and teaching time. What was required was a better way of creating, managing, undertaking and analysing assessments – Alfie.
With the questions in Alfie having been based on previous QCA assessment items for both mathematics and science, it was quick and simple for the teacher to produce an online assessment that matched the curricular objectives that were to be assessed. These assessments could be class, group or individual as the teacher had the ability to target the assessment to specific learners or learning outcomes. The class were then taught the unit of work and assessed online using Alfie. What was noticeable was that pupils using Alfie were found to be:
- far more willing to persevere;
- more motivated;
- more independent in undertaking assessment;
- more willing to self assess their understanding,
- engaged in the assessment process.
In addition, the pupils liked the immediate feedback that they were given by the computer programme, which provided, as well as their score, “I can do” statements that they included in their personal portfolios. The teacher then used these portfolios of assessment to review their learning and check on their progress.
For the teacher, Alfie reports provided the opportunity to assess how well each individual was performing against:
- the national norm;
- the rest of the class;
- within their group,
- the set curricular objectives.
Having identified the specific objectives where there the learners were having difficulty, the teacher was better placed to decide the most appropriate action for each pupil. While the teacher was expecting to gain an insight into the weaknesses of each learner, it also brought up where resources or teaching methods did not suit specific learners. This helped the teacher self reflect on her teaching style and the way in which the class were taught.
Alfie provided automated marking and analysis but it still requires the teacher to make value judgements on the next stages of learning for each pupil. Alfie reallocated teacher time away from marking and analysis towards preparation and evaluation of pupil activities. While you cannot say that Alfie saves you time it will change the pedagogical approach that the teacher undertakes in the classroom.
Wolston St Margarets PS
Wolston Primary School lies on the outskirts of Coventry not far from the M6 motorway. The school were looking for better way of raising attainment and providing accurate personalisation of learning for the KS2 classes. They knew that the best way of providing this was through an accurate understanding of how and what their pupils were learning, be this at the start, middle or end of a unit of work. Previous paper based assessments had allowed them to do this but it was time consuming for the teacher to mark, analyse and plan for the next stages of learning for each learner. Most of the time the teacher would aim their lessons at specific groups within the class and try where possible to identify where individuals were having difficulty with group activities.
Using Alfie they were able to use online assessment questions based on past QCA National Tests in mathematics. The online element to the assessment was important to the school as they were looking for an application that would provide both the learner and the teacher with immediate feedback.
With the class already split into top, middle and bottom sets the teacher set about using Alfie to assess the progress of each of the groups in both mathematics and latterly in science. While previous experience of tests was seen as a barrier to learning, learners saw Alfie as a positive experience and they were enthusiastic about undertaking their assessment online. This enthusiasm toward assessment meant that the learners were more motivated and engaged in the assessment process. Where the pupils had seen assessment as a burden they now saw it as a way of gaining immediate feedback which allowed them to see where they went wrong, reflect on the how they arrived at the answer and, in conjunction with the teacher, decide on the best course of action to resolve their difficulties. In turn, this reflection enabled the teacher to look at where deep learning was taking place and where individual pupils were having difficulty and decide on a course of action either for the individual, group or class. Some of the pupils even saw the assessment as a form of online game.
For the teacher the opportunity to assess as and when necessary meant that it was easier to personalise learning for each individual learner. With each assessment providing a formative diagnosis of what pupils were achieving it allowed the teacher to plan more effectively for the class, groups and individual learners. In addition, Alfie provided evidence of where pupils were having difficult but more importantly whether they were in the correct groups, even to the extent that groups could be organised based on the objectives that were being set.
The reports that were given to the pupils and taken home to show parents and the plan in the future is to have more parental involvement in their child’s assessment.
The teacher found the while experience very rewarding. The learner were far more motivated, interested and engaged in learning. For the teacher it was rewarding and meant that they spent less time marking and more time teaching.
Brailes Primary School
Brailes Primary School is a small rural school on the border of Warwickshire and Oxfordshire. In March 2007 they were looking at a better way of conducting assessment that would allow personalisation of learning and provide formative feedback on how their pupils were progressing. Previously they had been using QCA National Test items to do this but this involved them being created, printed out, copied, given to the pupils, marked and analysed. While this proved useful the whole process was time consuming and meant that pupils were undertaking “testing” a considerable amount of the time. What they were looking for was something that would assist in assessing pupil performance, provide formative or diagnostic feedback but not add to burden of testing. They have found Alfie to be the ideal tool for not only adding but reducing their assessment burden.
Having undertaken a pilot of Alfie during 2007 the school have been using Alfie with their mix year 3 and year 4 class to assist them the delivery of their Mathematics objectives. In September 2007 the school moved to a new mathematics scheme, at that time it was felt important to put into place an assessment system that would complement their new framework.
At the start of the unit the teachers aim was to find out what the children already knew and their areas of weakness (Diagnostic Assessment). Using Alfie the teacher gave the pupils’’ an online assessment covering the objectives that would be undertaken as part of the unit. This allowed the teacher to understand the prior knowledge of the pupils, what they already knew, understood and where, more importantly, targeted teaching should be undertaken. With Alfie this process was straightforward. The instant feedback to learners told them what they could do, and for the teacher reports provided detailed analysis of what objectives each pupil could and could not fulfil. The teacher was then able to adjust her lesson planning to take into account these findings. This enabled the teaching to be targeted towards those areas in which the children were weakest.
Groups of children took a pre-test before I taught a unit of work on time. They then took a similar test after the unit had been taught. This enabled the teacher and the children to assess how well they had learnt and what they still need to work on. This encouraged the children to reflect on their own learning.
In particular the teacher found the found the process worthwhile for several reasons:
- The children were very motivated to complete the assessment
- The results of the pre-assessment enabled the teacher to focus what needed to be taught to each group and to individual learners.
- The children found the immediate feedback motivating and it encouraged them to reflect upon their learning and their next steps
- By looking at individual reports the teacher was able to assess how individual pupils were progressing and what were their areas of strength and weakness.
- The re-assessment enabled the teacher to identify where teaching had been successful and which areas needed further input.
- It enabled the teacher to identify the type of question the children found most difficult and to identify strategies that would help them understand these questions better.
- The assessment also highlighted gender imbalances and allowed the teacher to regroup students based on understanding in each unit not just on general mathematical attainment.
- After using and Alfie assessment it was useful to sit with a pupil and reflect on their learning and get a more in depth picture of their difficulties.
Secondary Schools
Coming soon.
