It was an Assessment for Learning

Today we know that formal education is a complex phenomenon involving many interconnected elements within and outside educational institutions. In the evaluation processes becomes very relevant because they define the structure and dynamics that they have at all levels, with the assessment of learning, a constant of institutional life.

From a strictly administrative point of view, but with profound implications, teachers are required as part of their teaching, to make assessments of their students with the intent to deliver accounts to the institution, about the rate of approval and disapproval of a year. The ways of carrying out this procedure are of various kinds and nature, but they all inevitably decanted into the idea of ​​accreditation.

Unfortunately, this view is so widespread, that the students themselves have taken as part of their identity, severely impacting their academic performance, ie, throughout its history student, they showed the evaluation of their learning as a synonym for qualification and primary objective of the educational process, then of course, their efforts are designed to prove the matter, without necessarily involving a true learning.

We believe that this phenomenon so common in most schools, has its origin largely in the type of evaluation is implemented, the concept we have of it and especially how it is presented to students . So, if you opt for an assessment based on certain instruments account of final products as a reflection of learning and tell students that they will be based on certain rating, then students would promote the type of misconduct that override any educational process.

In this paper we start from the idea that if we comply fully with the functions delegated to educational agencies in the training of students, and of which we are largely responsible, it is necessary among other things, modifying traditional practices assessment, establishing in its place, most effective ways that transcend the old idea of ​​accreditation.

To achieve this, we must first be aware of the difference between accreditation and evaluation, according to Diaz Barriga (1998:74), the first of these has to do with a verification process on the degree to which there were the criteria stipulated in the curriculum, from which it is considered, reflecting the level of information acquired by the students, and to which we would add, are translated into quantitative terms by a rating. While the assessment in its broadest sense is defined as an activity to make value judgments about the teaching process and results in quantitative and qualitative (Bellido and Gonzalez, 2009). Currently, there are several functions that have been granted to the assessment of learning, Gimeno (1992), states the following:

1) Definition of educational and social meanings as educational achievement, school success and failure, good and bad student, teaching quality, school progress, good and bad teacher, good and bad school.

2) Social: accreditation and certification of students

3) School organization, defines the access to different grade levels

4) Control is a means to exercise authority

5) psychological projection: the concept car models and influences aspects such as attitude toward study, generalized anxiety, stress of conflict, pathological features, management of extrinsic and intrinsic motivation

6) Support for research regarding the quality of teaching, kindness in teaching methods, finding success and failure rates, validity of the curriculum

7) Educational: Creator of the school environment, diagnosis, individualization, learning reinforcement, guidance, weighting the curriculum and professional socialization.

As can be seen, the evaluation is a complex process that has implications both inside and outside the classroom and involves all its members, so, we must understand that this is placed over the accreditation systems.

However, in relation to its educational function, we emphasize the relevance of the educational process, that is, we agree with the idea that, from the information obtained, both teachers and students can come to understand the elements positively and negatively affect learning, and therefore take action to optimize the process of teaching and learning. From this perspective, the evaluation and feedback system provides real benefits to its members directing them what to do to achieve better academic achievement.

At present students in this way the objectives of the evaluation, not just as is done the traditional way, we would achieve a new attitude towards this process, and what is even more important, significantly change the task of learners, as Now, their efforts would be aimed at learning the content embodied in the curriculum and thus achieve accreditation of matter. Remember what point Benito Cruz (2005:87), when they indicate the need to move from the traditional approach to assessing what is most rewarding, one that focuses not on the assessment of learning, but, in the evaluation for learning. And he continued the evaluation determines what and how to learn, hence according to the way they raise the assessment to students, it will be achieved learning outcomes and not others.

To this end it is necessary to implement evaluations involving students, because from this perspective, students are perceived as ultimately responsible for their learning, therefore should be provided for the information needed to make them aware about their performance and and to discover what they lack to do.

Before concluding, we note, that in no way intend to downplay the accreditation systems, since after all, a social function, but only, point out that assessments must acquire a new identity in the classroom, in order to achieve real academic achievement by students, which means necessarily abandon the old idea of ​​evaluation as synonymous with accreditation. To do so increasingly we will be close to achieving the objectives for which they were designed educational bodies and fulfill our role as teachers.

REFERENCES

Bellido, C. Gonzalez, M. (2009). Significance of assessment of learning. In C. Bellido (Ed.), Assessment of learning (pp.1-15). UNAM Faculty of Superior Studies Zaragoza.

Benito, A. and Cruz, A. (2005). New keys for university teaching: In the European Higher Education space. Madrid: Narcea.

Gimeno, S. (1992). The assessment in teaching. In S. Gimeno and G. Perez (Eds.), Understanding and transform teaching (pp.334-397). Madrid: Morata.

Diaz Barriga, A. (1998). Teaching and curriculum. Paid: Mexico.



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