Authentic Assessment

An examination of how best to improve reading comprehension in Year 3 students identified as being below standard national benchmarks in NAPLAN results by means of a specific pedagogical framework, using language touted as best practice in classroom education reveals, that such language is a persuasive tool that can empower or silence a teacher as a researcher. How best to teach reading comprehension has been debated without resolution for generations. The rise and fall in popularity of Piagetianism, Vygotskianisim, Skinnerism or Bronfenbrennerism at different evolutionary stages in education is well documented (McDevitt, & Ormrod, 2010). As with many ‘isms’, linguistic styles and techniques to promote one view point and negate another are employed. Having gained favour in recent years Play Based Learning (PBL), which has spawned an Australian led offshoot, the Walker Learning Approach (WLA), is one such aspect of dispute within educational practice. It may be difficult to find an education expert who argues that structure is not an important factor for students achieving their goals. However structures need to flex to accommodate the individual nuances of each classroom. Hoy and Margetts (2012), and Marsh (2008), argue that teachers need to teach the class they …show more content…
A broad statement that is hard to argue against. Assessments come in many forms and when used in combination provide a credible observation of student achievement. The subtext of Walker’s (2012), statement of assessment in a WLA PBL program is, the focus of assessment should be on teacher improvement not student mastery. Emmitt, Zbaracki, Komesaroff, and Pollock (2010), do agree that if teachers can improve their own performance in the classroom, then students’ results will follow. PBL is an abstract learning activity and as such requires less formal methods to ensure students are participating in their own