Glossary
Internal assessment
The process of making a judgement (or series of judgements) about a student's achievement on specific school-based assessment activities integrated into the learning programme, rather than assessment on the basis of performance in an external examination.
Journals
These are students' personal records and reactions to various aspects of learning and developing ideas. This is an active and reflective process, which consolidates and builds on learning.
Judgement statement
These are descriptions of the level(s) of achievement that must be reached to obtain an element (unit standard) or aspects of the achievement criteria (achievement standards) in achievement or unit standards. Judgement statements define the standard to be reached.
Learning intention
Learning intentions describe the knowledge, skill, understanding(s) and/or attitudes/values that are designed to develop an aspect of the curriculum. They are usually negotiated with students and expressed in a lesson or series of lessons. Learning intentions are expressed in language that students understand and support them in understanding what they are supposed to be doing and why. Ideally students will put learning intentions into their own words.
When the learning is expressed as an intention, it implies that a process is enacted. The process involves the complex relationship between students' prior knowledge, experience, and learning capability, and the teaching and learning strategies used by the teacher to meet the individual learning needs of students. As a result of the learning process, intentions may well have to be renegotiated or transformed according to the achievements of students. Having flexible learning intentions allows for learning spontaneity and 'unplanned' learning. A learning intention takes achievement of the original learning goal into account and aims to move students on towards the next part of the learning. Students measure their success or achievement against success criteria. Once this has been attained, the learning intention becomes an outcome because it has been 'measured'.
Learning intentions are also referred to as intended learning outcomes and usually are preceded by the stem: Students will . . . (description of intended learning). They may also be written in the first person by a student: I am learning to ... (description of intended learning) and I will achieve this by... (description of criteria for achievement).
Learning outcome
A learning outcome is a descriptive statement that outlines the knowledge, skill, and understanding(s) attained in an aspect of the curriculum and measured against various criteria (for example, success criteria, achievement criteria, assessment schedule, performance criteria). Learning outcomes are derived from the achievement objectives of the curriculum, and form the heart of teaching and learning plans. They are the conduit between the achievement objectives described in the curriculum and the day to day learning that happens in lessons which are expressed as learning intentions.
Teaching and learning plans should show the success criteria that guide the teacher in what they want to teach, and form the basis for assessing what the students have learnt against the learning intention. Sometimes these are called 'specific learning outcomes' (SLOs) or 'indicators' in some curriculum documents and Ministry of Education resources. (Clarke, Timperley, Hattie 2003.)
Learning outcomes are usually preceded by the stem: Students will be able to . . . (description of acquired learning).
Moderation
A quality assurance process that ensures assessors make fair, valid, and consistent decisions on student work. A variety of assessment may be submitted for moderation including: verified checklists; attestations; portfolios; video/audiotapes/CD-ROMs; interviews; teacher observations.
External moderation: approximately 20% of internally assessed achievement and unit standards are moderated externally by New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) moderation process. Specialist teachers nationwide hold contracts with NZQA to undertake this process. The purpose of external moderation is to provide assurance that assessor judgements are at the national standard and are made on the basis that assessment materials are fair and valid.
Internal moderation: for NCEA all teachers should have a policy of verifying their assessment judgements with colleagues from within the department, another school, or with an adviser.
National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA)
NCEA is a qualification available at levels one, two, and three. 80 credits are needed for level one, at least 16 of which need to come from literacy and numeracy standards. A further 60 credits are needed at level two for the level two certificate, and likewise for level three.