RESEARCHEARCH


Many adults do not like taking a timed test to demonstrate their achievement in mathematics. Many teachers do not like spending too much time preparing students for these tests. These two facts influenced my decision to research this area and explore alternative ways to summatively assess adults in mathematics. I interviewed 13 adult maths learners


about their experiences of maths tests. I also surveyed 52 maths teachers from a variety of settings across the post-16 education and training sector. Most adults interviewed expressed


a strong interest in alternatives to a timed test but were unable to suggest ways to do this. Several were very anxious about taking tests and felt that this had adversely affected their performance and results in the past. These adults mentioned the pressure of time and the need to work fast as a key factor in their anxiety, a result confirmed by recent research (Boaler et al 2015). The survey of maths


teachers suggests that 65 per cent of them would prefer to be able to offer an alternative to a timed test to their students. Most (70 per cent) of those surveyed do not


REFERENCES


To activate these one-click links, and all other links in the magazine, log in to SET and access your interactive digital edition of inTuition. • Boaler, J., Williams, C. and Confer, A. (2015). Fluency Without Fear: Research Evidence on the Best Ways to Learn Math Facts. [Online] Available from goo.gl/cgEcYV [Accessed 6/6/16].


 al  nctonal lls rtera or ateatcs oentr ce o alcatons an anatons elaton nlne alable ro goo.gl/jueAKz [Accessed 1/1/18].


 e ree arsa soare s aalable ro goo.gl/WqZLvX 20 ISSUE 31 • SPRING 2018 INTUITION


Rebecca Woolley is a teacher educator at the University of Bolton, specialising in mathematics and numeracy for the post-compulsory sector. She is a professional development lead for the National Centre for Excellence in Teaching Mathematics and a reviewer of Professional Formation leading to QTLS for the ETF. She is a Member of SET.


estn ot a fferent a to examine learners’ maths skills


Can adults be assessed well on their maths ability without having to sit an actual exam,


sparing them, and teachers, a headache? A connected assessment model may be the answer By Rebecca Woolley


think a timed exam gives everyone the same chance to show the maths they can do. Despite this, 53 per cent of teachers


surveyed still think we need timed tests for maths, perhaps considering them a ‘necessary evil’. These early findings informed the development of a ‘connected assessment’ model with the following features:


• a choice of assessment tasks including some developed by learners;


• assessment to take place over several sessions/weeks, with no time limits for tasks;


• ‘open book’ assessment, reducing the need for memorisation;


• collaboration between learners on some tasks;


• gathering a wide range of ‘evidence’, not just written work. Two cohorts of adult learners were


recruited to try out this model. It took the form of a six-week course called ‘Making Connections’, funded through Recognising and Recording Progress and Achievement (RARPA). This involved a five-stage process consisting of suitable course aims, initial assessment for individuals leading to learning goals, recording of progress against these goals, usually through completion of an ILP and a portfolio of evidence. The assessment involved


projects (topics suggested by learners themselves), creation of puzzles, such as Tarsia (free software for making jigsaw puzzles), investigations using


prompt cards provided by the teacher,


the creation of posters and handouts, and the completion of online quizzes


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