Classroom Assessment for Teachers: Transforming Outcomes for Learners

Teacher with class of students raising hands

Transform your classroom assessment practice with Cambridge

Book now or get in touch to find out more.

Date Immediate start Delivery Online
Type On-demand Fee From £67.50 to £75 Incl. VAT
Duration Six modules (approx. 2 hours per module) Credits 12 CPD accredited hours

About the course

A Cambridge course built for teachers by teachers...

With Classroom Assessment for Teachers: Transforming Outcomes for Learners, you will be equipped with evidence-based strategies and tools to help navigate a changing educational landscape.

This on-demand course combines Cambridge expertise with practical teaching experience to transform assessment outcomes at both an individual and schoolwide level.

Designed with a range of examples from a variety of subjects in mind, this course has been built for educators at any stage of their career looking to develop their assessment expertise.

Assessment is a cornerstone of effective teaching, providing critical insights into student learning to help teachers make informed decisions about their own practice. Classroom Assessment for Teachers: Transforming Outcomes for Learners equips educators with the skills to conduct meaningful assessments and deliver focused feedback that maximises student progress.

The development of this course has been led by Cambridge expert and former teacher, James Beadle, in collaboration with The Assessment Network design team. Read his blog series on AI and Assessment in the classroom, his thoughts on what and why we assess in the classroom and a case study on a project he has led developing assessment literacy in a school in Shanghai.

Course features

  • A range of practical activities, including interactive quizzes and frameworks, for individual reflection or adaptation for departmental or school-level impact.
  • Exploration of the benefits and distinctions among Assessment for Learning (AFL), Assessment of Learning (AOL), and Assessment as Learning (AAL) techniques in the classroom, focusing on their unique summative and formative applications within a school environment.
  • The course explores classroom assessment using a wide range of subjects from Mathematics, English, Physics, Drama, and Psychology.
  • Classroom Assessment is scalable to wider school or trust involvement with learn as a school discounts.
  • Five month access to on-demand learning which will take approximately 12 hours to complete in a budget-friendly and flexible format.
  • The modules are designed to be compatible with accessibility tools.
  • Certification upon completion of course modules.

Who should attend?

Whether you are a new primary or secondary teacher seeking to build a strong foundation in assessment knowledge, an experienced teacher aiming to enhance your skillset with Cambridge expertise or a school leader striving to foster a more confident assessment culture, this course is designed for you.

What you will learn

After completing this course you will be able to:

  • Gain an understanding of the key foundational principles for effective assessment, including validity, reliability, comparability, fairness, and manageability.
  • Take a strategic approach to assessment, supported by an assessment framework, and use concepts such as spacing and interleaving to maximise the progression made by your students.
  • Know how to design and ask powerful questions that meaningfully gather the information you need.
  • Identify the different types of data that can be gathered from assessments and interpret these in a critical manner, with an understanding of any potential threats to the validity of inferences you need to make.
  • Appreciate what makes feedback effective, gain a toolkit for delivering effective feedback and what factors determine student receptiveness to feedback.
  • Understand what is meant by metacognition, the role it likely plays in an increasingly changing and AI-driven world, and how skills such as self and peer assessment can be developed within the classroom.

Course modules

  • Module 1: A brief introduction to assessment theory

    In this module, you will explore:
    • What is assessment? – Understand the concept of assessment in a classroom context, including its definition and purpose in supporting teaching and learning.
    • Purposes of assessment – Learn about the purposes of assessment and explore three common forms of assessment in the classroom:
      • Assessment for Learning (AFL): How ongoing, formative assessments guide teaching and support students' learning progress.
      • Assessment of Learning (AOL): How summative assessments evaluate student achievement and measure attainment.
      • Assessment as Learning (AAL): How students can engage in self and peer-assessment to foster metacognitive skills and take ownership of their learning.
    • Validity – Explore how to ensure assessments measure what they are intended to in the classroom and understand the implications of invalid assessments on learning outcomes.
    • Reliability – Explore the importance of consistent assessment outcomes across different students, contexts, and timeframes.
    • Comparability – Discover how assessments can be compared across groups and contexts to maintain fairness and standards.
    • Fairness – Examine how to design assessments that are free from bias and equitable for all learners, regardless of background or ability.
    • Manageability – Understand how to develop assessments that are practical for teachers to administer and for students to complete, ensuring they align with classroom demands.

  • Module 2: Constructing and implementing a successful assessment strategy

    In this module, you will learn how to design and implement effective assessment strategies for the classroom, including:
    • A quick summary of relevant research – Review key findings from educational research on the principles of effective assessment.
    • Assessment frameworks – Explore frameworks that guide the planning and implementation of assessments in schools.
    • Defining assessment constructs – Understand how to identify and clearly define what your assessments are designed to measure.
    • Creating a setting grid and an assessment blueprint – Learn how to design tools like grids and blueprints to ensure assessments are aligned to curriculum goals and standards.
    • Setting a standard – Discover how to establish clear performance expectations for students and how these can guide teaching and learning.
    • Maintaining a standard – Learn strategies for ensuring consistency and fairness in the application of assessment standards across different contexts.
    • Mark schemes – Understand how to create transparent and reliable mark schemes to support objective grading and feedback.

  • Module 3: Designing and asking effective questions

    In this module, you will focus on developing effective questions for classroom assessments, including:
    • Working memory and cognitive load – Understand how working memory impacts students’ ability to process questions and how to design questions that account for this.
    • Minimising extraneous load – Learn how to reduce unnecessary complexity or distractions in questions to help students focus on what is being assessed.
    • Reducing intrinsic demand – Explore ways to simplify the structure of questions without compromising their validity.
    • Questions to make you think – Develop skills to craft higher-order, thought-provoking questions that encourage critical thinking and problem-solving.

  • Module 4: Collecting and critically interpreting assessment data

    In this module, you will learn how to collect, interpret, and use data effectively in a classroom context, including:
    • Types of assessment data – Understand the different types of data generated by assessments, such as qualitative feedback and quantitative scores.
    • Using and interpreting assessment data – Learn how to analyse data to inform teaching, support student progress, and identify areas for intervention.
    • Validity and the ethical use of data – Explore the ethical considerations in using assessment data and ensure it reflects valid practices.
    • Evaluating the effectiveness of assessments – Understand how to assess whether your classroom assessments achieve their intended purposes.
    • Evaluating the effectiveness of individual questions – Learn how to analyse the quality of specific assessment questions to ensure they support learning goals.

  • Module 5: Optimising feedback for learners

    This module will help you enhance the effectiveness of your feedback practices in the classroom by exploring:
    • What makes feedback effective? – Learn the characteristics of effective feedback, including its timeliness, specificity, and alignment with learning objectives.
    • Student receptivity to feedback – Understand how students respond to feedback and what factors influence their engagement with it.
    • Designing questions with a 'feedback first' approach – Discover how to design assessment questions that naturally provide meaningful feedback to guide student learning.

  • Module 6: Metacognition, self and peer-assessment

    In this module, you will explore how to develop students’ metacognitive skills and encourage them to take ownership of their learning, including:
    • Metacognition in the classroom – Learn how to promote metacognitive strategies that help students plan, monitor, and evaluate their own learning.
    • Self-assessment – Understand how to engage students in reflecting on their progress and setting goals for improvement.
    • Peer-assessment – Explore strategies for encouraging peer-assessment to foster collaboration, critical thinking, and shared responsibility for learning.

Book now

Group bookings

This section outlines the pricing for schools and multi-academy trusts interested in group bookings of the course (all prices incl. of VAT):

Number of people Price
5 people £350
6-10 people £650
Up to 25 £1,500
Up to 50 £2,500
Up to 100 £4,500
Up to 250 £9,750
Up to 500 £15,000

Please get in touch to enquire about a group booking.

What our teachers say

Video transcript

00:00:00:00 - 00:00:06:01: [Unspoken text] We spoke to 3 learners from our Classroom Assessment for Teachers online course.

00:00:06:01 - 00:00:13:06 Sima Taheri: After taking this course, my teaching style, my teaching methods, and my courses totally changed.

00:00:13:06 - 00:00:18:23 Mayank Gupta: This course was very interactive to be an asynchronous learning course.

00:00:19:01 - 00:00:25:11 Mayank Gupta: And often I would forget that this is an asynchronous course, and I would feel as if I am engaging with a live course.

00:00:25:13 - 00:00:33:23 Dulanjali Jayasinghe: The course is really helpful because it gave me the space to work the time that which is suitable for me.

00:00:34:01 - 00:00:39:16: [Unspoken question] How easy did you find it to engage with and complete the course?

00:00:39:18 - 00:00:46:12 Sima Taheri: The course was very engaging I can say, the content was very clear, practical.

00:00:46:15 - 00:00:58:30 Mayank Gupta: Because of the modular approach, I feel that it was quite easy to complete the course. The curriculum was planned to ensure that we had sufficient learning material for each week.

00:00:58:30 - 00:01:03:13: [Unspoken question] Have you been able to apply the course in your own day to day practice?

00:01:03:15 - 00:01:06:22 Dulanjali Jayasinghe: It became a part of my leadership practices as well.

00:01:07:00 - 00:01:15:11 Dulanjali Jayasinghe: For example, I integrated assessment for learning principles into my own lesson as well as I used that to observe my teachers.

00:01:15:13 - 00:01:21:19 Sima Taheri: I was applying every part of it to my courses, my teaching, or supporting my colleagues.

00:01:21:21 - 00:01:31:23 Mayank Gupta: My students have specifically shown remarkable progress with this course. My assessment for learning practice has really improved.

00:01:31:23 - 00:01:37:01: [Unspoken question] Could you sum up the Classroom Assessment course in three words?

00:01:37:01 - 00:01:46:11 Sima Taheri: Practical, engaging and transformative.

00:01:46:13 - 00:01:50:10 Dulanjali Jayasinghe: It is transformative, practical and empowering.

00:01:50:16 - 00:01:55:16 Mayank Gupta: Empowering, transformative and balanced.

Practical strategies

This course was an eye-opening journey. It empowered me with practical strategies to enhance assessment practices and positively impact student learning. Highly recommended for teachers seeking to elevate their assessment practices.

Ryan Estonia, Vice Principal, King's Valley International School

Self-paced

Completing the 'Classroom Assessments: Transforming Learning Outcomes' course was invaluable. It's self-paced, practical, and immediately applicable. Highly recommended for any educator looking to enhance their assessment strategies.

Fatima Shaukat, Teacher, Beaconhouse School System

Highly recommended for educators

Transformative! This course provided invaluable insights and practical strategies that have revolutionised my approach to teaching. Highly recommended for educators seeking to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes.

Thilagawathi Batumalai, Lecturer, Brickfields Asia College

FAQs

What does it cost?

You can enrol onto Classroom Assessment for just £75 (Incl. VAT) or become a member and enrol for just £67.50 (Incl. VAT).

When does it start?

The course is on-demand so you can start as soon as you enrol. This ensures flexibility for teachers juggling a busy work schedule.

How long will I have access to the course for?

Access will be provided for five months from enrolment.

Will I receive a certificate upon completion?

Yes, participants who complete all course modules will receive a certificate of completion.

What is the duration of the course?

It should take between 10 and 13 hours to complete. We recommend completing it over six weeks, taking a week per module, but you will have access for 5 months in case you need longer to complete.

Is this course different from a traditional face-to-face (F2F) course?

This course is different from a traditional F2F course. It is on-demand and therefore you will navigate yourself through the learning journey at your own pace.

Looking for a school wide solution?

If you want to focus on a particular area of assessment, we can develop in-person training, online training, or a hybrid course to match your staff development goals.

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Join the Network

Receive 10% discount on courses from The Assessment Network with our membership scheme. Member benefits include a resource library, Ask the Experts sessions, networking events and awards.

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