Assessment integrated into learning to help the weak third

Teachers from Collège Sainte-Anne share their winning strategies to support their so-called “weak third” students, without lowering their expectations of others. Today, we are discovering a strategy adopted by Daniel Nadeau, physics teacher.

through Jean Desjardins and Isabelle Senécal, Sainte-Anne College

What happens to students when the teacher of such a demanding subject as physics decides to incorporate continuous assessment and automated feedback into his or her teaching? This is what Daniel Nadeau has been doing since last year (2014-2015). Indeed, thanks to his great knowledge of the Moodle environment, he has succeeded in creating a system of continuous evaluation of problems with random variables, offering immediate feedback.

The principles of the strategy:

• The division of the subject to structure its teaching around the specific difficulties encountered by the pupils.
• Continuous assessment to diagnose difficulties during learning.
• Problems to be solved, the difficulty of which is increasing.
• Random modification of variables in problems, which are therefore always new, to give pupils the possibility of collaborating and helping each other.
• Instant feedback to the student.
• Regulation of education based on data collected from students' learning.

Added value for the weak third:

• Reduced stress on summary exams.
• Allows formative feedback as you learn.
• Possibility of further reinvestment if feedback is prompt.
• Students regularly experience small victories, build their sense of competence and are therefore more motivated.