Critical Reflection in Assessment
Assessments shape students' learned knowledge through curricula, efforts, and the contexts that affect their previous understanding. Consequently, the design influence assessment in learning determines the quality and quantity of the students' knowledge and critical reflections on the assignments. If we wish to improve students' learning, the development of assessments should be our starting point (Ball et al., 2012, p.9; as cited in Andrews et al., 2019, p. 33).
Students' assessments for learning through formative assessment were the main point in discussion for students' reflecting on their knowledge. Formative assessments versus summative assessments ask for qualitative evaluation. Feedback facilitates an image for the students that helps them see a complete and clear explanation of how much they close or off the topic in education. Feedback for the students is a sign of engaging with learning. However, exams, presentations, and research promoted the process of learning in this method too. Teachers and students preserve an educational relationship that stands on ongoing and on-time assessments and reflections until the learning happens. However, global debates and multicultural concepts added the quality of ethics and inclusivity to giving feedback.
Todays, faculties realized that it is time to transfer students' assessments from traditional to the new technological methods in continuing education. Lifelong learning would affirm that education through the techniques of discussing theories and practices, evaluating the learned knowledge, and reflecting on help students reach success, improve their perspective, and promote the liabilities of the programs and schools. To initiate assessments for learning, faculties realized adjusting their steps into new technology is required to privilege independent learning while engaging with the discussion firms.
Accepting andragogy education benefits students at the universities and colleges to be independent in education, but learn through talks, listening to the shared knowledge, and reflecting on their learned knowledge. Andragogy creates an intersection of exchanging knowledge between learners, peers, and facilitators. Educators listen to the students, assess their work, and give feedback; students consciously learn, show their talents, knowledge, and experiences to peers and professors, and learn the curriculum with progressive ideas.
As citizens, students deserve to know why and what they learn; however, they choose education as they know education is necessary to live in a technological society with complicated issues in the society, environment, and politics. Akwugo Emejulu enlightened that the purpose of adult education is “learning for democracy and reclaiming social purposes in the community of education, which provides a helpful starting point” for the changes (as cited in Mycroft, 2013, p. 22). I believe in a straight relation between living in a democratic society and developing a culture of dialogue among the citizens through emancipation methods of education. Citizenship and Adult Education
To reach the target, preferably, mutual dialogue with clear and practical feedback would be compatible within formative learning assessment (Hammons et al., 2019). The dialogue takes the learners in a deeper discussion on sensitive subjects in which they have different perspectives on the subject. In a global cross-cultural education, local and international students debate about treating and assessing students to become professionals in their field with self-efficacy, critical thinking, and open mindsets citizens to reflect on issues surrounding human life in a post-modernism system. Despite, the students and educators have various cultures in learning and educating and may show different reactions when responding to the feedback, both sides should preserve the culture of ethics and respect in their communication. Sriram et al. (2012) expressed that the method of dialogue engages and interacts with students and educators together but, feedback might be affected by emotions. In this respect, teachers should be away from their engaged emotions and biased judgments when addressing the problem. They should be accurate in their language in suggesting sources and services for the student's efforts.
Since my responsibilities in adult education were facilitating education for the students in a career college, I knew adult learners come to learn new skills for progress in positions in the workplaces. Students benefited from the andragogy method and technology, which privileged them to follow the education path with different ways to learn skills. It fostered students in the learning of the curricula independently with self-regulating. However, dialogue and discussions would not include in all programs, the andragogy method grabbed their trust to manage their time for studying. Assessments in each session assisted them to estimate their level of understanding about the contents through quizzes and reviewing their wrong answers. However, it might not be a complete form of formative assessment, as the students should answer complicated questions imposed analysis lenses and perspectives to the learned topics help them answer the questions.
In conclusion, formative assessment as an approach in optimizing the students learning would give a deep meaning to the students' evaluations in adult education. As a student in the education field, I have learned the method of evaluation exceeds the learning methods qualitatively rather than grading exams and categorizing students in top or low levels in knowledge. This perspective is associated with recognizing the students’ ability in the learning process. Feedback through an ongoing process of review, revision, and learning takes the learners beyond appearances. They practice being citizens of a democratic society through reacting to the social issues with critical concepts and ideas of changes and efforts of action plans.
Mehrossadat Saberi March 2021