In the opening lesson of this course, we saw that students who learn to accurately judge their own progress can learn at almost double the normal rate. That finding raises an obvious question: what is actually happening when students self-assess well, and why does it have such a large effect on learning?
In this module, we will unpack the research case for self-assessment from three angles. First, we will look at why self-assessment can accelerate learning even though students are often poor at judging their own performance for grading purposes. Second, we will explore metacognition — what it actually means for a student to understand their own thinking, and why this understanding is the foundation of genuine self-assessment. Third, we will look at motivation, and why students need to want to use these skills before self-assessment can have any real effect on their learning.
The Case for Self-Assessment: Understand the research case for self-assessment and evaluate the role that metacognition and motivation play in student ownership, and reflect on whether your current practice helps students monitor and direct their own learning.
