History Top-ups: Assessment Strategies in History teaching

Have you ever been annoyed that your pupils aren't reaching their full potential because they don't have the necessary background knowledge when it comes to constructing effective arguments in History? This is what happened to Lee Donaghy, an experienced history teacher in the UK. When it came to investigating sources and drawing conclusions, Donaghy noticed that his GCSE students had a lack of substantive knowledge. As a result, he decided to to test an assessment method which proved to increase the students' substantive knowledge in their history tests. His findings are described in his paper "Using regular, low-stakes tests to secure pupils' contextual knowledge in Year 10." The method, which has its roots in cognitive research, consists of frequent, low-stakes tests intended to reinforce particular facts. Donaghy argues that this strategy outperforms conventional study-then-test strategies in terms of fostering long-term retention. At first, Donaghy states...

Daniel, Martina and I are excited to present our blog, History Top-ups: Assessment Strategies in History, as we embark on our path as aspiring history and geography teachers. With an emphasis on both formative and summative evaluations, this platform is made especially to investigate creative and successful assessment techniques for history classes. We hope to exchange ideas as we explore further this important area of education in order to improve teaching methods and, eventually, the educational experiences of students. Comprehending Summative and Formative Evaluations As a useful tool for both teachers and students, assessment is essential to the educational process. Continuous evaluations that occur during the learning process are known as formative assessments. They assist teachers in determining areas that require work and evaluating students' comprehension. Examples consist of tests, conversations, quizzes and reflections that provide students with immediate feedback on thei...