The document discusses assessing student learning in a STEM project. It begins by reviewing the Australian Curriculum and identifying the STEM and transversal competencies. It then examines how to map a planning document to the Australian Curriculum and assess student projects. Finally, it discusses principles of good assessment practice including being valid, educative, explicit, fair, and comprehensive.

2. Learning Intentions
1. Review the Australian Curriculum and
identify the S.T.E.M and transversal
competencies
2. Use the Planning document to map to
the Australian Curriculum
3. Examine how we can assess projects

3. Prior Knowledge
Knowledge that students bring with them to class
CAPTURE LEARNING
REVIEW STEM &
UNESCO
COMPETENCIES

4. LEARNING AREA STRUCTURE FOUNDATION
Rationale and aims
o Outline the purpose and structure of the learning area
Content descriptions
o Core knowledge, understandings and skills – what students will be taught
o Accompanied by content elaborations that illustrate and exemplify content
Achievement standards
o Describe the learning typically expected of students
o Accompanied by work samples that illustrate and exemplify
4

6. SCIENCE - ORGANISATION
Science
Understanding
Biological sciences
Chemical sciences
Earth and space sciences
Physical sciences
Science as a
Human Endeavour
Nature and development
of science
Use and influence of
science
Science Inquiry
Skills
Questioning and
predicting
Planning and conducting
Processing and
analysing data and
information
Evaluating
Communicating
Overarching ideas

7. • Core content
• Conceptual development
across and over sub-strands
• Key concepts identified in
‘organisation’ section
• Year by year bands
Science
Understanding
Biological sciences
Chemical sciences
Earth and space
sciences
Physical sciences

8. • The unique nature of science and
scientific knowledge
• Development of scientific
knowledge
• How science knowledge and
applications affect peoples’ lives
• How science is influenced by society
• How science informs decision
making
• Two-yearly bands
Science as a
Human Endeavour
Nature and
development of
science
Use and influence
of science

9. • Evaluating claims
• Investigating ideas
• Solving problems
• Drawing valid conclusions
• Developing evidence-based
arguments
• Broad notion of ‘investigation’
• Role of representation and
discourses of science
• Two-yearly bands
Science Inquiry
Skills
Questioning and
predicting
Planning and conducting
Processing and
analysing data and
information
Evaluating
Communicating

10. Science Inquiry Skills
Science as a Human
Endeavour
Science Understanding
Science Curriculum
CONNECTING THE THREE STRANDS

11. NATIONAL CURRICULUM
SCIENCE UNDERSTANDING
Biological science
Chemical sciences
Physical sciences
Earth and space sciences
SCIENCE AS A HUMAN ENDEAVOUR
•Nature and development of science
•Use and influence of science
SCIENCE INQUIRY SKILLS
•Planning and conducting
•Evaluating

13. THE PROFICIENCY STRANDS
Understanding develops from becoming aware of their physical state and encountering,
reacting and responding to the world around them and to some everyday events and
routines
Fluency includes students learning to control their behaviour and internal state and
developing a repertoire of reactions to everyday experiences and events
Problem Solving includes students attending to and exploring the world around them
with as much independence as possible
Reasoning includes students coactively exploring and manipulating objects in their
immediate environment and experiencing the language associated with maths activities.

14. MATHS CONTENT
NUMBER AND ALGEBRA
Number and algebra are developed together, as each enriches the study of the other. Students apply number sense and strategies for counting and
representing numbers. They explore the magnitude and properties of numbers. They apply a range of strategies for computation and understand the
connections between operations. They recognise patterns and understand the concepts of variable and function. They build on their understanding of the
number system to describe relationships and formulate generalisations. They recognise equivalence and solve equations and inequalities. They apply their
number and algebra skills to conduct investigations, solve problems and communicate their reasoning.
MEASUREMENT AND GEOMETRY
Measurement and geometry are presented together to emphasise their relationship to each other, enhancing their practical relevance. Students develop
an increasingly sophisticated understanding of size, shape, relative position and movement of two-dimensional figures in the plane and three-dimensional
objects in space. They investigate properties and apply their understanding of them to define, compare and construct figures and objects. They learn to
develop geometric arguments. They make meaningful measurements of quantities, choosing appropriate metric units of measurement. They build an
understanding of the connections between units and calculate derived measures such as area, speed and density.
STATISTICS AND PROBABILITY
Statistics and probability initially develop in parallel and the curriculum then progressively builds the links between them. Students recognise and analyse
data and draw inferences. They represent, summarise and interpret data and undertake purposeful investigations involving the collection and
interpretation of data. They assess likelihood and assign probabilities using experimental and theoretical approaches. They develop an increasingly
sophisticated ability to critically evaluate chance and data concepts and make reasoned judgments and decisions, as well as building skills to critically
evaluate statistical information and develop intuitions about data.

15. TECHNOLOGIES LEARNING AREA
Digital Technologies Design and Technologies

16. DIGITAL CONTENT
Design and Technologies Digital Technologies
Technologies and society
•the use, development and impact of
technologies in people's lives
•Technologies contexts
Technologies and design across a range of
technologies contexts: Engineering principles
and systems
•Food and fibre production
•Food specialisations
•Materials and technologies specialisations
Digital systems
•the components of digital systems: hardware,
software and networks and their use
Representation of data
•how data are represented and structured
symbolically
Knowledge and understanding

17. Processes and production skills
Design and Technologies Digital Technologies
Creating solutions by:
•investigating and defining
•designing
•producing and implementing
•evaluating
•collaborating and managing
Collecting, managing and analysing data
•the nature and properties of data, how they
are collected and interpreted
Digital implementation
•the process of implementing digital solutions
Creating solutions by:
•investigating and defining
•designing
•producing and implementing
•evaluating
•collaborating and managing

19. CAPTURIN
G
LEARNING
What do we want
students to learn?
How can we
capture this
learning?

20. PRINCIPLES OF GOOD ASSESSMENT
PRACTICE
• VALID
Assesses the actual skills and understandings expected of students.
• EDUCATIVE
Assessment should make a positive contribution to student learning.
• EXPLICIT
Assessment criteria should be explicit.
• FAIR
Assessment should be demonstrably fair to all students and not discriminate.
• COMPREHENSIVE
Judgements should be based on multiple kinds and sources of evidence.
Adapted from WA curriculum framework (1998)

21. BIG IDEA #1: WHAT TYPE OF REFERENCING?
NORM REFERENCING
• Norm referencing is comparative within the group. Norm
referencing may use experience to categorise a person and
make predictions about their behaviour.
e.g. “john is 5th best in the class”, “a b is between 70% & 80%”.
CRITERION REFERENCING
• Criterion referencing is based on actual performance. It
looks at the types of things that people can do and
categorises them by what they can do.

22. BIG IDEA #2: ASSESSING THE UNDERLYING ‘KEY CONCEPT’
Key concept
Achievement standard statement
The form and
features of living
things are related
to the functions
their systems
perform
• describe features common to living
things
•sequence key stages in the life cycle
of a plant or animal
• analyse how the form of living
things enables them to function in
their environments
•analyse the relationship between
structure and function at cell, organ

23. BIG IDEA #3: VALIDITY & RELIABILITY
• Validity of an assessment refers to
use and interpretation of the
evidence collected.
• Reliability refers to the extent to
which an assessment can
theoretically provide repeatable
outcomes for candidates of equal
competence at different times
and/or places.
Do these assessments compromise
reliability or validity?
a) Assessing a student’s football skills
by asking them to write an essay.
b) Teaching and assessing a unit on
Forces through a study of
skateboarding.
c) Using complex or technical language
in the task sheet.

24. ASSESSMENT
Diagnostic
(Assessment before learning)
The teacher is concerned with
determining what each student
knows at the beginning of a topic and
what misconceptions they may have.

25. Formative
(assessment for learning)
The teacher is concerned with
providing feedback,
reinforcement and prescriptive
actions for each student
ASSESSMENT

26. Summative
(assessment of learning)
Occurs at the end of the teaching
program – results are used as the
basis for reporting to parents, final
level for students
ASSESSMENT

27. PROCESS
Students Teachers Examples
Engage What will interest students ?
What students know?
Engage/Tuning in/Focus Engage
Eg Brain
storm
Curriculum
review/
Teaching plan
What do they need to know? Review the Curriculum
and consider General
Capabilities
Tuning in
Explore What do they want to know? Developing answerable Q Developing
questions
Inquiry
/Finding Out
How do they find out? Using strategies to
explore
Hands on
activities
Research
based
Curriculum
review/Teachin
g plan
Are they still learning this
or what do they know now
Review the Curriculum
and consider General
Capabilities
Inquiry/Finding
Out
How do they continue to
find out
Using strategies to
explore
Hands on
activities
research
based
Present What have they learnt? Assessment

28. Designed to enable students in
iSTEM unit to capture childrens’
learning in content
STEM and skills based on
UNESCO domains and sub
domains

29. UNESCO
domains
and sub
domains
mapped to
Year 6
general
capabilities

30. Attempt to
complete the
task using the
proforma

31. ALMOST FINISHED