Knowing Where the Learning Is a Shift from Summative to Formative Assessment
Pedagogical approaches in Asia nowadays are
imported from the West. In Confucian Heritage Culture (CHC),
however, there is a dichotomy between the perceived benefits of
Western pedagogies and the real classroom practices in Chinese
societies. The success of Hong Kong students in large-scale
international assessments has proved that both the strengths of both
Western pedagogies and CHC educational approaches should be
integrated for the sake of the students. University students aim to equip themselves with employability
skills upon graduation. Formative assessments allow students to
receive detailed, positive, and timely feedback and they can identify
their strengths and weaknesses before they start working. However,
there remains a question of whether university year 1 students who
come from an examination-driven secondary education background
are ready to respond to more formative assessments. The findings show that year 1 students are less concerned about
competition in the university and more open to new teaching
approaches that will allow them to improve as professionals in their
major study areas.
[1] R. Berry, 'Assessment trends in Hong Kong: seeking to establish
formative assessment in an examination culture', Assessment in
Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 199-211,
2011.
[2] D. Carless, From testing to productive student learning. New York:
Routledge, 2011.
[3] S. P. W. Wong, ‘Community expectation of tertiary education’, Asia
Engineer, February, pp. 14-15, 1994.
[4] P. Yee, 'Competing Contexts for Developing Personal and Social
Education in Hong Kong', Comparative Education, vol. 37, no. 1, pp.
65-87, 2001.
[5] K. Forestier and M. Crossley, 'International education policy transfer –
borrowing both ways: the Hong Kong and England experience',
Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, vol.
45, no. 5, pp. 664-685, 2014.
[6] C. C. Lam, 'The romance and reality of policy‐making and
implementation: a case study of the target‐oriented curriculum in Hong
Kong', Journal of Education Policy, vol. 18, no. 6, pp. 641-655, 2003.
[7] K. Morrison, ‘Paradox lost: Toward a robust test of the Chinese learner’,
Education Journal, vol. 34, no. 1, pp. 1-30, 2006.
[8] N. Davis, E. Kumtepe and M. Aydeniz, 'Fostering Continuous
Improvement and Learning Through Peer Assessment: Part of an
Integral Model of Assessment', Educational Assessment, vol. 12, no. 2,
pp. 113-135, 2007.
[9] W. Zhang, 'Conceptions of lifelong learning in Confucian culture: their
impact on adult learners', International Journal of Lifelong Education,
vol. 27, no. 5, pp. 551-557, 2008.
[10] P. Nguyen, C. Terlouw and A. Pilot, 'Culturally appropriate pedagogy:
the case of group learning in a Confucian Heritage Culture context',
Intercultural Education, vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 1-19, 2006. [11] D. Koretz, 'Using Multiple Measures to Address Perverse Incentives and
Score Inflation', Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, vol. 22,
no. 2, pp. 18-26, 2003.
[12] G. Deckert and B. Johnston, 'Values in English Language Teaching',
TESOL Quarterly, vol. 40, no. 4, p. 872, 2006.
[13] R. Hayhoe, 'Education in Hong Kong, 1941 to 2001: Visions and
Revisions by Anthony Sweeting: Education in Hong Kong, 1941 to
2001: Visions and Revisions', COMP EDUC REV, vol. 49, no. 3, pp.
425-427, 2005.
[14] R. Alexander, Essays on Pedagogy. New York: Routledge, 2008
[15] D. A. Watkins and J. van Aalst, ‘Comparing Ways of Learning’, CERC
Studies in Comparative Education, vol. 32, pp. 365-385, 2014.
[16] M. Han and X. Yang, ‘Educational assessment in China: Lessons from
history and future prospects’, Assessment in Education: principles,
policy & practice, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 5-10, 2001.
[17] K. Alshare and N. M. Hindi, ‘The importance of presentation skills in
the classroom: Students and instructors perspectives’, Journal of
Computing Sciences in Colleges, vol. 19, no. 4, pp. 6-15, 2004.
[18] P. J. Black and D. Wiliam, ‘Developing the theory of formative
assessment’, Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability,
vol. 21, no. 1, pp.5-31, 2009.
[19] D. Carless, ‘Prospects for the implementation of assessment for
learning’, Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, vol.
12, no. 1, pp. 39-54, 2005.
[20] Fung, Y. Y. H. (2007). Collaborative online learning: interaction
patterns and limiting factors. Open Learning: The Journal of Open,
Distance and e-Learning, 19(2), 135-149.
[21] F. Dochy, ‘A new assessment era: Different needs, new challenges’.
Learning and Instruction, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 11–20, 2001.
[22] P. Smyth, ‘Is there a difference between peer assessment and peer
feedback?’, 2015 (Online). Available:
https://psmythblog.wordpress.com/ (Accessed: 30-05-2015).
[23] K. M. Cheng, ‘The culture of schooling in East Asia’. In N. Entwistle
(eds.), Handbook of Educational Ideas and Practices. London:
Routledge, pp. 163–173, 1995.
[24] P. Knight, ‘Assessing complex achievements’. In: McNay I (ed.) Beyond
Mass Higher Education. Maidenhead: Open University
Press/SRHE/McGraw-Hill Education, pp. 96–104, 2006
[25] S. Deeley, 'Summative co-assessment: A deep learning approach to
enhancing employability skills and attributes', Active Learning in Higher
Education, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 39-51, 2013.
[26] S. Rowland, The enquiring university teacher. Buckingham (England):
Society for Research into Higher Education & Open University Press,
2000.
[27] L. Dacre Pool and P. Sewell, 'The key to employability: developing a
practical model of graduate employability', Education + Training, vol.
49, no. 4, pp. 277-289, 2007.
[28] CBI, ‘Future Fit: Preparing Graduates for the World of Work’. London:
CBI, 2009.
[29] P. Knight and M. Yorke, 'Employability through the curriculum',
Tertiary Education and Management, vol. 8, no. 4, pp. 261-276, 2002.
[30] S. Deeley, 'Service-learning: Thinking outside the box', Active Learning
in Higher Education, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 43-53, 2010.
[31] J. Moon, Reflection and employability. York: LTSN Generic Centre,
2004.
[32] K. O. Omorogiuwa, ‘Benefits and challenges of feedback in formative
assessment of distance learners’, 2012.
[33] N. Falchikov, Improving assessment through student involvement. New
York: RoutledgeFalmer, 2005.
[34] W.Y. Zhang and K. Perris, ‘Assessing learning styles in distance
education: a Hong Kong perspective’, Journal of Distance Education,
vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 25-37, 2003.
[35] H. Cheu, Confucianism in Chinese culture. Selangor Darul Shsan,
Malaysia: Pelanduk Publications, 2000.
[36] M. Hill, 'SpeakEasy: online support for oral presentation skills', ELT
Journal, vol. 57, no. 4, pp. 370-376, 2003.
[37] G. Joughin, 'Student conceptions of oral presentations', Studies in Higher
Education, vol. 32, no. 3, pp. 323-336, 2007.
[38] D. Carless, 'Issues in Teachers' Reinterpretation of a Task-Based
Innovation in Primary Schools', TESOL Quarterly, vol. 38, no. 4, p. 639,
2004.
[39] G. Hinchliffe and A. Jolly, 'Graduate identity and employability', British
Educational Research Journal, vol. 37, no. 4, pp. 563-584, 2011.
[40] W. Y. Zhang, ‘Comparative study of online teaching and learning in
Asia’s open universities’, Distance Education Annual (Taiwan), vol. 16,
pp. 1-9, 2004.
[41] D. Nicol, A. Thomson and C. Breslin, 'Rethinking feedback practices in
higher education: a peer review perspective', Assessment & Evaluation
in Higher Education, vol. 39, no. 1, pp. 102-122, 2013.
[42] D. Kember, C. Hong and A. Ho, 'Characterizing the motivational
orientation of students in higher education: A naturalistic study in three
Hong Kong universities', British Journal of Educational Psychology,
vol. 78, no. 2, pp. 313-329, 2008.
[43] N. Liu and D. Carless, 'Peer feedback: the learning element of peer
assessment', Teaching in Higher Education, vol. 11, no. 3, pp. 279-290,
2006.
[44] M. Patri, 'The influence of peer feedback on self and peer-assessment of
oral skills', Language Testing, vol. 19, no. 2, pp. 109-131, 2002.
[45] M. Poehner, 'Dynamic Assessment: fairness through the prism of
mediation', Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, vol.
18, no. 2, pp. 99-112, 2011.
[46] W. O. Lee, ‘The cultural context for Chinese learners: conceptions of
learning in the Confucian tradition’. In: D. A.Watkins & J. B. Biggs
(eds.), The Chinese Learners: cultural, psychological and contextual
influences. Hong Kong, Comparative Education Research Centre, pp.
25–41, 1996.
[1] R. Berry, 'Assessment trends in Hong Kong: seeking to establish
formative assessment in an examination culture', Assessment in
Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 199-211,
2011.
[2] D. Carless, From testing to productive student learning. New York:
Routledge, 2011.
[3] S. P. W. Wong, ‘Community expectation of tertiary education’, Asia
Engineer, February, pp. 14-15, 1994.
[4] P. Yee, 'Competing Contexts for Developing Personal and Social
Education in Hong Kong', Comparative Education, vol. 37, no. 1, pp.
65-87, 2001.
[5] K. Forestier and M. Crossley, 'International education policy transfer –
borrowing both ways: the Hong Kong and England experience',
Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, vol.
45, no. 5, pp. 664-685, 2014.
[6] C. C. Lam, 'The romance and reality of policy‐making and
implementation: a case study of the target‐oriented curriculum in Hong
Kong', Journal of Education Policy, vol. 18, no. 6, pp. 641-655, 2003.
[7] K. Morrison, ‘Paradox lost: Toward a robust test of the Chinese learner’,
Education Journal, vol. 34, no. 1, pp. 1-30, 2006.
[8] N. Davis, E. Kumtepe and M. Aydeniz, 'Fostering Continuous
Improvement and Learning Through Peer Assessment: Part of an
Integral Model of Assessment', Educational Assessment, vol. 12, no. 2,
pp. 113-135, 2007.
[9] W. Zhang, 'Conceptions of lifelong learning in Confucian culture: their
impact on adult learners', International Journal of Lifelong Education,
vol. 27, no. 5, pp. 551-557, 2008.
[10] P. Nguyen, C. Terlouw and A. Pilot, 'Culturally appropriate pedagogy:
the case of group learning in a Confucian Heritage Culture context',
Intercultural Education, vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 1-19, 2006. [11] D. Koretz, 'Using Multiple Measures to Address Perverse Incentives and
Score Inflation', Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, vol. 22,
no. 2, pp. 18-26, 2003.
[12] G. Deckert and B. Johnston, 'Values in English Language Teaching',
TESOL Quarterly, vol. 40, no. 4, p. 872, 2006.
[13] R. Hayhoe, 'Education in Hong Kong, 1941 to 2001: Visions and
Revisions by Anthony Sweeting: Education in Hong Kong, 1941 to
2001: Visions and Revisions', COMP EDUC REV, vol. 49, no. 3, pp.
425-427, 2005.
[14] R. Alexander, Essays on Pedagogy. New York: Routledge, 2008
[15] D. A. Watkins and J. van Aalst, ‘Comparing Ways of Learning’, CERC
Studies in Comparative Education, vol. 32, pp. 365-385, 2014.
[16] M. Han and X. Yang, ‘Educational assessment in China: Lessons from
history and future prospects’, Assessment in Education: principles,
policy & practice, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 5-10, 2001.
[17] K. Alshare and N. M. Hindi, ‘The importance of presentation skills in
the classroom: Students and instructors perspectives’, Journal of
Computing Sciences in Colleges, vol. 19, no. 4, pp. 6-15, 2004.
[18] P. J. Black and D. Wiliam, ‘Developing the theory of formative
assessment’, Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability,
vol. 21, no. 1, pp.5-31, 2009.
[19] D. Carless, ‘Prospects for the implementation of assessment for
learning’, Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, vol.
12, no. 1, pp. 39-54, 2005.
[20] Fung, Y. Y. H. (2007). Collaborative online learning: interaction
patterns and limiting factors. Open Learning: The Journal of Open,
Distance and e-Learning, 19(2), 135-149.
[21] F. Dochy, ‘A new assessment era: Different needs, new challenges’.
Learning and Instruction, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 11–20, 2001.
[22] P. Smyth, ‘Is there a difference between peer assessment and peer
feedback?’, 2015 (Online). Available:
https://psmythblog.wordpress.com/ (Accessed: 30-05-2015).
[23] K. M. Cheng, ‘The culture of schooling in East Asia’. In N. Entwistle
(eds.), Handbook of Educational Ideas and Practices. London:
Routledge, pp. 163–173, 1995.
[24] P. Knight, ‘Assessing complex achievements’. In: McNay I (ed.) Beyond
Mass Higher Education. Maidenhead: Open University
Press/SRHE/McGraw-Hill Education, pp. 96–104, 2006
[25] S. Deeley, 'Summative co-assessment: A deep learning approach to
enhancing employability skills and attributes', Active Learning in Higher
Education, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 39-51, 2013.
[26] S. Rowland, The enquiring university teacher. Buckingham (England):
Society for Research into Higher Education & Open University Press,
2000.
[27] L. Dacre Pool and P. Sewell, 'The key to employability: developing a
practical model of graduate employability', Education + Training, vol.
49, no. 4, pp. 277-289, 2007.
[28] CBI, ‘Future Fit: Preparing Graduates for the World of Work’. London:
CBI, 2009.
[29] P. Knight and M. Yorke, 'Employability through the curriculum',
Tertiary Education and Management, vol. 8, no. 4, pp. 261-276, 2002.
[30] S. Deeley, 'Service-learning: Thinking outside the box', Active Learning
in Higher Education, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 43-53, 2010.
[31] J. Moon, Reflection and employability. York: LTSN Generic Centre,
2004.
[32] K. O. Omorogiuwa, ‘Benefits and challenges of feedback in formative
assessment of distance learners’, 2012.
[33] N. Falchikov, Improving assessment through student involvement. New
York: RoutledgeFalmer, 2005.
[34] W.Y. Zhang and K. Perris, ‘Assessing learning styles in distance
education: a Hong Kong perspective’, Journal of Distance Education,
vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 25-37, 2003.
[35] H. Cheu, Confucianism in Chinese culture. Selangor Darul Shsan,
Malaysia: Pelanduk Publications, 2000.
[36] M. Hill, 'SpeakEasy: online support for oral presentation skills', ELT
Journal, vol. 57, no. 4, pp. 370-376, 2003.
[37] G. Joughin, 'Student conceptions of oral presentations', Studies in Higher
Education, vol. 32, no. 3, pp. 323-336, 2007.
[38] D. Carless, 'Issues in Teachers' Reinterpretation of a Task-Based
Innovation in Primary Schools', TESOL Quarterly, vol. 38, no. 4, p. 639,
2004.
[39] G. Hinchliffe and A. Jolly, 'Graduate identity and employability', British
Educational Research Journal, vol. 37, no. 4, pp. 563-584, 2011.
[40] W. Y. Zhang, ‘Comparative study of online teaching and learning in
Asia’s open universities’, Distance Education Annual (Taiwan), vol. 16,
pp. 1-9, 2004.
[41] D. Nicol, A. Thomson and C. Breslin, 'Rethinking feedback practices in
higher education: a peer review perspective', Assessment & Evaluation
in Higher Education, vol. 39, no. 1, pp. 102-122, 2013.
[42] D. Kember, C. Hong and A. Ho, 'Characterizing the motivational
orientation of students in higher education: A naturalistic study in three
Hong Kong universities', British Journal of Educational Psychology,
vol. 78, no. 2, pp. 313-329, 2008.
[43] N. Liu and D. Carless, 'Peer feedback: the learning element of peer
assessment', Teaching in Higher Education, vol. 11, no. 3, pp. 279-290,
2006.
[44] M. Patri, 'The influence of peer feedback on self and peer-assessment of
oral skills', Language Testing, vol. 19, no. 2, pp. 109-131, 2002.
[45] M. Poehner, 'Dynamic Assessment: fairness through the prism of
mediation', Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, vol.
18, no. 2, pp. 99-112, 2011.
[46] W. O. Lee, ‘The cultural context for Chinese learners: conceptions of
learning in the Confucian tradition’. In: D. A.Watkins & J. B. Biggs
(eds.), The Chinese Learners: cultural, psychological and contextual
influences. Hong Kong, Comparative Education Research Centre, pp.
25–41, 1996.
@article{"International Journal of Business, Human and Social Sciences:71834", author = "Eric Ho", title = "Knowing Where the Learning Is a Shift from Summative to Formative Assessment", abstract = "Pedagogical approaches in Asia nowadays are
imported from the West. In Confucian Heritage Culture (CHC),
however, there is a dichotomy between the perceived benefits of
Western pedagogies and the real classroom practices in Chinese
societies. The success of Hong Kong students in large-scale
international assessments has proved that both the strengths of both
Western pedagogies and CHC educational approaches should be
integrated for the sake of the students. University students aim to equip themselves with employability
skills upon graduation. Formative assessments allow students to
receive detailed, positive, and timely feedback and they can identify
their strengths and weaknesses before they start working. However,
there remains a question of whether university year 1 students who
come from an examination-driven secondary education background
are ready to respond to more formative assessments. The findings show that year 1 students are less concerned about
competition in the university and more open to new teaching
approaches that will allow them to improve as professionals in their
major study areas.
", keywords = "Formative assessment, higher education, learning
styles, Confucian heritage culture.", volume = "10", number = "1", pages = "78-6", }
