The purpose of my action study project (Master) was to contribute to the development of ICT
based formative assessment, by utilizing OneNote for documentation and feedback at a
Vg2 class in a vocational high school. The study was conducted in Vocational
Specialization subject (Prosjekt til fordypning), and has the following overarching
research question: What are the possibilities of using OneNote as a tool for assessment
for learning?
The national initiative Assessment for Learning (2010-2014) aims to develop teachers'
assessment practices through increased knowledge and understanding of assessment, as
a tool for learning (Utdanningsdirektoratet, 2011). The demand for closer monitoring of
students, in line with the Assessment for Learning intentions, can be experienced as
time-consuming for teachers. As Hattie and Timperley (2007) point out the use of ICT
can be implemented to support teachers' assessment work. The project was limited in
focus to assessment in relation to the use of feedback and with emphasis on further
learning development.
The use of documentation in the Vocational Specialization subject (Prosjekt til
fordypning), has several purposes, but is mainly used by those who want to know what
students have actually worked with and learnt from their in-depth study
(Utdanningsdirektoratet, 2010).
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| Example of student work |
The digital tool, OneNote, opens up possibilities by
combining student's documentation work and teacher's assessment work.
The action study has been based on a qualitative approach implementing methods of
observation, interviews and document studies, to examine how students and teachers
experience using OneNote for documentation and assessment for learning.
The varied
research methods and the two perspectives, student and teacher, provided the foundation
for a triangulation to validate findings. The basis for the analysis and the chosen design
options for educational purposes, are perspectives on computer supported collaborative
learning, theories of assessment, as well as theories of learning and reflection.
The data
were collected, categorized and analyzed using OneNote. The action project was
divided into three action periods conducted during the five months from November
2012 to March 2013.
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Description OneNote prosject action periods. Inspired from Karr og Kemmis,
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The result of the study shows that digital tools can facilitate feedback as an integrated
part of student's educational activities. OneNote as a tool for documentation gave
opportunities for sharing information, substantial possibilities for storage and for
extensive use of modalities. OneNote as a tool for feedback gave opportunities for
frequent feedback directly related to the students' work. The pupil and teacher
perspective elevates the use of documentation and feedback. OneNote can
advantageously be utilized to increase learning activities and learning through
assessment. OneNote can be used for computer supported collaborative learning based
on the socio-cultural learning perspective. As a contribution to the field of ICT and
learning the findings from the study support the use of OneNote for documentation and
evaluation. Result of the study confirmed that digital literacy among students and
teachers, as well as close monitoring by the teacher, is essential in digital learning
environments (Kop & Hill, 2008; Krumsvik, 2011; Vavik & Arnesen, 2012).
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