Catching, Not Teaching: How Students Will Experience Assessment As Learning

In this post, I want to talk share how I’ll be building my learning environment in a way that helps students experience Assessment of, for, or as Learning ideas first-hand.

Because here’s the thing: ownership of learning can’t be handed to anyone in a lecture. It’s something you feel when the conditions are right—when the learning becomes yours (Earl, 2013).

You’ll Catch the Shift When...

Here’s how I’m shaping my class so students begin to naturally shift from doing the work for a grade to doing it for their growth:

1. They’ll Set the Bar, Not Just Meet It

Instead of me telling students what “good” looks like all the time, they’ll work with examples, create their own success criteria, and revisit their goals. In my Effective Meal Planning course, for example, they’ll co-create a checklist with their team based on what they think makes a strong meal plan—not just what I think.

Why? Because once you define success, you're more invested in achieving it.

This practice supports metacognitive development, one of the key outcomes of Assessment as Learning (Earl, 2013).

2. They'll Reflect Before I Assess

Before I ever mark students work, they’ll mark it first—honestly. Not for grades, but to pause and ask: Did I meet my own goals? What would I change next time? This builds their internal compass for learning. It helps them see that assessment is not a judgment—it’s a mirror (Black & Wiliam, 2009).

Over time, they won’t wait for my feedback—they’ll already know where they’re growing and where they’re stuck.

3. Feedback Won’t Be a One-Way Street

Students will give each other feedback that’s honest, specific, and kind. I’ll model it, but then I’ll step back. When the class workshops projects together, I won’t be the “expert” at the front—I’ll be beside them, asking questions just like they are.

The goal? They’ll start to hear their inner voice giving feedback, not just mine.

This aligns with Sadler’s (1989) emphasis on learners developing evaluative judgment, which is crucial for self-regulation and improvement.

A Tool They’ll Use to Reflect and Grow

The Self-Guided Reflection Toolkit

Quick-check reflection prompts
Peer feedback starters
Weekly “learning pulse” check-ins
🔗 (Link to downloadable resource)

Students can use it throughout the course. You’ll be surprised how much insight you build by pausing just long enough to notice what you’re learning—and how.

Why This Matters

Students are in my course not just to pass—it’s to become better at becoming better. Assessment as learning helps students build that muscle. They won’t just complete tasks—they’ll shape how they learn, how they improve, and how they show up in the real world (Earl, 2013).

References

Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (2009). Developing the theory of formative assessment. Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability, 21(1), 5–31. Online Reference

Earl, L. M. (2013). Assessment as learning: Using classroom assessment to maximize student learning (2nd ed.). Corwin.

Sadler, D. R. (1989). Formative assessment and the design of instructional systems. Instructional Science, 18(2), 119–144. Online Reference

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