Mentoring Session | Race Ch.4 & 5 × PSF 2023 A3

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Before You Begin

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What this workbook is about: Phil Race argues that assessment is currently “broken” in post-compulsory education — we over-assess, rely too heavily on exams and essays, and give feedback that arrives too late to help. Chapters 4 and 5 offer a practical framework for rethinking both.

PSF 2023 Area 3 asks you to demonstrate that you assess and give feedback to learners. A3 This workbook helps you connect Race’s ideas to your own practice and build evidence for your RAPP, drawing on K1 K2 K3 V1 V2 V3.

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Your Starting Point

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Think about your current assessment and feedback practices. Be honest — this is for your reflection, not for judgement.

An assessment approach I use that I think works well A3

A piece of feedback I gave that I’m not sure helped the student K3

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Race’s Challenge: Assessment is “Broken”

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Race opens Chapter 4 with a bold claim: assessment in post-compulsory education is broken. Students are driven by “When’s the deadline?” and “What’s the pass mark?” rather than genuine engagement with learning. We over-assess, and much of what we assess doesn’t reliably measure what students can actually do.

He argues that fit-for-purpose assessment must be four things: valid (measures what it claims to), reliable (consistent across markers), transparent (students understand what’s expected), and authentic (relates to real-world application). K2 V2

How does your assessment measure up against Race’s four criteria?

Audit one of your assessments against Race’s four principles

Principle	How well does your assessment meet this? What’s the evidence?
Valid
Reliable
Transparent
Authentic

The Over-Assessment Problem K3

Race argues we assess too much. Do your students experience assessment overload? What could you remove or redesign?

Your reflection on assessment load

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Assessment Types & the Seven Factors

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Race critically examines common assessment formats — particularly exams and essays — against his seven factors of successful learning. His finding: traditional exams primarily test recall under pressure (surface learning), and essays often reward strategic “cue-seeking” rather than deep understanding. He compares eleven assessment types and argues we should choose formats that activate more of the seven factors. K1 K2

Which of the seven factors does your main assessment format activate? Check all that apply.

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Wanting to learn

Does the assessment spark interest?

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Needing to learn

Is relevance clear?

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Learning by doing

Is there practice before judgement?

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Learning through feedback

Do students get formative feedback first?

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Making sense

Does it test understanding or just recall?

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Explaining to others

Does it involve articulating understanding?

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Making judgements

Does it involve self/peer assessment?

What does this audit reveal about your assessment design? A3

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Race on Feedback: Timing, Purpose & Feed-Forward

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In Chapter 5, Race argues that feedback only works when it arrives while students still care about the work. He compares feedback to fish — if not used quickly, it goes off. He distinguishes between feedback (looking back at what happened) and feed-forward (giving students actionable guidance for next time). He also argues that students need to receive feedback after they’ve had a go — not before. The sequence matters: doing → feedback → making sense. K1 A3

Think about a recent piece of feedback you gave. Walk through it honestly.

How quickly did students receive it after submitting? K1

Was it feedback (backward-looking) or feed-forward (actionable for next time)?

Peer & Self-Assessment K2 V1

Race links peer and self-assessment directly to his seventh factor — making informed judgements. When students assess their own or each other’s work, they develop deeper understanding of quality and standards. This also builds assessment literacy: students learn to interpret criteria, recognise standards, and evaluate evidence. V2

Do you use peer or self-assessment? What works and what doesn’t?

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PSF A3 — Building Your Evidence

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A3: Assess and give feedback to learners. Your RAPP needs you to show not just what you do, but why you make those choices and what you know about how assessment and feedback affect learning. Race’s chapters give you the theoretical foundation. Try this formula:

“I [assess/give feedback] in this way because I know that [insight from Race/K1/K2] and this enables [impact on student learning/V2].”

Draft an A3 evidence example using the formula above A3 K1 V2

Connecting the Dimensions

What has Race made you rethink about your assessment or feedback? K3 V3

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My Commitment

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Based on what you’ve reflected on, name one specific thing you will change about your assessment or feedback practice.

One thing I’ll change A3

How I’ll know it worked K5

Assessment & Feedback for Learning