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Contextual Learning

Creating an assessment in a context helps to guide the teacher to replicate the real world experiences and make necessary inclusive design decisions. Data from contextual assessment can help to give educators a stronger profile on how the intended learning goals, standards and benchmarks relate to the world students come from. It is essential to establish and align the intended learning goals of the contextual task at the beginning to create a shared understanding of what success looks like.

Questions to address when defining and developing a contextual task:

Does the task fulfill the intended learning goals? Does the task involve problems that require the students to use their knowledge creatively to find a solution? Is the task an engaging learning experience? Is the audience as authentic as possible? Does the task require students to use processes, products and procedures that simulate those used by people working in a similar field? Are there clear criteria for students on how the product, performance or service will be evaluated? Are there models of excellence which demonstrate standards? Are the students involved in the assessment process? Is there a provision made for continuous formative feedback, from oneself, from teachers and peers to help the students improve? Is there an opportunity for student choice and ownership to the extent that would be available in a real world scenario?

Adapted From Wiggins, Grant and Jay McTighe. Understanding by Design Professional Development Workbook. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. 2004.

Adapted From Wiggins, Grant and Jay McTighe. Understanding by Design Professional Development Workbook. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. 2004.