Module 6 Assessment by Programme
For this module you will be focusing on the IB programme that you identified as your 'stream' for this course - either PYP, MYP (with a subject focus) or DP (with a subject focus).
The engagements for this week will be centered around going more in depth into the specifics of assessment for your particular programme - considering those requirements in relation to your experiences and your context (Ontario Ministry or otherwise). The documents you need are in the PRC.
Please open the word document attached which is for your programme stream to find the specific tasks and prompts to respond to. All responses for this week will be going into your online journals and will be due by Sunday, July 13th
Please complete this assignment and submit it as a Word Document in “file submission.” Please make sure you include the question you are answering.
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Carmelo Bono
July/08/2025
Dr. Cristina Pennington
University of Windsor
Ontario Ministry of Education’s English Curriculum in Comparison to the IBDP Language and Literature Subject Guide
To what extent are these compatible with the Ontario Ministry or with your current context?
Within the DP Guide I am looking at, Language and Literature A), from the “heading”/”Section” called Assessment, subheading “General”, this is what has been provided, “Both external and internal assessments are used in the Diploma Programme.” (IBO, 2021) Ontario’s Ministry of Education does not currently have an expectation that students are participating in assessments that are externally moderated through the specific curriculum being reviewd, The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12, English” (2007). However, students do participate in the OSSLT (Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test), which is outsourced to the EQAO for assessment practices. That being said, these do not impact a student’s success in a particular course but do impact whether or not they will meet the graduation requirements.
The “General” section of Assessments in the DP Guide compliment the assessment and evaluation practices of the Ontario English Curriculum document by emphasizing the importance of formative assessments, “ Formative assessment informs both teaching and learning. It is concerned with providing accurate and helpful feedback to students and teachers on the kind of learning taking place and the nature of students’ strengths and weaknesses in order to help develop students’ understanding and capabilities.” (IBO, 2021)
The closing statements by the DP Guide “Formative assessment can also help to improve teaching quality, as it can provide information to monitor progress towards meeting the course aims and objectives.” (IBO, 2021) also resonate strongly with the 2010 Growing Success document presented in accordance with the Ontario Ministry of Education’s call to action in providing assurance that students’ are being assessed to a degree equity and alignment across the province.
However in regards to the DP guide, “Summative assessment gives an overview of previous learning and is concerned with measuring student achievement. The Diploma Programme primarily focuses on summative assessment designed to record student achievement at, or towards the end of, the course of study.”(IBO, 2021) provides room for inferencing. Growing Success dictates that final evaluation takes place at the end of the course where assesssment is on-going and used to provide students with opportunities to demonstrate their learning as it takes place (2010). This is set to emphasize what the English Curriculum document states wherein seventy percent of the students’ course grade comes from coursework completed throughout the duration of enrollment while only 30 percent of the grades comes from final assessments that take place near the end of the course duration.
The IBO demonstrates that their assessment practices are complimentary to The Ontario Curriculum’s English subject document by stateing, “The approach to assessment used by the IB is criterion-related, not norm-referenced. This approach to assessment judges students’ work by their performance in relation to identified levels of attainment, and not in relation to the work of other students.” (IBO, 2021) This is ecohed through The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12, English, for example, “A student’s achievement of the overall expectations is evaluated on the basis of his or her achievement of related specific expectations.” (2007) Multiple times, the document states sentiments that resonate with the principles that students are agents of their own performance and abilities, not to be muddled into the performance of other students or as students are performing in other courses.
Further into the DP Guide I am looking at, Language and Literature A), from the “heading”/”Section” subheading called Methods of Assessment, this is what has been provided. This information is quoted from the sub-subheadings “Assessment Criteria”, “Analytical Markschemes” “Markbands” and ”Marking Notes”. Assessment criteria is used in open-ended situations wherein students are provided with, what the instruction is and how it should be completed in regards to proficiency. Therein, a total grade is awarded based on the total criterion score. This criterion based assessment expectation bleeds into markbands and marking notes, wherein the levelled descriptors provided allow for a degree of differentiation as needed to determine student’s performance award, the areas of needed attention are outlined through notes provided for improvement purposes. Finally, analytical markschemes are what examiners use to identify the breakdown of the mark in an assessment wherein a total mark to a question, hold a degree of weight behind specific criteria. (IBO, 2021) Many of these statements echo earlier findings as found in the The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12, English (2007) stating the use of the achievement chart and the four criteria categories provided (Knowledge and Understanding; Thinking and Inquiry; Application and Communication) as well as assessment and evaluation practices that Growing Success elaborates on in regards to the functionality of Asssessments, As, Of and For Learning (2010).
What are the objectives for your subject? To what extent are these compatible with the Ontario Achievement Categories (Knowledge & Understanding, Thinking, Communication, Application), (or substitute other achievement categories from your context that you are familiar with)? To what extent could they be ‘blended’? Explain/describe.
Within the DP Guide I am looking at, Language and Literature A), from the “heading”/”Section” called “Assessment Objectives”, these are what have been provided.
“Know, understand and interpret:
• a range of texts, works and/or performances, and their meanings and implications • contexts in which texts are written and/or received
• elements of literary, stylistic, rhetorical, visual and/or performance craft • features of particular text types and literary forms.
Analyse and evaluate:
• ways in which the use of language creates meaning
• uses and effects of literary, stylistic, rhetorical, visual or theatrical techniques
• relationships among different texts
• ways in which texts may offer perspectives on human concerns.
Communicate
• ideas in clear, logical and persuasive ways
• in a range of styles, registers and for a variety of purposes and situations
• (for literature and performance only) ideas, emotion, character and atmosphere through performance.”
(IBO, 2021)
These are compatible with the Ontario Achievement Categories as elaborated on in Growing Success (2010) and to a degree wherein, the content is specific to courses within The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11-12, English (2007) and the criteria are reflective of learning criteria outlined in the Growing Success document.
I have created a graphic organizer to visually demonstrate my findings. (Table 1)
IBDP Assessment Objective Corresponding Ontario Achievement Chart Category Specific Ontario Curriculum Expectations (Grades 11–12) Alignment/Explanation
Know, Understand and Interpret:
A range of texts, works and/or performances, and their meanings and implications
contexts in which texts are written and/or received Knowledge and Understanding
“Understanding of Content” - ENG4U: Reading 1.1, 1.3
- EWC4U: Investigating 1.1, 1.2 Both emphasize comprehension and interpretation of texts, including explicit and implicit meanings.
Analyse and evaluate:
ways in which the use of language creates meaning
uses and effects of literary, stylistic, rhetorical, visual or theatrical techniques
relationships among different texts Thinking - ENG4U: Reading 1.4, 1.5
- Writing 2.1, 2.3 Focuses on analyzing stylistic features and rhetorical devices, just as mentioned in the DP guide.
Communicate:
ideas in clear, logical and persuasive ways
in a range of styles, registers and for a variety of purposes and situations
(for literature and performance only) ideas, emotion, character and atmosphere through performance Communication - ENG4U: Oral Communication 2.3
- Writing 1.4, 2.4 Clear expression, logical structure, and audience awareness reflect AO3 priorities.
Communicate:
In a range of styles, registers and for a variety of purposes and situations Application - ENG4U: Writing 2.2, 2.5
- Media Studies 3.1, 3.3 Both assess effective use of grammar, tone, and vocabulary tailored to audience and purpose.
(Table 1, To what extent could they be ‘blended’? Explain/describe)
To conclude this section, it is worth noting that both the Ontario curriculum document and the IBDP Subject Guide can be viewed as observational education nets, where metaphorically speaking, the IBDP Subject Guide for Language and Literature casts a larger, wider net than the Ontario English Curriculum. Therefore, the Ontario Curriculum can operate to its full extent in regards to overall and specific expectations if concurrently observed or completed within a learning environment. The exception to this would be that the IBDP subject guide could in theory negate that if the instructor decided not to utilize the expectations of the Ontario Curriculum for reasons that fall under culturally responsive pedagogy, department alignment between subject teachers (wherein the colleague is not utilizing the same resources in planning) or professional judgement.
Explain the difference between aims, objectives and criteria.
In the DP Guide for Language and Literature A) (English), Aims, Objectives and Criteria measure different functions of the curriculum and practice that create circular assessment. In the IB, circular assessment is how the learning maintains the idea of it’s holistic approach to learning.
For example, the objectives bridge the aims and criteria. They’re measurable and applied across different types of assessments. The aims are not assessable; they guide curriculum design and teaching approach. However on a macro level, aims are broad, general intentions that outline the overall purpose and philosophy of the course. Their function Describe what the course seeks to develop in students holistically. For example, Develop in students the skills of textual analysis and the understanding that texts, both literary and non-literary, can be seen as constructions. Asssessment Objectives are apecific cognitive skills and learning targets that students must demonstrate in assessment their function among other things, is to provide a framework for what is being assessed in student work as well as guide both formative and summative assessments. Assessment Criteria are task-specific rubrics used to evaluate student work in each component of the course and function to provide detailed descriptors for judging the quality of student responses on individual assessment tasks.They are applied directly to student work during marking and are tailored to the different components (e.g., Paper 1, Paper 2, and Individual Oral).
To consolidate my findings, I refer to a provided visual chart below (Table 2),
Element Purpose Assessable?
Aims Guide philosophical and curricular direction N/A
Assessment Objectives Define the skills students should demonstrate (indirectly)
Assessment Criteria Provide task-specific standards for grading (directly)
(Table 2, difference between aims, objectives and criteria)
What is the difference between external and internal assessment in this course?
In the Language and Literature A) DP Guide, the Internal and External Assessment are different by a) the mode of representation and b) the personal evaluating the work.
I have attached a visual guide that demonstrates the differences in image 1)
(Image 1, difference between external and internal assessment in this course)
Describe the key assessment components of the course (including associated curriculum content/skills, weighting, etc.)
Key assessment components to the course involve an individual oral, external assessment and internal assessment. These components are essentially the summative tasks of the course that equate to the course final grade as the IO (individual oral) represents 30% of the final grade, the External Assessment Paper 1 represents 35% and Paper 2 represents 35%.
The internal assessment, the IO, involves the Prepared oral presentation based on a literary work and a non-literary body of work which connects to concepts studied throughout the course.
The external assessment, paper #1 specifically, involves Analysis of an unseen non-literary text
While paper #2 involves comparative analysis of two literary works studied.
Paper #1 requires use of skills; understanding of context, purpose, and audience; analysis of language, structure, and style; as well as organization and development of ideas. Paper #2 requires capabilities of skills such as, comparative literary analysis; knowledge of form, content, and context; as well as development of argument. In regards to assessments taking place, Paper #1 and #2 are being assessed on the following criteria, knowledge, understanding, and interpretation; analysis and evaluation; as well as focus and organization.
Overall the assessment components of the IBDP Subject Guide for Language and Literature A. (English) demonstrate significant differences from that of the Ontario Curriculum’s English Subject document in the way that assessments are utilized in the representation of the student’s final mark/grade in the class.
Which of these key components of the course do you think would be most difficult to fulfill
(i)as a teacher; and (ii) as a student? Explain.
As a teacher, the key component of this course that would be most difficult to fulfill is, overall assurance that students have received enough feedback and practice in their writing that they can confidently complete the external assessment. Developing student agency, degrees of learner profile attributes in general are difficult to inspire in students who may have developed a negative image of themselves as learners or who may demonstrate that they are still trying to develop grit in themselves.
As I understand it, a student may find that the most difficult key component to fulfill is, the external assessment. In completing the external assessment, the student needs to rely on more than just themselves in this endeavor, the student needs to rely on the hope that the teacher has provided the student with opportunities to learn and navigate through similar tasks in ways that develop not only confidence, skill and abilities, but knowledge in content as well, enough so that the student can succeed beyond their own classroom and personal context.
Ultimately through this course two key areas for success as a teacher or student, are grit, and respect. Without the ability to respect one another, each individual in this professional relationship will lack the ability to move forward through difficult or challenging experiences.
References
Ontario Ministry of Education. The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: English, Revised. Queen’s Printer for Ontario, 2007.
Ontario Ministry of Education. Growing Success: Assessment, Evaluation, and Reporting in Ontario Schools, Grades 1–12. Queen’s Printer for Ontario, 2010.
International Baccalaureate Organization. Language A: Language and Literature Guide: For Use from September 2019 / First Assessment 2021. International Baccalaureate Organization, 2019.
International Baccalaureate Organization. Diploma Programme Subject Brief: Language A: Language and Literature – First Assessment 2021. International Baccalaureate Organization, 2019.
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I have attached a link to the free download located on my TpT, in the event that the downloaded document is more intuitive for your needs/purposes.
Feedback included:
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