Assessing Together
- Oct 19, 2025
- 2 min read
Oftentimes while thinking of assessment my initial image is of students sitting and taking written assessments silently and individually. Just because this is the view of what assessment looks like does not mean it is what gets the most accurate results of what a student actually knows about a concept. “Rather than using a single test, of one type, at the end of teaching, effective teacher-assessors gather lots of evidence along the way, using a variety of methods and formats.” (Wiggins, 2005, p. 152). Assessment is a process that is done throughout the learning. Not just at the end and I would argue that it does not need to be an individual task either.
What is more important than written tests is that students have the opportunity to demonstrate what they know and reflect on the learning they are doing. In order to truly assess students it is important that “Students reflect constantly on what they're learning, how they're meeting their own goals, and what they might do differently.” (Blum, 2020). While they could reflect individually, this reflection with a peer can give them a wider perspective not only on how they are doing individually but to come to an even deeper understanding of the material.
One of the assessments I created was a partner assessment where students needed to hold a “texting” conversation about multistep equations. The assessment directions are as follows.
You and your partner will have a texting conversation about the best way to solve a math problem. You will respond to each other by typing or writing your message then passing the paper to your partner.
Your conversation must include:
A clear step-by-step directions solving the problem
Reasoning as to why your strategy is the best
Text that sounds like a conversation between 2 people.
This assessment allows students to collaborate and demonstrate their understanding together, not just individually. While this demonstrates what students know, this allows students to reflect on other student’s strategies and learn from the assessment itself. While students could complete this activity in isolation the back and forth nature encourages students to articulate their thoughts clearly and accurately. “Collecting information doesn’t require tests, and sharing that information doesn’t require grades.” (Kohn, 2011). Students are able to support their learning through collaboration and are given the opportunity to demonstrate this in a creative yet effective way.
While oftentimes assessment is thought of as an individual task, allowing students to demonstrate this knowledge together allows them to push their thinking and learn through the process. Learning and assessing is not a linear path but through collaboration students are able to learn and demonstrate their learning at the same time. Just because traditional tests are used often in the classroom does not mean that is the only or best way to gather data of understanding. In collaboration we can push our students to new depths of understanding while gaining an important perspective on the learning that occurred.
Blum, S. D. (2022). The ungrading umbrella. Grow Beyond Grades. https://growbeyondgrades.org/blog/the-ungrading-umbrella
Kohn, A. (2011). The case against grades. Alfie Kohn. https://www.alfiekohn.org/article/case-grades/
Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design, (2nd Ed.). Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
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