Question 1 – What will students learn?
The program of studies forms the basis for instruction and assessment in Alberta. Learner outcomes identify what students need to do in order to demonstrate their attainment of these outcomes. Tomlinson and McTighe point out the importance of examining both the nouns and the verbs within the learner outcomes (p. 32). Nouns point to the big ideas and essential questions, whereas the verbs suggest assessment opportunities. Unique characteristics of various learner outcomes have implications for assessment.
Values and Attitudes outcomes engage students in the expression of their beliefs about topics and issues. Students consider personal responsibility as citizens of various communities – home, classroom, local, national and global.
Assessment experiences should provide students with opportunities to think critically about their values and beliefs and to align their current and future actions to those values. Verbs such as appreciate, respect and value permeate the grade level Values and Attitudes social studies outcomes. Letter or number grades may not be appropriate for such assessments and teachers may find that personal communication in the form of descriptive feedback is an effective way to provide feedback and report student progress (see descriptive feedback examples).
Knowledge and Understanding outcomes ask students to investigate, examine, analyze, evaluate and assess critically. The bulleted items may be considered as inquiry questions to provide structure for the specific outcomes.
Assessment experiences must go beyond the content of the bulleted item and reflect the cognitive processes identified in the specific outcomes. Involving students in critical challenges from the Online Guide is one way to move students beyond the specificity of the various bulleted items and on to thinking critically about the content of the curriculum.
Skills and Processes outcomes have consistent categories among all grades, providing a continuum of skill development. While critical thinking is one of the dimensions of thinking within the Skills and Processes outcomes, student learning is enhanced when critical thinking is embedded in all aspects of instruction.
Quality assessment experiences go beyond simply asking students to provide facts and details. For example, students might be asked to critically evaluate the impact of various peoples on each other and on subsequent events. To do this, they must access the necessary background information, consider multiple perspectives, filter for bias, and draw and support conclusions. These critical thinking processes, rather than content, become the criteria (basis for making reasoned judgement) for evaluation.
When students are engaged in critical thinking, it changes the way they learn and the nature of evidence teachers use to make judgments about student achievement. There is a shift from the accumulation of isolated bits of information to the use of information to solve relevant problems, create products of value or meet challenges. "…Critical thinking can be used to enhance student understanding of content, appreciation of attitudes and mastery of skills in the social studies curriculum" (The Critical Thinking Consortium 2005, p. 2).
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