Source: https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-subject-level-curriculum-seneca-certified/5-1-1-meaningful-assessment

[Revision notes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes.md) › [Teacher CPD](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd.md) › [CPD: Subject Level Curriculum - Seneca Certified](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-subject-level-curriculum-seneca-certified.md) › Meaningful Assessment

# Meaningful Assessment

CPD: Subject Level Curriculum (by Kat Howard and Claire Hill), topic 5.1.1

## Meaningful Assessment

When the curriculum is defined and sequenced with care and attention paid to the types of knowledge in our subject, assessment design can be far more precise.

### Fragile and inert knowledge

![Fragile and inert knowledge](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-08/dbd08d96-eca2-49aa-a156-c5489b2817a4/brain-rubber-memory-loss.jpg)

- Fragile knowledge refers to when students do not understand, remember or consistently use what they have been taught.
 - This results in an inability to successfully apply this knowledge independently and in different contexts. 
- Inert knowledge refers to students remembering information when tested, but not being able to apply it outside of those limited test conditions. 
- Meaningful assessment design can help avoid fragile and inert knowledge.

### Effective assessment

![Effective assessment](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-08/3d7c4deb-95b2-4486-b934-cc36f349f8bd/exam-writing.jpg)

-  Effective assessment:
 - Identifies the specific knowledge students have learnt and can apply.
 - Pinpoints misconceptions.
 - Is incremental.

### Fine tuning

![Fine tuning](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-08/d7a48672-5053-48a4-8796-ebcc16dfc3b8/exam-students.jpg)

- Assessment needs to be finely tuned to identify:
 - How far each aspect of the curriculum has been mastered.
 - Where misconceptions must be addressed before moving to the next stage.

### Identifying misconceptions

![Identifying misconceptions](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-08/eee6bab5-d6a7-493a-8fb2-39322a189cd0/exam-sheet-answers.jpg)

- Multiple-choice quizzes (MCQs) have become increasingly popular in schools.
- A well-structured MCQ can be extremely powerful, both in terms of identifying what students know and in addressing misconceptions. 
- Daisy Christodoulou suggests avoiding using answers that are obviously incorrect and instead designing questions with answers that are plausible but still unambiguously wrong.

## Test yourself on Meaningful Assessment

- Which type of knowledge refers to when students do not understand, remember or consistently use what they have been taught?

[Practise this topic for free](https://app.senecalearning.com/classroom/course/f3a2c6ae-e04a-4fb5-8f9e-1d3a02b00049/section/c465bfc7-267d-473e-9bbb-530266dc3425/session)

- Previous topic: [4.1.2 Threshold Concepts](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-subject-level-curriculum-seneca-certified/4-1-2-threshold-concepts.md)
- Next topic: [6.1.1 Instruments of the Curriculum](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-subject-level-curriculum-seneca-certified/6-1-1-instruments-of-the-curriculum.md)

## CPD: Subject Level Curriculum (by Kat Howard and Claire Hill) contents

### 1 Introduction
- 1.1 Introduction
  - [1.1.1 Shaping the Curriculum](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-subject-level-curriculum-seneca-certified/1-1-1-shaping-the-curriculum.md)

### 2 Curriculum Rationale
- 2.1 Curriculum Rationale
  - [2.1.1 The Role of Subject Leaders](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-subject-level-curriculum-seneca-certified/2-1-1-the-role-of-subject-leaders.md)
  - [2.1.2 Curriculum Rationale](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-subject-level-curriculum-seneca-certified/2-1-2-curriculum-rationale.md)

### 3 Curriculum Knowledge
- 3.1 Curriculum Knowledge
  - [3.1.1 Core Knowledge](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-subject-level-curriculum-seneca-certified/3-1-1-core-knowledge.md)
  - [3.1.2 Hinterland Knowledge](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-subject-level-curriculum-seneca-certified/3-1-2-hinterland-knowledge.md)
  - [3.1.3 Substantive Knowledge](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-subject-level-curriculum-seneca-certified/3-1-3-substantive-knowledge.md)
  - [3.1.4 Disciplinary Knowledge](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-subject-level-curriculum-seneca-certified/3-1-4-disciplinary-knowledge.md)
  - [3.1.5 Declarative & Procedural Knowledge](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-subject-level-curriculum-seneca-certified/3-1-5-declarative-and-procedural-knowledge.md)

### 4 Curriculum Sequencing
- 4.1 Curriculum Sequencing
  - [4.1.1 Cognitive Load Theory](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-subject-level-curriculum-seneca-certified/4-1-1-cognitive-load-theory.md)
  - [4.1.2 Threshold Concepts](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-subject-level-curriculum-seneca-certified/4-1-2-threshold-concepts.md)

### 5 Assessment
- 5.1 Assessment
  - [5.1.1 Meaningful Assessment](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-subject-level-curriculum-seneca-certified/5-1-1-meaningful-assessment.md)

### 6 Instruments of the Curriculum
- 6.1 Instruments of the Curriculum
  - [6.1.1 Instruments of the Curriculum](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-subject-level-curriculum-seneca-certified/6-1-1-instruments-of-the-curriculum.md)