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Developing students’ evaluative expertise

In this paper, Professor Wyatt-Smith and Associate Professor Adie bring together the outcomes from a range of empirical projects conducted from 2005–2016 to identify key ideas for embedding criteria and standards into teaching and learning practices. They answer the question of how students can come to know themselves as learners, developing an inquiry mindset and evaluative expertise through focussed pedagogic practices. The aim is to reduce trial-and-error learning by introducing approaches to systematically lessen student dependence on the teacher as the sole source of feedback. Assessment as critical inquiry into learning recognises that teacher and student assessment identities, the associated assessment artefacts and opportunities for focussed discussion on the meaning of criteria and standards can work to enhance learning. The paper challenges notions of assessment as the domain of teachers alone to include teachers and students focusing on the meaning of criteria and so coming to see criteria together.