Integrating assessment for learning strategies in Web 2.0 learning activities

Web 2.0 concepts have led to the development and evolution of many web-based communities and hosted services, including blogs, wikis, podcasts, RSS and social networking sites. Many researchers argue that Web 2.0 concepts and technologies could support lifelong learning communities and also offer an exciting opportunity to create a classroom without walls. The findings of our previous case studies on student teachers also show that Web 2.0 tools such as wikis can facilitate different forms of feedback, self and peer assessment, and also multidimensional assessment methods that are advocated in Assessment for Learning (AfL). It was also pointed out that if teachers are to raise the standards of their students, they should make AfL an essential component of classroom work. It is worthwhile for us to further explore how to integrate AfL strategies in wiki-based learning activities especially AfL is one of the focuses of curriculum reform. Under these circumstances, a number of case studies have been conducted at the Hong Kong Institute of Education to explore the connection of AfL to Web 2.0 tools. The participants came from programmes ranging from higher diploma to master levels. The participants were assigned to do some learning tasks with free Wikis tool. In the learning activities, they are required (1) to set up wiki sites for doing collaborative projects; (2) take up a collaborator role in group projects and a viewer role for commenting others’ work, and (3)conduct self-assessment and peer assessment in wiki-based learning activities. At the same time, the researchers also attempt to apply different kinds of AfL strategies to support student learning. Our study aimed to answer two main research questions: 1) How can assessment be used to support learning in wiki-based activities? 2) What kind of AfL strategies can be integrated in wiki-based learning activities? This paper will explore the strategies for using AfL in Web 2.0 tools.