Making Assessment Work for the Classroom: A conversation with the editors of Fundamentals of Assessment: Principles and Practices for the Classroom

Assessment is one of the most powerful tools teachers have. Beyond marks and report books, assessment shapes what students value, how they learn, and how they feel about learning. In this interview, we speak with the editors of Fundamentals of Assessment: Principles and Practices for the Classroom – four faculty members from the National Institute of Education (NIE), Singapore, who teach assessment courses and work closely with teachers across diverse school contexts. The editors are Dr Chue Kah Loong (KL), Dr Kelvin Tan (Kel), Dr Tay Hui Yong (HY), and Dr Amelia Yeo (AY), who share with us their thoughts and experiences in editing this book. 

AFAL: Can you give a short description of the book? How is this book different from other assessment books? 

KL: School-based assessment is essential in planning for quality teaching and learning. It provides both teachers and students with valuable insights into the latter’s strengths, weaknesses, and progress, and helps them to make informed decisions on their next steps. However, designing, implementing, and interpreting classroom assessments can be a challenging task for teachers, especially those who are new to the profession. This book is designed for those beginning their journey into educational assessment or to those that need a refresher course. It is divided into 4 sections: (a) foundations of assessment; (b) assessment design and development; (c) approaches to formative assessment; and (d) sustainable assessment for the future. 

HY: More than 30 years ago (in 1991), there was a book “DOS for dummies” that was well-received because beginners to DOS finally had a resource to help them navigate this new area. The popularity spawned a whole series of “For Dummies” in other topics. If they had a “Classroom assessment for Dummies” for Singaporean teachers, they wouldn’t have done better than our book: Fundamentals of Assessment: Principles and Practices for the Classroom. 

This book offers beginners quick handles on the “how to” in the many areas of assessment practice in class. So it is a quick one-stop resource for someone eager to dive into the area of classroom assessment. But more importantly, it is written by assessment experts who are familiar with the local context and thus be able to provide local examples and comment on the issues faced by our teachers.

AFAL: How did your experiences shape the book? 

KL: Teaching assessment at NIE, we’ve seen that teachers don’t just want general ideas and concepts, they want to know what practical things they can do and why it works. That pushed us to write the book with classroom realities in mind while still keeping the assessment thinking rigorous and professionally grounded.

AFAL: How does this book help address the most common assessment challenges today? 

Kel: By addressing fundamentals! Like any other industry, or vocation, strong fundamentals provide the foundations for effective practices, and the book seeks to articulate and illustrate for readers a strong foundation for meeting the myriad challenges in and for assessment in schools and society.

KL: Besides fundamentals, we have an added section on the psychosocial impacts of assessment, which is a current assessment challenge that teachers face today.

AFAL: Many teachers struggle to balance teaching and assessment. What practical guidance does the book offer to make assessment more manageable? 

HY: I don’t know if it is helpful to see teaching separate from assessment, unless one sees teaching as just transmitting information to be tested later. If teaching is firstly concerned with learning, wouldn’t the teacher need to proactively design teaching moves to be check on how the learner is progressing (i.e., assessment). 

But I understand there are many balls to juggle in the air. Hence this book helps to be that friend you can turn to for just-in-time advice. It will help cut through the maze to focus on the critical areas that need to be attended to.

AFAL: Assessment can shape how students feel about learning. How does the book help teachers design assessments that support motivation and well-being? 

 AY: The book contains chapters that discuss how teachers can design and implement formative assessments in the classroom. When students associate assessment with feedback and support, they are more likely to feel motivated to learn. The chapter “Assessment and wellbeing” discusses how student wellbeing could be affected by assessment. By being informed of these issues, teachers will be more informed, enabling them to design assessments with greater awareness.

AFAL: Looking ahead, how do you see the role of assessment evolving in future-ready education?

Kel: One way of addressing this question would be to reexamine the relationship between assessment and education. The paradigm for  students and educators who prioritise the high economic stakes of assessment outcomes may be described as “education for assessment”. Those who pursue a notion of education beyond its economic rewards and consequences may lay claim to “assessment for education”. How the agenda for assessment evolves may thus depend on what we understand to be at stake in education in the future. Perhaps, we might increasingly change our focus on high stakes assessment and ask ourselves instead what should be at stake in education for the sake of our future?

AFAL: If a teacher only had time to read one chapter, what would you recommend and why?

 HY: How I can not recommend my own chapter 🙂 But seriously, because “authentic assessment” sounds so commonsensical, it is prone to misconception and even malpractice.  In fact, there is so much to be said about authentic assessments that the two authors are planning one whole book targeted for 2027-2028. Look out for it!

 Kel: I am partial to Chapter 14 which describes and discusses how assessment feedback serves CCE curriculum outcomes in the form of a 30 day Gratitude Adventure. Assessment is viewed by some as an unnecessary evil, or a burden to be discharged at the expense of enjoying our education. This chapter proves otherwise, and illustrates how carefully designed assessment tasks and feedback dialogue can help students experience and engage with meaningful tasks and conversations for doing well and being well!

 AY: I would recommend the chapter “From Passive Learners to Active Assessors: Empowering Students through Embracing Student Self-Assessment and Peer Assessment”. Students should be developed as lifelong learners, and this chapter shows how assessment plays an important role in this process.

KL: I would recommend the last chapter on Assessment and Wellbeing. This is because when teachers design assessments, they focus on immediate actions such as feedback or assessment design. Many times, they forget that assessment doesn’t just measure or improve learning, it shapes behaviour. When teachers adjust assessment with well-being in mind, it can reduce unnecessary anxiety, build confidence, and motivate students. This chapter thus reminds teachers of the hidden impact of assessment.

AFAL: Thank you editors. 

KL: Last thoughts from me. For teachers looking to strengthen their day-to-day assessment decisions with sound principles and practical strategies, this book offers a timely and grounded starting point. For those ready to go deeper into assessment, there is a another book by the same editors on the horizon: Effective Assessment in Schools: Beyond Basics and Best Practices. Keep a lookout!