Welcome to the WJETT blog
What is WJETT?
The WJETT blog or Warwick Journal of Education - Transforming Teaching blog is designed to encourage staff and students to disseminate good practice and to engage with their peers on academic cultural critique or areas of research that they find interesting. With the increased focus on ‘teachers as researchers’ in the sector, many qualified teachers are expected to publish the outcomes of any action research projects they undertake. The WJETT blog can be the first step on your journey towards publishing and enables you to experience publishing and reviewing in a friendly and supportive environment.
You will need to scroll down the page below the tags to see the posts.
Book Review: Assessment – Evidence–Based Teaching for Enquiring Teachers
For a small book, Assessment: Evidence-based Teaching for Enquiring Teachers, packs a big punch. In the 92 pages of content, Chris Atherton covers nine chapters which are clearly organised and perfect for dipping into, or easy to read cover to cover. The book starts by introducing key ideas and debates around assessment; before giving an outline of the how ideas in assessment have developed and mapping out existing evidence and research in this area.
Discrete chapters then go on to address areas such as feedback, peer learning and metacognition before exploring how assessment has been implemented in various contexts around the world; finishing with a guide of how to take an evidence-based approach to the development of your practice in assessment. The chapter on assessment and memory draws on cognitive science to explain the key role of assessment in the learning process, particularly through techniques such as retrieval practice.
Throughout the book, good use is made of clear tables which offer definitions and explanations of key terms. The two-page research map on assessment in chapter two is a particularly good resource and will be valuable to anybody looking to embark on further reading around assessment. Each chapter concludes with a clear summary, followed by questions to consider around your own practice/assessment practice in your school and finally one or two recommendations of key sources for further reading.
Trainee teachers (and more experience teachers) will find this book a useful starting point for understanding key ideas in assessment and as signposting to key authors and sources for further reading. It is helpful both for the development of professional practice in assessment and supporting the development of critical analysis and academic writing in this area. Some teachers may be looking for more direct examples of assessment strategies, approaches and activities to use, which are not present in this book. There are, however, other titles which offer that and the ideas within this book can be used to help teachers decide which ones may be worth trying and how to take an evidence-based approach to their implementation.
Teacher educators will find this book a valuable resource for guiding developing teachers in their practice in assessment. The questions for enquiry will also be a good starting point for reflective practice and/or professional development sessions focussing on assessment.
Overall, I think this short book is accessible, comprehensive, and has a lot to offer. It is the first in the new Evidence-based Teaching for Enquiring Teachers series from Critical Publishing and I will definitely be adding this one to my module reading list and be looking out for future titles in the series. Cross-posted on Will Haywood’s blogLink opens in a new window.
Writing guidance
Can I write about anything in my blog post?
Yes pretty much. Academic cultural critique (Thomson and Mewburn, 2013) is always a good source of content for academic blogs. This can include (but is not limited to) comments and reflections on funding; higher education policy or academic life. You might also want to consider blogging about:
- Academic practice (Saper, 2006)
- Information and/or self-help advice
- Technical, teaching and careers advice
- Your research or practice
- How you’ve undertaken research
- The impact of research on your practice
- An area of research/practice that interests you
- Your teaching experiences/reflections
How long can my blog post be?
Each individual blog post should be no longer than 500 words. Long blocks of text are sometimes hard for readers to digest. Break up your content into shorter paragraphs, bullet points and lists whenever possible. Also include a list of keywords or tags as this makes it easier for Google to find your work.
Do I need to use citations?
No, this is a reflective piece so it does not need to include citations (but you obviously can include them if they are relevant).
Can I include links or images?
We would encourage you to include links to any articles that you have considered whilst writing your blog post. We also welcome the use of images (as long as you have permission to use them) as they can often help to illustrate a point and obviously will not be included in the word limit. Please remember this is a public site so if you want to include images of your students in your classes then you will need permission to do this.
What is the process for submitting a piece of work?
Your blog post should be emailed to A.Ball.1@warwick.ac.uk. Once the submission has been reviewed it will either be uploaded at the beginning of the next available week or sent back to you for editing if it requires amendments. You should then send the amended work to me once again and I will then upload it.