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‍Asthe school year begins, many teachers are planning their lessons. Have you ever thought of starting with assessment? Backward planning would be in order to promote learning (Wiggins and McTighe, 1998). This planning should focus on three main areas: the assessment objectives (learning targets) to be achieved, the assessment methods to be chosen and the teaching methods to be recommended.

In pedagogical alignment (Biggs, 1995), the focus shifts from learning targets to teaching methods. We look at the objectives to be achieved and how to teach so that learners can reach them. Then we look at assessment methods. How can we assess in a way that is consistent with the pedagogical modalities put forward? Backward planning mixes up this order by focusing attention on assessment modalities before pedagogical ones. The idea here is to put assessment at the service of learning. We need to think about sustainable learning before anything else. It's essential to think about how we're going to assess content in order to ensure and promote sustainability.  

Imagine a teacher showing his learners laboratory techniques in a theoretical way, and that the assessment associated with this theory is a manipulative activity. It would be very difficult to argue that this planning is coherent, and that the teaching methods properly prepare learners for assessment. Assessment is not an end in itself, but a tool for learning. It enables us to establish the strengths and challenges of each learner in relation to their progress. It's trivial that assessment should be in line with teaching methods. But how can we ensure such consistency? By planning assessment methods even before teaching methods. Here are a few ideas for backward planning:

Step 1: Target your learning objectives

What do you want learners to remember about your course? If you came across them in 2, 5 or 10 years' time, what would you like them to remember? What are the essential skills?

If you consider a particular point to be a must-have, it's logical to include it in your assessment and teaching activities, which is why it's a good idea to plan it first. Your essentials must also be linked to your training objectives. You can add enrichment elements to your courses, but should you necessarily evaluate everything?  

Step 2: Determine your evaluation methods

What evidence do you have that enables you to make a professional judgment about whether training targets have been met? Is this evidence reliable and objective? What choices do you have for assessment (interview, creative project, essay, etc.)? Can you give learners the opportunity to choose from a range of assessment methods to make assessment enjoyable and effective? In what situation will the learner have to implement learning in an authentic context?

Regardless of the decisions made regarding assessment methods, it is essential to build descriptive assessment grids before planning teaching methods (Leroux and Mastracci, 2015). How can we distinguish between the achievement of an acceptable level and an excellent level? What are the essential elements and those that make it possible to distinguish a marked skill? By building your grids upstream, it will be easier to make learners aware of the evaluation criteria and observable indicators. This will give them a greater sense of control over their assessment, and boost their motivation (Viau, 1997). As you build your descriptive grids, start thinking about the feedback associated with this evaluation. How can you suggest ways of taking them further? By thinking about these last aspects in advance, your teaching will be influenced by your thinking, and your pedagogical alignment will be more coherent.

Step 3. Determining teaching methods.

How can we consciously divide up teaching time and the weighting of each essential element? What can be seen at home as a prerequisite? How can we differentiate instruction to include the whole class? Which elements should be taught for relevance, but not necessarily assessed? Which activities should be selected to promote the best possible learning?  

Following the first two planning stages, your pedagogical vision is clearer. You know exactly where to take learners and how to check their progress. All that remains is to think about how to get there. The important thing is always to be consistent in your teaching. If you've determined that the assessment will be a case study, it's essential to include learning activities involving case studies. Every activity should have a purpose, and if it doesn't, why keep it in your planning? Cut out the superfluous and focus on the relevance of each learning modality.

Now that you've started thinking about your planning, get the tools you need to make the task easier. The Zelexio platform lets you build dynamic evaluation grids adapted to your needs, share them with learners, self-assess and much more. To find out more about Zelexio, visit www.zelexio.com.  

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