Enabling students’ learning independence through assessment for learning

    Assessment for learning (AfL) strategies, closely associated with formative assessment, aim to enable students to independently assess their own learning, moving towards increasing autonomy as learners (Swaffield, 2011), and can be extremely powerful. However, as educational researcher Sue Swaffield, a former teacher, points out, they can also be confused, and the true potential of AfL frustrated. Strategies that have the potential to enable student independence serve instead to embed a passive dependence that might well fulfil teachers' desire to 'keep on track', but does not serve learners well (Swaffield, 2009). Her analysis of assessment, and her faith in the potential of AfL strategies for learners, triggered a practice change for me. Swaffield (2009) explains that the term 'assessment' is derived from the Latin verb 'assidere' meaning 'to sit beside'. The concept of 'sitting beside' the learner, sharing ideas and supporting their learning conjures up a very