Artificial Intelligence and marking: pitfalls

June 10, 2019

I’m all in favour of making teachers’ lives easier, but automated essay marking is not the answer.

assessment and the black swan problem by Terry Freedman

Assessing Computing and ICT: a selection of articles

May 4, 2019

Here’s a round-up of a few articles I’ve written about assessing Computing and ICT over the years. Although some of them were written a while ago, I believe they are still useful and relevant.

Assessing Computing and ICT in a post-Levels world

April 12, 2019

Several years on from the removal of levels, assessment — especially in Computing and ICT — is still a hot topic.

How I became more efficient at marking and got my life back

November 22, 2018

Here is a short exposition of the changes I made in order to reduce the amount of marking I had to take home with me.

Education technology qualifications update

August 31, 2018

Computing and related qualifications: I’ve updated my spreadsheet of qualification at Key Stage 4 and 16-18. Please read on for details.

Automated assessment: a blast from the past

April 27, 2018

There’s nothing wrong with automated marking. Indeed, there is much to commend it.

Ask them to explain what they think they've learnt. Picture by Kidaha on Pixabay.com CCO

7 questions to ask pupils during lesson observation

March 2, 2018

If you're observing a lesson, here are seven questions to ask the pupils.

Digital Education: what's in the latest issue?

March 21, 2017

Assessment, Book reviews, Ofsted: just three of the topics covered in the latest issue of our newsletter, Digital Education.

Formative assessment vs Summative assessment

March 19, 2017

To some extent, the difference between formative assessment and summative assessment is a matter of context and objectives.

Assessment and the black swan problem: a new free resource

March 12, 2017

A new, free, resource.

I've been thinking about, and running courses on, assessment for a long time. In a mini essay called Assessment and the black swan problem, I discuss an issue that I think receives scant attention. In this short article I tell you how you can get hold of the essay.

More assessment resources, and a change of cover

March 7, 2017

I've been adding resources to the list for my forthcoming course, and changing the cover of my book.

But does she understand what she's doing? Photo by Gerd Altmann.

Collating resources for my Assessment in Computing course

March 3, 2017

I'll be running a course in Assessing Computing soon. What are the challenges in compiling a list of recommended resources for course particpants?

12 things I've learnt about assessing Computing and ICT

September 30, 2016

I've been thinking about, doing, and running courses in the art and science of assessing what kids know, understand and can do when it comes to Computing and ICT for a long time. Here are 12 things I've learnt.

Articles on ed tech: Retrospective 02

August 8, 2016

A selection of articles on education technology you may have missed, from last week, last year, and the Digital Education newsletter.

Messy problems and ed tech

June 29, 2016

Do we spoonfeed students too much? Or ask them the wrong kind of questions? Here's an interesting discussion between Kevin Hogan of Technology & Learning and Alan November.

4 things I've learnt about assessing Computing and ICT

June 7, 2016

Assessing pupils' ability in Computing or ICT is not easy. Here are four things I've learnt about it.

ICT & Computing Qualifications List Update

June 1, 2016

News about the updated ICT & Computing (etc) qualifications list, and how you can get it.

Such a shame that we can't look inside kids' heads. It would make assessment so much easier!

5 articles on assessment and assessing computing

April 28, 2016

How to assess pupils in Computing, marking, evaluation -- here are 5 articles that I hope you'll find challenging, thought-provoking and perhaps even useful!

My 10-point marking strategy

April 19, 2016

Marking is an important part of assessment, but it need not be unduly arduous.

Hollywood here I come. Or maybe not. Picture from pixabay.com CC0

Terry's 2 minute tips #1 Marking with coloured pens

April 12, 2016

Is marking with different coloured pens a good idea? That's the topic I cover in this edition of Terry's 2 Minute Tips.

Recent book reviews

Review: The Bright Side: Why Optimists Have the Power to Change the World

At first glance, you might take this to be one of those books full of affirmations and anecdotes designed to lift your mood.

Review: Small Habits Create Big Change: Strategies to Avoid Burnout and Thrive in Your Education Career

My review of this for Teach Secondary magazine has just come out. Here is the published version, followed by the copy I submitted, which is slightly longer because it has a little more detail.

Review: Productive Failure: Unlocking Deeper Learning Through the Science of Failing

My review of this for Teach Secondary magazine has just come out. Here is the published version, followed by the copy I submitted, which is slightly longer because it is a little more detailed.

Review: AI Snake Oil: AI Snake Oil: What Artificial Intelligence Can Do, What It Can’t, and How to Tell the Difference

My review of this for Teach Secondary magazine has just come out. Here is the published version, followed by the copy I submitted, which is slightly longer because it has a little more detail.

When AI can write as well as this, I'll worry! Plus a prize competition.

To paraphrase what Arthur C Clarke said about teachers, any writer that can be replaced by a computer probably should be.

Review: The Shortest History of Music -- two reviews in one!

The music programme of study requires students to possess an understanding of the music they perform and that which they listen to, as well as a grasp of music history, and an appreciation of different musical styles.

Review: The Art of Uncertainty (two reviews in one)

The Computing department would find the section on facial recognition interesting, because apart from possible ethical concerns, the fact is that even if the system has high accuracy, most of its identifications will be wrong.

Review: The Newsmongers: A History of Tabloid Journalism (two reviews in one!)

I was intrigued to discover that a popular news magazine of the sixties had been anticipated by Defoe.

Quick look: AI For Educators

There are some good ideas here, especially for prompts.

Hitler's People: The Faces of the Third Reich -- Extended review

Nearly a hundred years after the Nazi phenomenon people are still asking the question: how could apparently ordinary or, in some cases, highly cultured, people commit such terrible crimes.