HomeWork-School: Deconstructing Assessment, Fairness and Future Learning in Ontario K-12 Spaces

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed an array of inequities in education and called into question the meaning of fairness within current grading systems.  It provoked Ontario educators to critically reflect and deconstruct practices in assessment for, as, and of learning in K-12 digital spaces.  Navigating the tension between students engaging in homework and students learning from home sparked inquiry into assessment practices.  Educators soon faced an assessment dilemma: How might we authentically triangulate student learning through observation, conversation and products in online platforms?  The boundaries were blurred regarding when, where and how student work could be assessed fairly. The traditional focus on student products, translated into letter and/or numerical grades, continues to dominate discussions about measuring academic achievement since products, such as tests and exams, are perceived as more reliable evidence than communication about learning through observation and conversation.  Existing inequities in the K-12 schooling experience are at greater risk of being amplified in digital learning spaces where the social nuance of observation and conversation becomes highly complex.  This essay critically analyzes assessment and evaluation policy in Ontario’s publicly funded schools.  Through examination of a policy in effect since 2010, initially designed for in-person learning and e-learning contexts, this essay suggests that non-evaluative protocols (i.e., assessment for and as learning) are fundamental in reshaping equitable assessment practice for future learning.