ArtsAssessmentForLearning.org inspires and supports a critical change in classroom culture, striking a balance between assessment of and assessment for learning – effectively showing not only the direct relevance of assessment to arts education, but also the parallel nature of formative assessment and the creative process itself (setting goals, assessing work, and making modifications in response to critique).
The design of the site primarily focuses on speaking to art educators directly – many working artists themselves – and expressing how in many ways, formative assessment mirrors integral aspects of their own process as artists. We identified two primary audiences for the site: an art educator who may be new to formative assessment, as well as an educator who is more experienced, and is looking for specific resources and tools. With this in mind, we developed a site architecture allowing both audience's the ability to experience the same material, tailored to their specific needs. For the educator new to formative assessment, the site introduces formative assessment practices through featured projects (complete with a slideshow, interview, and resources), before leveraging all projects and tools associated with their discipline. For the educator who already uses formative assessment in their classroom, or returning users, the site affords direct access to filterable projects and/or tools – providing quick access to the resources they need. All audiences (educators, administrators, parents, etc.), benefit from thorough information on the site about assessment practices (both formative and summative), with emphasis on learning communities – how to create their own, results, resources to use, etc.
