ABSTRACT
Regular assessment of any work in school, including ICT, is necessary for effective planning for the next stage of learning. This assessment should not only look at what pupils produce, whether a spreadsheet, a poster or a brochure, but also consider the thinking and practical skills that were required to create it. Assessment of ICT work should look at how the children have worked: if they have cooperated with others or striven on their own. It should look at how they explain their ideas and the choices they made for the outcome; it should look at their oral explanations of their comprehension of the benefits and problems of using digital techniques; and it should involve the pupils in their own self-assessment. The process of self-evaluation should be a regular part of ICT use, in a way that lets pupils recognise the progress they have made, celebrates their success and helps them identify the next steps in their learning. Above all, it should be sensitive to their abilities and experience and to the effort they have made, so that they feel empowered to tackle further challenges.
