Assessment of Literature in NYGH

From my observations of Secondary 1 and 2 classes up to this point of time, apart from the usual stock of written work (essays, research, character sketches, plot outlines, etc) and class participation (posting mindmaps, essay drafts, etc on online platforms or speaking up in class), there is also a mode of assessment termed student-initiated assessments (SIA). This takes up 20% of the students’ overall grades (with the exception of Secondary 4 students). There is an element of choice in this assessment mode. Within a given structure, for example, newscast, students (in groups) are given the freedom to decide what they would like to work on, and this is an opportunity to apply and contextualize the knowledge and skills they have picked up meaningfully and relevantly. I recall some Secondary 3 students publicizing their SIA during assembly and inviting other students to participate. My sense of it is that it is like a project which is extended to the rest of the cohort/school (teachers were asked to participate in one instance!) in terms of involvement/performance.

The oral component is also extended to unit-based assessments. For the Secondary 1s, who are focusing on storytelling, they will be assessed on discussions of stories that they have been reading in the year (during the Bookcart sessions held at least once every 3 weeks whereby they choose a novel from about 40 titles, and have to make notes as they read the novel). They will also have a storytelling performance, where they are required to adapt a story and perform it for their classmates. For the Secondary 2s, who are embarking on a unit on newspapers, they will be assessed in their newspaper discussions, for example, the relevance of the questions and answers they ask in a small group setting in relation to newspaper article(s).