ASE 2027 Annual Conference

This talk and discussion is a tribute to Professor Paul Black, whose pioneering work in classroom assessment practices for around 40 years transformed the way that assessment is used to help children learn.

While most teachers are aware of Assessment for Learning, many do not know its origins and the reasons why and how formative assessment has become more valued and recognised in promoting learning. This talk goes back to the seminal paper and the studies that Paul Black and Dylan Wiliam considered in their review of formative assessment that they published in 1998. It will look at studies  done by the King's team from 1999- 2026 by considering vignettes  of classroom practice and snippets of classroom interactions, so that you can understand some of the reasons project teachers began to change their classroom assessment practices. It will then challenge the audience to think about the classroom assessment they do,or they support others in doing, and explore how assessment has shaped and focused their teaching and impacted on the ways that children learn.

Paul Black passed away peacefully on May 16th 2026, leaving a profound legacy in science education and assessment; his impact has been phenomenal and continues to influence teachers of all phases and at all stages of their career.