Creative learning assessment

Draft

The CLA Creative Learning Assessment

The CLA Creative Learning Continuum, with cross-curricular and cross-age dimensions of learning, proved a clear, informing and open structure for reflecting on progress. Based on CLPE’s Patterns of Learning continuum (1990), it comprised:

(i) confidence, independence and enjoyment

(ii) collaboration and communication

(iii) creativity

(iv) strategies and skills

(v) knowledge and understanding

(vi) reflection and evaluation. (Ellis 2009:317)

Note: CLA also stands for Collegiate Learning Assessment, a test popular in the USA.

The CLA observation framework

“The CLA observation framework allows teachers space to record what they are noticing while children are working on a creative project. It asks questions like: ‘In what ways are children able to take risks and experiment in their learning?’, ‘Do they generate ideas, questions and make connections?’, ‘Are there examples of responding to and commenting on their own and other people’s work?’” (Ellis 2009:319).

Ellis: (2009:318) provide an example observation grid including each of the six creativity contexts. If we understood right, these items are not standardized and can be expanded or adapted to context.

(i) confidence, independence, enjoyment, e.g.

developing pleasure and enjoyment

engagement and focus

empathy and emotional involvement

self-motivation

(ii) collaboration and communication, e.g.

works effectively in a team

contributes to discussion, makes suggestions

listens and responds to others

perseveres, overcomes problems

communicates and presents ideas

(iii) creativity, e.g.

is imaginative and playful

generates ideas, questions and makes connections

risk-takes and experiments

expresses own creative ideas using a range of artistic elements

(iv) strategies and skills, e.g.

identifies issues and explores options

plans and develops a project

demonstrates a growing range of artistic/creative skills

uses appropriate subject specific skills with increasing control

(v) knowledge and understanding, e.g.

awareness of different forms, styles, artistic and cultural

traditions, creative techniques

uses subject specific knowledge and language with

understanding

(vi) reflection and evaluation, e.g.

responds to and comments on own and others’ work

responds to artistic/creative experiences

analyses and constructively criticises work

The CLA scale

• Level 1: Children play with creative materials and elements and use them to express feelings and ideas. They practise simple skills, exploring possibilities. Children begin to recognise and describe some creative effects. They describe what they think and feel about their own.(Ellis, 2009b)

• Level 5: Children are increasingly conscious of the imaginative possibilities in a particular creative medium. They select and organise their material to express their ideas and intentions, making choices for different purposes and to create different effects. They use skills with precision, control and fluency, combining them appropriately and effectively. Children analyse how meanings are conveyed, with increasing critical awareness, drawing on their knowledge and understanding of an art form and using appropriate vocabulary. They reflect critically on their own and others’ work and show awareness of purpose and context in refining. (Ellis, 2009b)

Bibliography

• Craft, A. (2005). Creativity in Schools. Tensions and Dilemmas. Abingdon: Routledge.

• Craft, A. 2005; Craft, A., Burnard, P. and Grainger, T. (2005), Progression in Creative Learning (PICS) Open University Press.

• DCMS (2002). Creative Partnerships Mission Statement. London: DCMS.

• DfES (2003). Excellence and Enjoyment: a strategy for primary schools. London: DfES.

• DfES (2005). Every Child Matters. London: HMSO.

• Eisner, E. (2000). The Arts and the Creation of Mind. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

• Ellis, Sue (2009), Creative Learning Assessment (CLA): a framework for developing and assessing children’s creative learning, in Proceeding of "Can creativity be measured?", Brussels, May 28-29, 2009. PDF
  • Ellis, Sue (2009b), Slides (PDF)

• Ellis, S., Barrs, M. and Bunting, J. (2007). Assessing Communication and Learning in Creative Contexts. London: CLPE/CfBT

• Villaba, Ernesto (ed) (2009). Proceeding of "Can creativity be measured?", Brussels, May 28-29, 2009. Measuring Creativity: the book (includes all chapters as PDF).