Assessing our pupils

It is vitally important to always bear in mind as a driving instructor what effect you can have on pupils (consciously or not) by how you assess them.  Whilst it is vitally important to ensure that your feedback to a pupil is fair, accurate and of value we should take care in how we go about assessing the differing aspects of learning to drive.  It would be very easy to assess a pupil as driving “well” because they are able to drive (in terms of the controls), but actually, they are driving poorly (in terms of the system of driving).  One measure relates to physical co-ordination, the other to cognitive processing.  It is a common misconception of pupils and parents/grandparents that the mere act of driving a vehicle means “they can drive” – a phrase that experienced driving instructors would take with a pinch of salt.

As driving instructors we have options regarding how we choose to give feedback of how a pupil is doing. One of the essential benefits about developing an honest and respectful relationship with your pupil is that between you, you can identify how that particular pupil prefers to receive feedback.  Our aim is always to assist our pupil in achieving the particular goal of learning to drive but we are mindful of raising self-awareness levels so that learning is able to continue post-test. 

Having made that comment above about the purpose of feedback, perhaps it might be wise to consider how “assessment” in general interacts with our pupils.  They often will go out for drives with their parents who have an incredibly powerful influence on the beliefs of our pupils by the feedback that they provide.  Driving instructors give feedback to their pupils continually throughout the learning process, referred to as formative assessment; the aim of which is to help them to identify their learning and ability, and offer more support in their training to achieve the end goal.  Pupils will get feedback of the assessment made by a driving examiner, referred to as summative assessment, it gives a quantitative measure of achievement AFTER training has occurred.

So we must be careful to appreciate what we are actually referring to when we speak of assessment.  I consider the ability of a driving instructor to effectively assess as being so crucial to their job that if they cannot do it, they really should consider if this is the right career for them.  I say this because “effectively assessing” encompasses many factors but the absolute top priority is that it must be of value to the pupil.  Reasons for assessments on learner drivers can include to:

Assist you to measure the effectiveness of your driving instruction

Understand what is actually known by the pupil (in the long term memory)

Grade your pupil’s ability

Provide feedback to the funders of the training regarding “progress”

Assist the DVSA to grade how good a driving instructor you are

The reason that this subject is so important in our work is because the extent a pupil is learning is not always apparent.  What might appear at first glance to be “good progress” of the understanding of a key road safety concept, may just be a short term memory gain, and no indication of long term learning.  Lucky correct answers to poorly worded questioning may give an illusion of understanding and learning, as could some near on perfect driving in a very forgiving area, but these “gains” can quickly turn out to be nothing more than short term.  This is one of the reasons why we take the time and trouble to re-cap regularly.  Asking pupils to describe what they have been working on and why it is important is essential as those frequent testing questions will help them to raise their awareness of what they know rather than what they think they know.  For the essential components of safe driving techniques to be applied and further refined in the coming years of the varying contexts that occur with newly qualified drivers, the skills and knowledge must have effected change in the long term memory….. as driving instructors we should be assessing long term retention.

Formative feedback is by its nature intended to be supportive and helpful.  Praising effective observations, demonstrating good practice, asking the “what if” question.  What pupils do not need in formative feedback is criticism, over-bearing instruction, and constant focus on driving faults.  Driving faults occur due to the thoughts and feelings in the pupils head, the feedback is more effective if it enables a pupil to raise their awareness of how they were feeling at the time of a driving fault – they really do not need telling they messed up… they will know that.  On the BIG TOM intensive driving course we offer a mid-course formative assessment that very much encourages pupils to understand what they have achieved so far, their strengths and weaknesses.  When the timing is right, we also offer an end-course summative assessment in the form of a mock test.  The value of a mock test is not to be under-estimated, but there are some essential ingredients.

It must have validity, meaning we should be measuring the things that we claim to be measuring.  It should have “predictive validity” meaning does it predict how a pupil will perform in a future driving test.

It must be accurate, in terms of the composition, conduct and duration of the test – so that what happens on the mock is a very close resemblance to what happens on the actual test eg doing a mock test in the dark or on a quiet Sunday morning.

It must be reliable which means it should be consistent.  It should matter not how you feel at the time of giving a mock test, or which driving instructor gives the mock test to the same pupil, the assessment is the same.  It stands to reason then that if it is not reliable, it cannot also be valid.

It must be precise.  The quantity of driving faults committed should be accurately recorded, the grading of the driving fault should be precise.  The end test grading of pass or fail must be spot on. 

The reason why I place as much importance on this as I do is because the quality of the mock test can significantly assist pupils by raising their awareness of “the unknown” of the driving test.  One of the reasons why more people pass the driving test on the second occasion and not the first is due to the fear of the unknown.  A clear, accurate, consistent summative mock test is potentially an incredibly powerful benefit to a pupil; it offers clarity, understanding and raises awareness.  Not all pupils are going to have that buy in.  As mentioned in an earlier blog, the challenges relating to “anticipated regret” in some pupils are not to be ignored.

In summary, there are numerous techniques available to driving instructors for providing feedback to pupils.  A well timed and genuine affirmation of deserved credit is worth a 1000 criticisms in my book.  We need to be mindful of the purpose of assessments and always have in the forefront of our mind, “Will this assessment be of value to my pupil?”.   Do not mix up in your mind, the thoroughness of your driving training (as per the DVSA Driving Standard) with the assessment criteria of the DVSA driving test.  As professionals concerned with the maintaining of high standards of road safety in the education we provide, we should not teach to what is assessed.  I say “should” because I am in no doubt it occurs in the industry, but not at BIG TOM.  This is an important service being provided to our pupils, and the integrity of the assessment will speak volumes about the integrity of the driving school.

Tom Ingram provides payg driving training to trainee driving instructors 0775 607 1464