New perspective of the alternative assessment – “communication as learning assessment” in physical education

The perspective of this study is based on the physical education philosophy that learners construct meanings towards movements through involving themselves in mutual learning and become good practitioners with the ability in reaching to enjoyable movements. Suzuki (2003) found out that it was easiest to involve an assessment to construct meaning in communication. Then, Suzuki (2003) defined this as "Communication as Learning Assessment".

In this study, the purpose was to make it clear from the viewpoint of a function about this assessment. This was studied focusing on the practical research by fieldwork. As a result, discussions are below.

"Communication as Learning Assessment"...

1)…functions not only to foster sociability and improve skills, but also to promote physical literacy while constructing meanings to movements through experiencing to feel sympathy in mutual learning.

2)…emphasizes the feed forward rather than the feedback.

3)…has four functions, such as "promotion", "modification", "reconstruction", and "trial", and is constructed according to a situation and the context.

4)…acts on phenomenon zing "what is learning" in the process of involvement, and makes it the learning contents.

5)…serves as a system for participants in the lessons to collaborate and proceed learning; it is possible for teachers to implement it on the grounds of incorporating a theme learning which is the pursuit of subjects and the sharing into lessons.

It became clear from the information above that movement as students' learning behaviors are the fact of having risen as experience in continuation of generating meanings for movement by learning assessment. In addition, it also became clear that "Communication as Learning Assessment" was not a method or contents, but the experience of learning itself. That is, the former assessment theory has paid attention to only the methodology, and has not considered a phase called "Communication as Learning Assessment" which must be important. “Communication as Learning Assessment", however, should give a new perspective for the assessment. It will operate the system of the lesson because of being a big energy for supporting learning.