Assessment for Learning: Using Open-Ended Tasks in the Lower

Primary Mathematics Lessons

5 June 2014
Dr YEO Kai Kow Joseph
Mathematics and Mathematics Education Academic Group National
Institute of Education
Why Open Ended Tasks?
1. Engage all students in learning
2. Enable a wide range of student responses
3. Enable students to participate more actively in lessons and express their ideas more
frequently
4. Provide opportunity for teachers to probe and enhance students thinking
Difference between closed and open-ended tasks
Closed Task
There are 27 apples on the table and 23 apples
in the basket. How many apples are there in
all?

Open-ended Task
There are some apples on the table and some
apples in a small basket. If there are 50 apples
altogether, how many apples are on the table?
Explain your answer

Open-ended tasks are defines as:

- Considered as ill-structured problems as they lack clear formation
- May contain missing data
- No fixed procedure that guarantees a correct solution
- Requires cross teacher consistency to ensure achievement and success is correctly
scaled / reported
Difference between Closed-Ended Tasks and Open-Ended Tasks
Closed Task
- Routine text book sums or questions
- One expected answer
- Structured pre-taught procedures
- Require students to give a specific and
predetermine answer in the form of a
single number, figure or object
- Allow teachers to check if students have
learned certain solutions / methods
taught by them

Open-ended Task
- Non-routine
- A variety of correct responses
- A variety of solution strategies
- Requires students to explain concepts
and solution processes using various
modes (diagrams, symbols, words)
- Allows students to demonstrate their
own way of approaching and solving a
questions or providing understanding

Features of Open-ended Problems

- No fixed method
No fixed answer / many possible answers
- Solved / answered in different ways and on different levels
- Encourage divergent thinking
- Offer students room for own decision making and natural way of thinking
- Develops reasoning and communication skills
- Open to students creativity and imagination
- Higher levels of cognitive demand
Reference: http://math.nie.edu.sg/ame/amesms14/download/Notes/P3%20OpenEnded%20Task
%205June2014AME-SMS%20conference.pdf