What is evidence of learning? How can we as teachers promote and encourage learning?

What is evidence of learning? How can we as teachers promote and encourage learning?
by
Goh Poh Sun (First draft on Wednesday, June 3, 2015 @ 6pm)

How do we know as teachers that someone has learnt something? We can ask a question, to elicit or promote recall; which in itself helps the learning process. We can test recognition, or assess the ability to use new knowledge or skill; to apply this in a new situation, or justify an answer with recently learnt knowledge, or (demonstrate) insight from integrating new with prior knowledge. The common statement that "assessment or testing drives learning" describes this process. Evidence of learning can be sought by getting students to recall, to recognise, to do, to justify, to explain.