14 The Role of Assessment Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.©...

14

The Role of Assessment

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.

• Assessment—the methods used to gain information about student learning

• Central to the educational process• Completes the cycle of instruction

The Role of Assessment


For Reflection

• Do you get nervous while taking tests? Why do you think this is the case?

© Archipoch/Shutterstock


Objective• Distinguish between formative and

summative assessment.© Keith Bell/Shutterstock


The Purpose of Assessment• Formative assessment takes place

during instruction– Allows teachers to adjust teaching to help

improve learning– Purpose is to make instructional decisions– Not used as part of students’ grades

continued


The Purpose of Assessment• Summative assessment is evaluation

after learning has taken place– Assesses if learning objectives were met– Often scored or graded– Allows progress to be tracked over time– Usually includes tests


Objective• Identify the source of standards

evaluated by assessments.© Ricardo Garza/Shutterstock


What Can Be Measured?• Student achievement of objectives• Learner growth and progress• Teaching effectiveness


Measuring Student Achievement of Objectives• Teachers constantly measure students’

progress• Students, classes, and schools are

periodically measured against district, state, or national standards– Standardized tests have consistent grading


Measuring Learner Growth and Progress• Growth and progress can be assessed

over time• Changes in classroom behavior can

be tracked• Teachers can report progress to

learners and parents

continued


Measuring Learner Growth and Progress

• Assessment can offer encouragement or highlight areas of concern

© Maridav/Shutterstock


Measuring Teaching Effectiveness• Personal assessment leads to

– self-improvement– modifications in teaching methods

• Teachers may also make videos of themselves teaching or ask for feedback

• They may ask others for feedback and suggestions

continued


Measuring Teaching Effectiveness• Mentor teachers help new teachers

assess and improve their skills© Lisa F. Young/Shutterstock


Using Tests to Assess Learning• Tests are the most widely used

assessment tool– Standardized tests– Teacher-developed tests


For Reflection• Do you think tests are the best way of assessing

what you, personally, have learned? Why?



Standardized Tests

• Scores can show the achievement of individual students, schools, and teachers

© VIPDesignUSA/Shutterstock

continued


Standardized Tests• State tests are used

– to hold states accountable– to determine funding

• Districts may use them to devise strategies for improvement and monitor changes

continued


Standardized Tests• SAT and ACT are used for

– college admissions– feedback on how a school’s student scores

compare with others across the nation


Teacher-Developed Tests• Help teachers measure

– how well students met the learning objectives

– the effectiveness of their teaching• Teachers write tests based on

– learning objectives– what they have taught– knowledge of their students


Objective• Write examples of appropriate and

effective test questions.© keerati/Shutterstock


Types of Test Questions

• True-false—test recall• Multiple choice—can test higher-level

thinking© Kelvin/Shutterstock continued


Types of Test Questions• Matching—identifies a relationship• Fill-in-the-blank—should be carefully

constructed so there is only one correct answer

• Short answer—require a very brief answer

• Identification—requires labeling or locating parts on a diagram or drawing

continued


Types of Test Questions• Essay—measure knowledge and the

ability to think clearly, organize information, and express thoughts– Requires higher-level thinking– Takes time and effort to grade


Constructing Tests• Write questions that match the levels of

the objectives• Match the proportion of questions to the

emphasis placed on various objectives• Limit the number of different types of

questions to three or four• Group questions of the same type

together

continued


Constructing Tests

• Be sure that questions do not give answers or clues to other questions

© marekuliasz/Shutterstock continued


Constructing Tests• Provide clear directions for each

section• Evaluate existing tests or questions

carefully before using• Format the test for ease of use• Format the test for ease of grading


For Discussion

© Michael D. Brown/Shutterstock

• What do you think would be the most difficult part of constructing a test? Why?


Using Alternative Assessment Strategies• Alternative assessments are methods

other than tests• Encourage teachers’ and students’

creativity– Written papers– Multimedia presentations– Real-life tasks– Student portfolios

continued


Using Alternative Assessment Strategies• Students create something to show

what they know© Simone van den Berg/Shutterstock


Giving Clear Directions• Writing directions requires thinking in

a logical, step-by-step way• Begin by achieving the goal or

objective• Use precise, descriptive language• Confusing directions can prevent

accurate assessment of learning


Evaluating Alternative Assessments• Students are usually involved in the

process– Rubrics– Checklists and scorecards– Self-evaluation and peer evaluation


Objective

© Robyn Mackenzie/Shutterstock

• Develop a rubric to be used for alternative assessment.


Rubrics• A rubric is often organized as a chart• Quality ratings can be ranked using

numbers and/or adjectives• Provides clear grading criteria for both

student and teacher• Helps to communicate how a student

did and did not meat expectations or standards

continued


Rubrics• To create a rubric,

1. Identify the criteria that will be used in assessing performance

2. Determine the possible performance levels

3. Write a description for each performance level and criterion

4. Proofread


For Discussion

• Have you ever been graded using a rubric? Did you think it was a fair assessment tool? Why?



Checklists and Scorecards

• Checklists show progress over time– Can be checked off or answered with a

“yes” or “no” response© Dmitry Naumov/Shutterstock continued


Checklists and Scorecards• Scorecards identify a maximum point

value for each criterion but do not describe levels of quality– Number of points depends on importance

and complexity of each step– Provides students with a final score and

information on which steps need practice


Self-Evaluation and Peer Evaluation• With self-evaluation and

peer evaluation, students learn– the importance of honesty– how to phrase constructive criticism– acceptance of others’ assessment– important job-related skills


Objective• Describe the reasoning teachers use

in choosing appropriate assessment strategies.

© Blend Images/Shutterstock


Choosing Assessment Strategies• Validity—assessment actually measures

learning objectives• Reliability—results will be the same

over time with different learners in different circumstances

• Should be developmentally appropriate for learners’ developmental stage

continued


Choosing Assessment Strategies• Assessment should not be the focal

point, taking away from the learning process

• Students will be less likely to internalize what was learned

• Teachers must consider time and other resources assessment will require


Objective• Analyze a grading policy.

© Cheryl Casey/Shutterstock


Determining Grades and Providing Feedback• Ways teachers provide feedback

include– grades– direct feedback

© Tatiana Belova/Shutterstock


Grading Students• Purpose of grading is to communicate

students’ performance and progress• Establish a grading plan before classes

begin• Communicate the grading plan to

students• Grades should reflect students’ learning• Grades should be based on a variety of

assignments, tests, and other workcontinued


Grading Students• Not every activity should be scored• Student work should be recorded as a

number• Scores for some type of work may be

weighted


Giving Effective Feedback• Feedback is more effective in

improving learning than grades– Can occur throughout the learning cycle– Can be verbal reinforcement or written

comments– Should be specific guidance


For Reflection

• As a student, which do you find more effective: grades or feedback? Why?



Objective• Develop questions a teacher might

use for course evaluation.© Losevsky Pavel/Shutterstock


Course Evaluation• Course evaluation helps teachers

improve their teaching– What worked and didn’t work– Evaluation leads to reflection and change


For Discussion

• Have you ever evaluated a course? Do you think the teacher found your feedback useful?



Key Points• Assessment evaluates different aspects

of teaching and learning• Strategies for assessment include

standardized tests, teacher-developed tests, and alternative methods

• Providing feedback helps students improve learning skills

• Course evaluation helps teachers improve


Review• ____ is an evaluation of students’

learning after instruction has taken place.

Summative• What type of tests are state achievement

tests?standardized tests

continued


Review• What is a rubric?a scoring tool that lists the criteria for

judging a particular type of work• What is the difference between validity

and reliability?Validity means a test measures the

learning objectives. Reliability means it measures the same over time.

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