Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia
Tutoring through Assessment
Practices and innovations
Sanjaya Mishra
Assessment
It is a process of obtaining information about learners progress and achievement in learning
Why Assessment? Selecting learners Certification Motivating learners Improve the practice of teachingPrimarily assessment serves two purposes To provide support and feedback to
learners to improve their on-going learning
To report on what they have already achieved, whether this be a grade or written comment
Trends in Assessment• Shift from
– Assessing knowledge
– Assessing products– End of course test– Written
assessments– Norm-referenced– Pass/Fail summative
• Towards– Assessing skills and
understanding– Assessing processes– Continuous assessment– Use of variety of
methods/evidence– Criterion-referenced– Formative identification of
strengths and weaknesses and recording of positive achievements I addition to summative
Qualities of Good Assessment
Aligning assessment with objectives Explicit/open criteria and standards Authentic and holistic tasks Facilitative degree of structure to
promote self-direction Sufficient and timely formative feedback Balanced tension between workload and
time
Assessment in ODL
Non-assessable activities and feedback in study materials
Self-assessment questions with feedback in the learning materials
Assignments (TMAs and CMAs) Dialogue with tutors and peer groups Practicals and portfolio Project work, seminars, field work, etc. Formal examinations
Types of Tests
Objective– Matching– Multiple Choice– True-False– Sequencing– Fill in the Blanks– Sentence completion
Short Answer (50-150 words) Long Answer (600-1200 words)
Self Assessment
One of the psycho-pedagogic basis of distance learning materials
Promotes self-monitoring of progress by learners
Develops independent and self-directed learning
Important to apply for recognition of prior learning
Promotes self knowledge and understanding
Self-Assessment Research shows that high achievers tend
to under-estimate and low achievers tend to over-estimate (Falchikov and Boud, 1989; and Mishra, 2004).
Tutor feedback is important Assessment criteria for self-assessment
– What I have been doing?– How have I been doing?– What do I think of what I have been doing?– How could I improve my approach?
Portfolios Collection of evidence that learning has
taken place Collection of what learners themselves
judge to be most meaningful representation of their learning in a subject
Both a learning as well as assessment tool
Developmental growth of a learner over a period of time can be tracked
Also useful to prospective employers Provides opportunity for self-reflection
Portfolios
Reflects evidence of: Progress over time Understanding of key principles and/or
processes Lack of understanding and hence future
learning needs Originality and creativity Achievements in different context and
application Key skills development
Reflective Journaling
Reflection is important for learning Two types: Reflection-on-action and
Reflection-in-action Reflection is a systematic meaning
making process that requires attitude to value the personal and intellectual growth of oneself and others.
It is not just writing diary
Reflective Journaling
Use action verbs in the level beyond "Remember" in revised Blooms Taxonomy
Cover critical reflection approach by using questions such as what, how and why
Provide opportunity for contextualize, theorize, personalize, and generalize
(Source: Mishra and Panda, 2007)
Assessment Tools Marking Scheme
(Source: Morgan & O'Reilly, 1999)
Assessment Tools SOLO Taxonomy (Biggs, 1999)
SOLO Level Description Example of verbs associated
Pre-structural The task itself is not attacked in an appropriate way. The student has not understood the point.
Missed point
Uni-structural One relevant aspect of task is picked up and there is no relationship between facts or ideas. Understanding is nominal.
Identify, Do simple procedure.
Multi-structural
Several (two or more) independent aspects are picked up or understood serially but are not interrelated.
Enumerate, Describe, List, Combine, Do algorithms
Relational Relevant aspects are integrated into an overall coherent structure.
Compare, Contrast, Explain causes, Analyse, Relate, Apply.
Extendedabstract
The coherent whole is generalised or re-conceptualised to a higher level of abstraction.
Theorize, Generalize, Hypothesize, Reflect.
Assessment Tools
IGNOU Marking Scheme
Assessment Tools Using Rubrics
– Rating scales or scoring guides that consists of specific pre-defined performance criteria used in assessing student performances
– Two types: Holistic rubrics and Analytic rubrics
– Use online tools such as Rubistar to develop Rubrics at http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php
Rubrics Holistic Rubrics
(Source: Mertler, 2001)
Rubrics Analytical Rubrics
(Source: Mertler, 2001)
Assignments at IGNOU
TMAs and CMAs depending on the requirements and decision of the School Board and Academic Council
Used as 2-way communication through tutor comments (academic and personal) and supplemental communication
Tutoring through Assignments
Removes the isolation of students at ODL
Supports them in their learning process to identify areas which they should further develop
Creates a dialogue between teacher and learner
Promotes reflective and self-evaluative thinking
Inside Tutor Comments Drawing attention to facts they have
overlooked or misinterpreted Suggesting alternative approaches or
interpretations Drawing attention to gaps in learning Suggesting how the learners might
improve Identify relationships with student’s
present response and previous learning Appreciate special efforts or
improvements in competence Suggest new sources of information
Tutor comments should/may
Always be Positive Always be Constructive Rarely be Negative Sometimes be Null Never be Hollow Never be Misleading Never be Harmful
Examples… Positive Comment: Your explanation with
regard to ---- is very good. I appreciate the diagrammatic representation of the concepts.
Constructive Comment: You could have discussed the following three parts: – (i)…– (ii)…– (iii)…
Use of more examples and illustrations are welcome
Examples Negative Comment: The example given
is not correct Null Comment: ?? ‗ ‗ ‗ X ( ) ~ ~ ~ Hollow Comment: Your answer is so so.
You can improve your presentation. You may spend some more time in writing this answer.
Misleading Comment: Where the student is right, but teacher indicates it as wrong.
Harmful Comment: Really bad/ Horrible language/ This is nonsense/ Are you writing English for the first time?
Global Comments Specified Format of Global Comment
Sheet Give Grade:
– A = Excellent– B = Very Good– C= Good– D = Satisfactory– E = Unsatisfactory
Provide an overview of the comments Explain grade The grade and comments should be
matching
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