Assessment
Presented by Suela Spahiu
and Douglas Peck
Instructor: Dr. Christensen
Spring 2005
Learning and Assessment
•
“Understanding is not cued
knowledge; performance is
never the sum of drills;
problems are not exercises;
mastery is not achieved by the
unthinking application of
algorithms. In other words we
can not be said to understand
something unless we can employ
our knowledge wisely, fluently,
flexibly, and aptly in particular
and diverse contexts.”
By Grant Wiggins
Assessment
Latin “assidere”, to sit beside
Collection of data…
that enlightens teacher and
student…
provides information that drives
instruction…
part of learning process…
reflection and autobiographical
understanding of progress…
Assessments
Traditional: “Right answer,
regardless of reasons.” Pencil and
paper tests.
Performance: Students put learning
into meaningful context and
demonstrate what they know.
Portfolios, mural, stories
presentations…
Authentic: Directly examine
student performance on worthy
tasks that are real and meaningful to
the learner in the today’s world .
Looks as natural as possible.
Contrasting Traditional and Authentic/Performance Assessment
TRADITIONAL
Sequence of simple, distinct tasks
Recall of limited amounts of knowledge
Quick/easy to score objectively
AUTHENTIC
General/complex task with interrelated
sub-tasks
Internalization/application of knowledge
and thinking processes
Scoring uses complex somewhat
subjective considerations
Tests depth of knowledge better
Tests breadth of knowledge
Easy to compare scores
Easy to standardize for students
regardless of their differences
Scores are contextual, difficult to
compare
Adapts to strengths/needs/choices of
unique students
Low-level thinking to arrive at one right
answer
Encourages critical/creative thinking,
taking time to arrive at best of several
answers
Reactive response, with student in
isolation
Students involved cooperatively in
productive processes
Reflective of prior teaching
Enabling and forward-looking
Authentic Assessment in the Classroom
Authentic assessment is based on constructivist theories of learning.
Learning is a constructive process in which the learner develops
representations of knowledge and develops understandings of meaning
based on personal experience.
Authentic assessments focused not whether or not students can use the
skills and strategies, but whether or not they can acquire the disposition
to use the skills and strategies and apply them appropriately
Authentic assessments require students to be effective performers with
acquired knowledge. Traditional tests aren’t very wise to measure the
students performance due to the fact that this tests only measure
concepts they have retained such as recognizing or recalling
information.
Authentic Assessment in the Classroom
•
Synthesizes with classroom
instruction; relates more closely to
classroom learning; teaches students
to evaluate their own work; uses
samples of student work
(portfolios) collected over an
extended time period
•
Authentic assessment is often based
on performance: Students are asked
to demonstrate their knowledge,
skills, or competencies in whatever
way they find appropriate
•
There are several challenges when
using authentic assessment methods.
Examples of Authentic Assessments
Plan and conduct an
experiment.
Write a story, composition, or
poem.
Give an oral report.
Design and make a videotape.
Construct a scientific model.
Program a computer.
Tutor a classmate.
Keep a science journal.
Interview a scientist.
Guide classmates on a trip.
Examples of Authentic Assessments,
Continue….
Graph data.
Construct a concept map.
Research information in the library.
Complete an art project.
Draw a chart or diagram.
Give photo or slide presentations.
Compose a song.
Write science questions.
Record long-term plant growth.
Care for/keep record of animals.
Different Forms of Authentic Assessment
Formal Assessment—
provide teachers with
systematic ways to evaluate
how well students are
progressing in particular
instructional program. Allows
teachers to evaluate all the
students systematically the
important skills and
concepts in the theme by
using real reading and
writing experience that fit
with the instruction.
Continue…..
Informal Assessment—
include special activities
such as group or individual
projects, experiments, oral
presentation, or
performance.
Performance Assessment in the Classroom
Key Feature of Performance Assessment
Students construct rather
than select responses
Allows teachers to observe
students behavior on task
reflecting real world
requirements
Scoring reveals patterns in
students' learning and
thinking
Continue…
Methods:
Open-ended or extended response exercises—questions that require
students to explore topic orally or in writing.
What would Abraham Lincoln argue about the cause of Civil War
Extended tasks—assignment that require attention in a single work area
and carried out over several hours.
Drafting, reviewing, revising a poem; conducting and explaining the
results of a science experiment on photosynthesis,
Portfolios—selected representations from a variety of performance-based
work. A portfolio demonstrates the range, depth and quality of a student’s
knowledge and skill in a given area. It provides a very rich picture of the
student. Also, since the student takes primary responsibility for the
development of the portfolio, it helps the student learn to evaluate and
improve his own work
A portfolio might include a student's "best pieces" and the student's
evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of several pieces. The
portfolio may also contain some "works in progress" that illustrate the
improvements the student has made over time.
•
“A rubric is a scoring guide that seeks to evaluate a student's performance
based on the sum of a full range of criteria rather than a single
numerical score .It is a working guide for both student and teacher usually
handed out before the assignment begins in order to get students to think
about the criteria on which their work will be judged. A rubric enhances
the quality of direct instruction.” (www.teachervision.com)
•
Starting with the highest level and progressing to the lowest, these levels
of performance are used to assess the defined set of tasks as they relate
to a final product or behavior.
•
Rating scales are used they can be numerical, qualitative, or a combination
of numerical and qualitative
•
1. Teachers need to define the learning outcome or the objective that students are
expected to achieve.
•
2. To determine how to describe each level, use "anchor products" that represent
various performances that can be evaluated as high quality, average, and low. Have
at least three samples of each level to make such judgments
•
3. Scores (either numerical or qualitative, or a combination of both) can then be
assigned for each level from highest to lowest, or vice versa
•
4. Share the descriptions with the students and ask for feedback so that each level
is clearly understood by students. It is imperative that students clearly understand
how they are being evaluated and what each level represents in relation to scores
assigned.
•
5. Provide examples of students work (kept anonymous) that illustrate each
performance level. Using a rubric, explain to students what each performance
level means in relation to the rubric and the rating scales used to evaluate the
performances
•
6. The scoring system should be objective and consistent
To create your own rubric, click on:
http://www.teach-nology.com/web_tools/rubrics/general/
Reason to Use Rubrics
Make grading consistent.
Rubrics raise the quality of work that students produce.
Rubrics save teachers time.
Grading an assignment using a rubric is much less time consuming since the rubric
spells out very clear what to look for and how to rate it.
Rubrics save classroom time.
Gives students the information they need to start on the assignment, and already know
what to expect without the teacher explaining over and over.
Rubrics save students time.
When a teacher provides a rubric at the time an assignment is given, student
immediately know what is expected of them. They spent more of their time and
energy on tasks at and less on trying to figure out what the teacher expect from them.
FEEDBACK & FEEDFORWARD
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Effective feedback informs teacher and student of current progress
toward learning goals and feeds forward toward future success.
(Weeden, et.al p 95)

SOME PRINCIPLES FOR FEEDBACK/FORWARD

Linked to clear learning objectives (what, why, how)

Identify student misconceptions

Integrated into learning process (in-process review)

Takes place quickly…in context

Variety of forms
Feedback
Feedback is where you currently are. Pupils can react to feedback in both positive
and negative ways. Giving and receiving feedback is a complex process influenced
by factors such as cues, task, situation and personality (Weeden et al. 2002: 108). .
Descriptive feedback strategies can relate to achievement or
improvement. The first stage can be to tell the pupils they are right or
wrong. This allows the teacher to tell pupils about areas of strength and
weakness as a precursor to working on areas for improvement. This can then
be developed by describing why an answer is right , for example ‘Good,
you’ve have compared the two rocks in terms of their colour and texture’.
The most effective feedback relates to the outcomes of tasks rather than the
person. It encourages pupils to focus on the quality of the task rather than
making comments about them as a person. Comments that identify
performance in relation to the learning intentions and make suggestions for
improvements such as ‘You’ve explained how the settlement began. You could explain
how and why it has changed since…’ are more helpful than saying ‘You’re just lazy
Feed Forward
•
Feed forward is where you need to
be. It shows pupils what they need
to do next.
•
To do this most effectively it
should involve the pupils. A key
area to develop is finding ways that
help pupils know the standards.
GUIDES TO EFFECTIVE
FEEDBACK/FORWARD
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*Be timely: immediate feedback
keeps it in the context of the
learning
•
*Be specific: “You have a great
grasp of xyz” is better than “Good
work”
•
*Be descriptive: Provide
information that will help the
student take the next step.
•
*Be realistic: Grounded in clear
goals, aimed at the target,
emotionally consonant.
•
*Be positive: This is a step…not
the whole marathon.
Motivation
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Motivation and self-esteem are strongly influenced by assessment. You only
have to think of personal experiences of activities where you have ‘succeeded’ or
‘failed’ to think about how this has influenced your interest and motivation.
•
Weeden et. al. (2002) suggest “An important message for teachers is that ability is
not innate and fixed, that attainment and motivation are context specific and can
and do change. As a result it is important not to assume that any individual pupil
lacks ‘ability’, but instead to consider how they can be helped to move to a
position where they feel more confident of success”.
•
Assessment teach students to set reasonable goals and to assess their
performance.
•
Provide incentives for completion of assignment throughout a unit and not
necessarily for the outcome of assessment
•
Clarify to the students that they should enjoy the process of learning and not be
be concerned for the grade.
•
Teacher should encourage self confidence along the way, to contribute to their
motivation to learn and successful assessment outcome.
FEEDBACK AND MOTIVATION
 *Feedback related to mastery rather than performance encourages a
learning mindset rather that a “get the grade and get out” mindset.
Mastery-minded students learn more effectively than performanceminded students.
 *Feedback that notes achievements and suggests steps for further
learning affects students positively.
 Competence + Challenge>>> Motivation.
References
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Weeden, P., Winter, J., & Broadfoot, P. (2002). Assessment: what's in it for schools?. 1st
ed. London/NY, NY: Routledge/Falmer.
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Frederikson, J., & Collins, A. (). The changing picture of assessment. , Retrieved
Feb 28, 2005, from http://www.eduplace.com/rdg/res/litass/change.html.
•
, (n.d.). Assessment terminology: a glossary of useful terms. Retrieved Feb. 28,
2005, from New Horizons for Learning Web site:
http://www.newhorizons.org/strategies/assess/terminology.htm
•
Bruke, K.(1994). How to assess authentic learning. Illinois: Skylight Training and
Publishing
•
Strickland, K. & J.(2000). Making Assessment Elementary. Portsmouth, NH:
Heinemann.
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Wiggins, G.. The Case for Authentic Assessment ., Retrieved Feb. 28, 2005 from
http://erecae.net/db/edo/ED3228611.htm
Conclusion
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“All assessment should help us
become better teachers and
should help our students
become better learners.”
(Frederikson).
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Hope you enjoyed it….
The End