Section 1
The one critical incident regarding assessment was in grade 11. The subject was
Geography and the chapter we were being assessed on was Development
geography. The assessment was a big one that contributed to our term two marks. It
was given to us in first term but it was due in the second term. It was individual work
that required us to do research on an area of our choice. We received this
assessment early because we were advised to do it in parts. As we were being
taught about Development geography, we were supposed to then use what we are
learning in class to complete our assignment. I remember this critical incident
because this research project was one of the best assignments I have ever done.
Our Geography teacher was the best. He went over the instruction of the research
project with us. He explained everything we were supposed to do. He answered all
the questions we had which helped to clear or misunderstandings. We also got the
rubric which helped us to know what we were supposed to do and what where the
outcomes.
When we submitted the assignment we received feedback in ample time. The
feedback we received was good and they helped us in understanding what we did
good or bad in the assignment. We were also able to go clear up the confusions we
had with what we misunderstood in the assignment. This was a positive experience.
I felt that the assignment was fair and everything was appropriate. Now that I look
back I can now see that the incident changed the way I see assessment. It has made
me truly understand the purpose of assessments. Assessment are made so that
teachers can assess how far learners are and how well they are able to take what
they were taught and apply it I other situations
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Section 2
The four concepts that relate to my concept are Fairness; Practicality and Efficiency;
Clear and Appropriate Learning Targets and lastly. These are four of the five features
that make an Assessment a high quality assessment. I will be using these concepts
to explain why the assessment in my assessment incident was a high quality
assessment.
-The first concept is clear and appropriate concepts. High quality assessment should
have a clear and appropriate target. These goals should include both what students
know and can do, as well as the criteria for evaluating student achievement
(MacMillan, 2014). “Appropriateness of targets also refers to the effect of the target
on students and how targets relate to more encompassing goals” (MacMillan, 2014
p.50). This concept relates with my assessment incident in such a way that the
assessment clearly explained what we were required to do. Assessment outcomes
and the criteria where communicated to us clearly. We were given instructions and a
rubric. Students were motivated by the assessment targets since they were at the
proper level of difficulty. With various types of objectives, there was a good balance.
The objectives were in line with the general goals of the teachers as well as the
school and district's objectives. The goals were similarly broad, covering all of the
important aspects that you want to improve and for which you require input
(MacMillan, 2014).
-The concept is validity. SAQA (2001, p.17 as cited in Brown, 2011 p.31) “defined
validity during the assessment process as the measuring of what is to be measured
in terms of knowledge, understanding subject content, proficiency, information,
behaviours, etc. Therefore assessment procedures, methods and instruments are
obliged to assess that which has been identified for assessment.” WNCP (2006, p.11
as cited in Brown, 2011 p.31) “added that validity in classroom assessment is
determined by a teacher’s professional judgment, since the same test or measuring
instrument may be valid for one exercise but invalid for another. Validity is also
based on the accurate analysis of assessment data and the use thereof.”
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This concept related with my assessment incident in a way that I the assessment
was a valid one. It was valid because Validity can be measured using ContentRelated Evidence. According to MacMillan (2014, p.56) this is the extent to which the
content of the assessment matches the instructional objective.” The research project
was valid because it was an assessment that covered only the content of the work
we did in term one and term two in the topic of Development Geography. It was only
an assessment a section of the subject and not on the whole content of the subject
(MacMillan, 2014)
-The third concept if Fairness. A fair assessment according to MacMillan (2014 p.63)
“is one that provides an equal opportunity to all students to demonstrate
achievement”. This concept is one that relates a lot to my assessment incident. The
assessment we were given was fair in every way. Assessments are given to us to
show what we have learned so far. This assessment was fair because no students
had an advantage over other. MacMillan (2014 p.63) states that “fair assessments
are unbiased and nondiscriminatory. That is, fairness means that neither the
assessment task nor scoring is differentially affected by race, gender, ethnic
background, handicapping condition, or other factors unrelated to what is being
assessed” This assessment was also fair because we were assessed on work that
we were taught. We were also given rubrics and clear instructions on what will be
assessed and what won’t be. This assessment was one that required lots of
research so we needed access to a computer and the internet. Our teacher made
sure that those students who had no access to a computer and the internet where
able to use the schools computer lab.
The assessment didn’t have any type of the two major assessment biases which are
namely Offensiveness and unfair penalization. “Offensiveness occurs if the content
of the assessment offends, upsets, distresses, angers, or otherwise creates negative
affect for particular students or a subgroup of students. Unfair penalization is bias
that disadvantages a student because of content that makes it more difficult for
students from some groups to perform as compared to students from other groups”
(MacMillan, 2014 p.65). The concept of fairness makes me understand the
assessment incident in a way that I see that the assessor, teacher, made sure that
we were all prepared for this assessment.
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-The last concept is feedback. “Feedback refers to the verbal and written exchanges
that occur between teachers and students in relation to the students’ classroom
learning” (Brookhart, 2008). The concept of feedback relates with my assessment
incident due to that fact that all assessment has to have feedback. In the case of my
assessment incident, the feedback I received for my research project was effective
feedback. Effective feed or helpful feedback according to Hattie (2001) “is a
supportive conversation that clarifies a learner’s awareness of their developing
competencies, enhancing their self efficacy for making progress, challenges them to
set objectives for improvement, and facilitates their development of strategies to
enable that improvement to occur.”
The feedback I received was very effective because firstly the timing was good. I
received the feedback less than two weeks after submitting. The feedback was given
before exams commenced so there was time for me to improve o what I didn’t
understand. The feedback I received was written. It went over both my wrongs and
rights. It was just the right amount of feedback. Feedback was also given individually
with no audience present.
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Section 3
After analysing the critical incident using assessment concepts my view on
assessment has changed. I now have a much clear understanding of assessment. I
understand what makes a good assessment and also what makes a bad
assessment. I don’t see assessment as just something used to assess learner’s
knowledge but as something much deeper. Something much more important that
plays a huge role in learner’s progress in their education.
The lessons I have learned from my analysis of the critical incidents are that as
teachers it is important that we establish high quality class assessments. We need to
take in to consideration things such as Fairness, Validity, and Reliability etc. We also
need to make sure that we give the learner helpful/effective feedback on their
assessments. By taking all these into account we will be helping the students to
improve in their school work with no hindrance from us as teachers.
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Reference List
Brookhart, S.M. (2017). How to give effective feedback to your students. ASCD.
Brown, S.P. (2011). Assessment in the Further Education And Training School
Sector: A Quality Assurance Perspective (Dissertation). University Of The Free State,
Bloemfontein
Hattie, J. (2001). The power of feedback. Review of educational research
MacMillan, J.H. (2014). Classroom Assessment: Principles and Practice for Effective
Instruction. Virginia Commonwealth University.
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