Assessment Design How do you know that they know what you taught them?

How do we assess? True –False Item Multiple Choice Completion Short Answer Essay Practical Exam Papers/Reports Projects Questionnaires Inventories Checklist Peer Rating Self Rating Journal Portfolio Observations Discussions Interviews

How can we assess student learning? Traditional assessment assesses student knowledge and skills in relative isolation from real world context. Practices reflect what students are able to recall from memory through various means, such as, multiple choice, true/false, fill in the blank, and matching questions.

How can we assess student learning? Authentic assessment: assesses students’ ability to use what they’ve learned in tasks similar to those in the outside world. Occurs when the authenticity of student learning has been observed. It requires information from a variety of source such as content work samples, observation during class activities, and conferences with students.

Criteria In Choosing an Assessment Method It should be reliable. It should be valid. It should be accessible for all students. It should be effective and efficient. Results should be replicated if assessment is given again.

A closer look at ways to assess Pros and cons of common assessments Thoughts about less familiar assessments

Paper and Pencil Assessment A traditional method to demonstrate skills or understanding of concepts. True/False Multiple Choice Fill in the blank Essay Journal

Journal Assessment This refer to student’s ongoing record of expressions experiences and reflections on a given topic. There are two types: one in which students write with minimal direction what he/she is thinking and or feeling and the other requires students to compete a specific written assignment and establishes restrictions and guidelines necessary to accurately accomplish the assignment. Journals can evolve different types of reflecting writing, drawing, painting, and role playing.

Paper and Pencil Assessment Strengths -Can cover a lot of material reasonably well -Easier to construct and administer than many other types of assessments -Minimal tools and resources are needed -Effective in assessing declarative knowledge of content Weaknesses -Less effective in assessing procedural knowledge and creative thinking -Construction of higher RBT items is difficult -Some scoring practices may be biased

Research/Creation and presentation Presentation : a presentation by one student or by a group of students to demonstrate the skills used in the completion of an activity or the acquisition of curricular outcomes/expectations. The presentation can take the form of a skit, lecture, lab presentation, debate etc. Computers can also be used for presentation when using such software as Hyperstudio or Powerpoint presentations.

Presentations Pros: - Allows collaboration between students - Provides an authentic audience for task - Gives options for upper RBT items - Builds skills in verbal ability and organization - Enhances student self-concept Cons: - Requires excessive time - Requires student dedication to task - Grading / scoring may seem vague

Journals Pros: - Allows student to voice his/her own thoughts with limited “teacher voice” - Journal entries can easily be collected to show progress over time Cons: - Student is able to lose focus without teacher input - Grading procedures can show bias

Importance of Portfolios For Parents Offer insight into what their children do in school Facilitates communication between home and school Gives the parents an opportunity to react to what their child is doing in school and to their development Shows parents how to make a portfolio so they may do one at home at the same time

What do portfolios contain? Three basic models: Showcase model, consisting of work samples chosen by the student. Descriptive model, consisting of representative work of the student, with no attempt at evaluation. Evaluative model, consisting of representative products that have been evaluated by criteria.

Disadvantages of Portfolio Require more time for faculty to evaluate than test or simple-sample assessment. Require students to compile their own work, usually outside of class. Do not easily demonstrate lower-level thinking, such as recall of knowledge. May threaten students who limit their learning to cramming for doing it at the last minute.

Performance Assessments - assessment that elicits and evaluates actual student performances Types of Performances: 1.Products: drawings, science experiments, term papers, poems, solution to authentic problems 2.Behavior: time trial for running a mile, reciting a poem, acting tryouts, dancing

Performance assessments Strengths -Effective for assessing higher level thinking and authentic learning -Effective for assessing skill and procedural learning -Interesting and motivating for students Weaknesses -Emphasize depth at the expense of breadth -Difficult to construct -Time consuming to administer -Hard to score fairly

Rubric It 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 students and teachers, usually handed out before the assignment begins in order to get students to think about the criteria on which their work will be judged.

Rubrics are scoring criteria for Free-response Questions Scientific reports Oral or Power point presentations Reflections/Journals Essay Laboratory-based performance tests Article review or reactions Portfolios Many others

Summary A fair assessment is one in which students are given equitable opportunities to demonstrate what they know and can do. Classroom assessment is not only for grading or ranking purposes. Its goal is to inform instruction by providing teachers with information to help them make good educational decisions. Assessment is integrated with student’s day-to-day learning experiences rather than a series of an end- of-course tests.

Why link assessment with instruction? Better assessment means better teaching. Better teaching means better learning. Better learning means better students. Better students mean better opportunities for a better life.