Assessment & Evaluation  A measurement tool  Non-judgmental*  On-going  Answers the questions:  How much did they learn?  How well did they learn it?  How well was it taught?  A judgment tool  Two strategies :  Summative  Final  Formative  On-going Assessment:Evaluation

ASSESSMENT Methods and Tools

Three Methods of Assessment  A collection of student work  Chosen by student  Is applicable across many fields – not just the arts!  Examples of essays with brainstorming and editing notes  10 examples/photos of welds completed  Examples of business proposals  Examples of activities planned for ECE placement 1. PortfolioExamples:

Three Methods of Assessment  Projects are designed to draw upon a range of skills  May be done in groups or individually  Can be creative and varied as the teacher that assigns them or as the student who chooses them  Create a computer game that teaches math facts.  Research the topic of animal rights, take a position on it, and defend your position in a paper and a class debate.  Create a business plan for an at home daycare centre. 2. ProjectsExamples:

Three Methods of Assessment  Performance assessment is a way to document and evaluate the work that students have accomplished during some fixed period of time.  It tends to take the form of (multidisciplinary) problem-solving activities.  Short answer  Open ended prompts  Quizzes  Tests  Oral questions  Demonstrations 3. Performance AssessmentExamples Include:

FORMATIVE EVALUATION Methods and Tools

What is Formative Evaluation?  At its most basic, formative evaluation is an assessment of efforts prior to their completion for the purpose of improving those efforts.  Formative Assessment, Formative Evaluation & Performance Assessment are closely related and often interchangeable terms.  For our purposes I will use the term “Formative Assessment” (to avoid confusion! )

The difference  The option with formative evaluation is often to assign a grade or mark for work completed.  After all, exercises, projects, group work, demonstrations tests and quizzes are all considered tools for the purposes of formative evaluation.  Allow for adequate assessment opportunities to take place  Make mid-terms and finals a success!

SUMMATIVE EVALUATION Methods and Tools

Summative Evaluation  Given periodically to determine at a particular point in time what students know and do not know.  Provence benchmark or interim assessments  End-of-unit or chapter tests  End-of-term or semester exams  Scores that are used for accountability for schools (AYP) and students (GPA’s). SummativeExamples

Student Involvement In Formative Assessment

Students & Formative Assessment  Self-assessment  Peer resource  Engagement  Ownership  Motivation to learn  Identify learning goals  Set criteria for success  Design assessment tasks  Ensure evidence of student learning Student’s RoleInstructor’s Role

INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES For Formative Assessment

Criteria and goal setting  Engages students in instruction and the learning process by creating clear expectations.  In order to be successful, students need to understand and know the learning target/goal and the criteria for reaching it.  Using student work, classroom tests, or exemplars of what is expected helps students understand where they are, where they need to be, and an effective process for getting there.

Observations  Go beyond walking around the room to see if students are on task or need clarification.  Observations assist teachers in gathering evidence of student learning to inform instructional planning.  This evidence can be recorded and used as feedback for students about their learning or as anecdotal data shared with them during conferences.

Questioning strategies  Should be embedded in lesson/unit planning. Asking better questions allows an opportunity for deeper thinking and provides teachers with significant insight into the degree and depth of understanding.  Questions of this nature engage students in classroom dialogue that both uncovers and expands learning.  Helping students ask better questions is another aspect of this formative assessment strategy.

Self and peer assessment  Helps to create a learning community within a classroom.  Students who can reflect while engaged in metacognitive thinking are involved in their learning.  When students have been involved in criteria and goal setting, self-evaluation is a logical step in the learning process.  With peer evaluation, students see each other as resources for understanding and checking for quality work against previously established criteria.