Chapter 10 ~~~~~ Content Area and Related Arts Assessment

2 Assessment to Match Instruction Textbook oriented instruction - assess students’: Textbook oriented instruction - assess students’: background knowledge background knowledge vocabulary development vocabulary development critical thinking critical thinking reading comprehension reading comprehension ability to interpret illustrations graphs and charts ability to interpret illustrations graphs and charts retention of material retention of material ability to generalize from text references to real-life situations. ability to generalize from text references to real-life situations.

3 Assessment to Match Instruction Activities oriented instruction - assess students’ Activities oriented instruction - assess students’ ability to: ability to: work independently as well as in groups work independently as well as in groups complete special projects complete special projects do experiments do experiments debate debate write and speak persuasively for a variety of audiences write and speak persuasively for a variety of audiences

4 Assessment to Match Instruction Inquiry oriented instruction – assess students’ ability to: Inquiry oriented instruction – assess students’ ability to: plan research plan research solve problems solve problems invent, discover, infer invent, discover, infer compare, project compare, project evaluate evaluate construct new knowledge construct new knowledge

5 Informal Evaluation Process Considerations Require the use of higher order thinking skills Require the use of higher order thinking skills Have an open-ended format Have an open-ended format Reflect real-life situations Reflect real-life situations Incorporate a variety of formats to address the range of skills and attitudes Incorporate a variety of formats to address the range of skills and attitudes Align with curriculum and teaching activities Align with curriculum and teaching activities Involve creativity, problem solving, hands-on approach Involve creativity, problem solving, hands-on approach Is incorporated with, during and following instruction Is incorporated with, during and following instruction Requires active involvement in the assessment decision process Requires active involvement in the assessment decision process

6 Content Area Vocabulary Factors in Assessment Vocabulary development–critical to content area success Vocabulary development–critical to content area success Difficult due to multiple meanings/varied contextual use of terms Difficult due to multiple meanings/varied contextual use of terms Number of new vocabulary words Number of new vocabulary words Types of vocabulary Types of vocabulary Technical words - need to be pronounced, explained with examples, connected to familiar experiences to be mastered by most students Technical words - need to be pronounced, explained with examples, connected to familiar experiences to be mastered by most students examples: science: fungi, migrate, capillary examples: science: fungi, migrate, capillary social studies: globe, citizen, volcano). Nontechnical words - confusing due to unfamiliar ways used Nontechnical words - confusing due to unfamiliar ways used examples: science: light, pupil, spring examples: science: light, pupil, spring social studies: trade, reservations, depression

7 Drawing Mental Models Sketching mental “pictures” of scientific concepts Sketching mental “pictures” of scientific concepts Not only a dynamic instructional method but a diagnostic tool - probes depth of understanding Not only a dynamic instructional method but a diagnostic tool - probes depth of understanding Used to determine what concepts are understood, any knowledge gaps, any misconceptions, knowledge of concepts’ multiple features, and Used to determine what concepts are understood, any knowledge gaps, any misconceptions, knowledge of concepts’ multiple features, and how features fit together how features fit together

8 Concept Mapping Strategy to probe knowledge structures of learners Strategy to probe knowledge structures of learners Identifies pre-instructional understanding of concepts Identifies pre-instructional understanding of concepts Assesses changes in understanding about concepts Assesses changes in understanding about concepts Probes for interpretations of research findings Probes for interpretations of research findings Alternative to interviewing for evaluating prior knowledge Alternative to interviewing for evaluating prior knowledge Focus of class discussion - relationship among ideas surfacing while investigating/researching concept data Focus of class discussion - relationship among ideas surfacing while investigating/researching concept data Effective tool for planning and evaluating instruction Effective tool for planning and evaluating instruction Used as a pre & post instructional assessment tool Used as a pre & post instructional assessment tool

9 TEXTBOOK EVALUATION Text Considerateness –designed with the needs of the diverse learner in mind Text Considerateness –designed with the needs of the diverse learner in mind Factors to consider when evaluating text considerateness: Factors to consider when evaluating text considerateness: Readability Readability Content Coverage Content Coverage Text Structure Text Structure Evaluation Procedures Evaluation Procedures