Assessment: An Overview Original author: Holly Hull Modified by: Jim Julius

Assessment Information  Definitions  Areas  Types  Examples

Comprehensive Definition Assessment is an ongoing process aimed at understanding and improving student learning. It involves:  making our expectations explicit and public;  setting appropriate criteria and high standards for learning quality;  systematically gathering, analyzing, and interpreting evidence to determine how well performance matches those expectations and standards;  and using the resulting information to document, explain, and improve performance. (Thomas A. Angelo, AAHE Bulletin, November 1995, p.7). (emphasis/bulleting added)

Comprehensive Definition (cont.) When assessment is embedded effectively within larger institutional systems, assessment can help us:  focus our collective attention  examine our assumptions  and create a shared academic culture dedicated to assuring and improving the quality of … education. (Thomas A. Angelo, AAHE Bulletin, November 1995, p.7). (emphasis/bulleting added) Click to see more assessment definitions

Simpler Assessment Definition  “… systematically gathering, analyzing, and interpreting evidence to determine how well performance matches expectations and standards...” (Thomas A. Angelo, AAHE Bulletin, November 1995, p.7).

Areas of Assessment  Content knowledge (facts/concepts/basic skills)  Critical thinking (higher levels of Bloom’s taxonomy)  Metacognition: Planning/goal-setting, self- monitoring, self-evaluation Metacognition  Creativity/Problem-solving  Group/Self-management Skills (cooperation, organization, participation, effort, citizenship, etc.)  Performance skills (presentations, writing, experiments, complex problem-solving, multimedia, etc.)

Types of Assessment  Traditional  Standardized Tests  Essay Questions  True/False  Short Answer  Multiple Choice  Etc.  Authentic/Project-Based/ Alternative/Performance Assessments  Tools  Performance Checklist  Rubric  Portfolio  Anecdotal Record  Assessment Contexts  Projects (“Tasks”)  Journals  Conferences  Etc.

Areas and types of assess- ment Marzano, R., Pickering, D., & McTigh, J. (1993). Assessing student outcomes: Performance assessment using the dimensions of learning model. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

To summarize:  Simpler, traditional assessments focus on decontextualized ends:  knowledge/ basic skills Authentic, performance-based assessments focus on contextualized ends and means: process skills meaningful products relevant knowledge/skills

Checklist  It is…  Predetermined list  Performance-based  Composed of measurable/ observable items

Rubric  It is…  Set of criteria/descriptors  Based on levels of achievement and  Attributes of the performance being measured How’s the presentation?

Portfolio  It is…  Purposeful collection of student work  Tool that can be used for assessment and/or instruction  Student-centered and should involve student in the process  It is not…  A folder of all the student’s work  An end in itself  A teacher-only activity

Assessment should be an ongoing process, embedded within a “big picture”!