ASSESSMENTASSESSMENT

April 19, 2023Laila N. Boisselle 1

CLASSROOMCLASSROOMASSESSMENTASSESSMENT

April 19, 2023Laila N. Boisselle 2

What is assessment?What is assessment?

Any activity used to obtain evidence of Any activity used to obtain evidence of

students’ learning?students’ learning?

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Contemporary Shifts in Contemporary Shifts in AssessmentAssessment

Assessment of Learning: Assessment of Learning: A summative form of A summative form of assessment to determine how much is learnt assessment to determine how much is learnt and mainly used for certificationand mainly used for certification

Assessment for Learning: Assessment for Learning: An assessment that An assessment that is continuous throughout a course and mainly is continuous throughout a course and mainly uses alternative methods of assessmentsuses alternative methods of assessments

Assessment as Learning: Assessment as Learning: development of development of metacognition in students so that they metacognition in students so that they become the critical connector between become the critical connector between learning and assessment.learning and assessment.

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Assessment can be:Assessment can be:

Diagnostic: Diagnostic: used to identify students’ needsused to identify students’ needs

Formative: Formative: used to get information on the used to get information on the

learning taking place during the teaching sessionlearning taking place during the teaching session

Summative: Summative: used to obtain evidence of students’ used to obtain evidence of students’

learning after completing a unit.learning after completing a unit.

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Types of Assessment/ Characteristic

(McMillan, 2008)

Formative Summative

Purpose To provide ongoing feedback and adjustments to instruction

To document student learning at the end of an instructional segment

When conducted During instruction and after instruction After instruction

Student involvement Encouraged Discouraged

Student Motivation Intrinsic, mastery-oriented Extrinsic, performance-oriented

Teacher Role To provide immediate, specific feedback and instructional correctives

To measure student achievement and give grades

Learning Emphasized Deep understanding, application, and reasoning

Knowledge and comprehension

Level of Specificity Highly specific and individual General and group oriented

Structure

Flexible, adaptable Rigid, highly structured

Techniques

Informal Formal

Impact on Learning

Strong, positive, long-lasting Weak and fleeting

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Traditional Assessment

(Caruth-Blake, 2010)Authentic Assessment

Generally relies on forced-choice, written measures Promotes integration of various written and performance measures

Relies on proxy measures of student learning to represent target skills Relies on direct measures of target skills

Encourages memorization of correct answers Encourages divergent thinking in generating possible answers

Goal is to measure acquisition of knowledge Goal is to enhance development of meaningful skills

Curriculum directs assessment Assessment directs curriculum

Emphasis on developing a body of knowledge Emphasis on ensuring proficiency at real-world tasks

Promotes “what” knowledge Promotes “how” knowledge

Provides a one-time snapshot of student understanding Provides an examination of learning over time

Emphasizes competition Emphasizes cooperation

Targets simplistic skills or tasks in a concrete, singular fashion Prepares students for ambiguities and exceptions that are found in realistic problem settings

Priority on summative outcomes or product Priority on the learning sequence or process

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Main Uses of Main Uses of AssessmentAssessment

Criterion Referenced Criterion Referenced AssessmentAssessment

A system of assessment A system of assessment which:which:

Identifies the skills Identifies the skills requiredrequired

Assesses understanding Assesses understanding of concepts and principles of concepts and principles – mastery of criterion– mastery of criterion

Limitations Limitations Needs a range of Needs a range of

assessment technique to assessment technique to adequately assess adequately assess criterioncriterion

Norm Referenced AssessmentNorm Referenced Assessment

An assessment in which An assessment in which sstudents’ scores are tudents’ scores are compared with other compared with other students’ scores to determine students’ scores to determine whether performance is above whether performance is above average, average or below average, average or below average according to set average according to set criteria.criteria.

Limitations:Limitations: Cannot measure effectiveness Cannot measure effectiveness

of curriculaof curricula Does not indicate what the Does not indicate what the

student is or is not able to do student is or is not able to do after being exposed to the after being exposed to the curriculumcurriculum

(King, 2010)(King, 2010)April 19, 2023Laila N. Boisselle 9

Popularity of Norm Popularity of Norm Referenced Tests Referenced Tests

High stakes assessment and its impactHigh stakes assessment and its impact

In instances of limited job and educational In instances of limited job and educational opportunities high stake assessments become the opportunities high stake assessments become the means to identify meritocracymeans to identify meritocracy

Impact on curriculumImpact on curriculum

Determining the legitimacy and level of importance Determining the legitimacy and level of importance given to areas of the curriculumgiven to areas of the curriculum

Teaching to the testTeaching to the test

Defining the learned curriculum Defining the learned curriculum (King, 2010) (King, 2010)

General Principles of General Principles of AssessmentAssessment

Assessment is an integrated process for determining the Assessment is an integrated process for determining the nature and extent of student learning and development. nature and extent of student learning and development. This process will be most effective when the following This process will be most effective when the following principles are considered. principles are considered.

Clearly specify what is to be assessed.Clearly specify what is to be assessed.

Select an assessment procedure that is relevant to the Select an assessment procedure that is relevant to the characteristics or performance to be measured.characteristics or performance to be measured.

Use a variety of assessment procedures.Use a variety of assessment procedures.

Be aware of the limitations of assessment procedures.Be aware of the limitations of assessment procedures.

Remember, assessment is a means to an end, not an end Remember, assessment is a means to an end, not an end in itself.in itself.

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General Principles of General Principles of AssessmentAssessment

Validity – assessment instrument measures Validity – assessment instrument measures what it says it will and does so consistently what it says it will and does so consistently i.e. the instrument is reliablei.e. the instrument is reliable

Reliability – assessment instrument is Reliability – assessment instrument is consistent in measuring the constructs it consistent in measuring the constructs it intended to measureintended to measure

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Issues of FairnessIssues of Fairness

Assessment and evaluation processes should Assessment and evaluation processes should considerconsider

language – should students be penalized for not language – should students be penalized for not

being able to write and speak standard English?being able to write and speak standard English?

Cultural content – avoid statements and questions Cultural content – avoid statements and questions

that may imply cultural biasthat may imply cultural bias

Students’ special needs – plan for the assessment Students’ special needs – plan for the assessment

of special needs students (King, 2010)of special needs students (King, 2010)