14 The Role of Assessment

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Assessment—the methods used to gain information about student learning Central to the educational process Completes the cycle of instruction The Role of Assessment

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. For Reflection Do you get nervous while taking tests? Why do you think this is the case? © Archipoch/Shutterstock

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Objective Distinguish between formative and summative assessment. © Keith Bell/Shutterstock

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. The Purpose of Assessment Formative assessment takes place during instructionFormative assessment –Allows teachers to adjust teaching to help improve learning –Purpose is to make instructional decisions –Not used as part of students’ grades continued

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. The Purpose of Assessment Summative assessment is evaluation after learning has taken placeSummative assessment –Assesses if learning objectives were met –Often scored or graded –Allows progress to be tracked over time –Usually includes tests

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Objective Identify the source of standards evaluated by assessments. © Ricardo Garza/Shutterstock

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. What Can Be Measured? Student achievement of objectives Learner growth and progress Teaching effectiveness

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Measuring Student Achievement of Objectives Teachers constantly measure students’ progress Students, classes, and schools are periodically measured against district, state, or national standards –Standardized tests have consistent grading

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Measuring Learner Growth and Progress Growth and progress can be assessed over time Changes in classroom behavior can be tracked Teachers can report progress to learners and parents continued

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Measuring Learner Growth and Progress Assessment can offer encouragement or highlight areas of concern © Maridav/Shutterstock

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Measuring Teaching Effectiveness Personal assessment leads to –self-improvement –modifications in teaching methods Teachers may also make videos of themselves teaching or ask for feedback They may ask others for feedback and suggestions continued

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Measuring Teaching Effectiveness Mentor teachers help new teachers assess and improve their skillsMentor teachers © Lisa F. Young/Shutterstock

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Using Tests to Assess Learning Tests are the most widely used assessment tool –Standardized tests –Teacher-developed tests

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. For Reflection Do you think tests are the best way of assessing what you, personally, have learned? Why? © Archipoch/Shutterstock

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Standardized Tests Scores can show the achievement of individual students, schools, and teachers © VIPDesignUSA/Shutterstock continued

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Standardized Tests State tests are used –to hold states accountable –to determine funding Districts may use them to devise strategies for improvement and monitor changes continued

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Standardized Tests SAT and ACT are used for –college admissions –feedback on how a school’s student scores compare with others across the nation

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Teacher-Developed Tests Help teachers measure –how well students met the learning objectives –the effectiveness of their teaching Teachers write tests based on –learning objectives –what they have taught –knowledge of their students

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Objective Write examples of appropriate and effective test questions. © keerati/Shutterstock

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Types of Test Questions True-false—test recall Multiple choice—can test higher-level thinking © Kelvin/Shutterstock continued

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Types of Test Questions Matching—identifies a relationship Fill-in-the-blank—should be carefully constructed so there is only one correct answer Short answer—require a very brief answer Identification—requires labeling or locating parts on a diagram or drawing continued

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Types of Test Questions Essay—measure knowledge and the ability to think clearly, organize information, and express thoughts –Requires higher-level thinking –Takes time and effort to grade

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Constructing Tests Write questions that match the levels of the objectives Match the proportion of questions to the emphasis placed on various objectives Limit the number of different types of questions to three or four Group questions of the same type together continued

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Constructing Tests Be sure that questions do not give answers or clues to other questions © marekuliasz/Shutterstock continued

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Constructing Tests Provide clear directions for each section Evaluate existing tests or questions carefully before using Format the test for ease of use Format the test for ease of grading

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. For Discussion © Michael D. Brown/Shutterstock What do you think would be the most difficult part of constructing a test? Why?

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Using Alternative Assessment Strategies Alternative assessments are methods other than testsAlternative assessments Encourage teachers’ and students’ creativity –Written papers –Multimedia presentations –Real-life tasks –Student portfoliosStudent portfolios continued

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Using Alternative Assessment Strategies Students create something to show what they know © Simone van den Berg/Shutterstock

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Giving Clear Directions Writing directions requires thinking in a logical, step-by-step way Begin by achieving the goal or objective Use precise, descriptive language Confusing directions can prevent accurate assessment of learning

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Evaluating Alternative Assessments Students are usually involved in the process –Rubrics –Checklists and scorecards –Self-evaluation and peer evaluation

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Objective © Robyn Mackenzie/Shutterstock Develop a rubric to be used for alternative assessment.

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Rubrics A rubric is often organized as a chartrubric Quality ratings can be ranked using numbers and/or adjectives Provides clear grading criteria for both student and teacher Helps to communicate how a student did and did not meat expectations or standards continued

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Rubrics To create a rubric, 1.Identify the criteria that will be used in assessing performance 2.Determine the possible performance levels 3.Write a description for each performance level and criterion 4.Proofread

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. For Discussion Have you ever been graded using a rubric? Did you think it was a fair assessment tool? Why? © Michael D. Brown/Shutterstock

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Checklists and Scorecards Checklists show progress over timeChecklists –Can be checked off or answered with a “yes” or “no” response © Dmitry Naumov/Shutterstock continued

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Checklists and Scorecards Scorecards identify a maximum point value for each criterion but do not describe levels of qualityScorecards –Number of points depends on importance and complexity of each step –Provides students with a final score and information on which steps need practice

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Self-Evaluation and Peer Evaluation With self-evaluation and peer evaluation, students learnself-evaluationpeer evaluation –the importance of honesty –how to phrase constructive criticism –acceptance of others’ assessment –important job-related skills

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Objective Describe the reasoning teachers use in choosing appropriate assessment strategies. © Blend Images/Shutterstock

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Choosing Assessment Strategies Validity—assessment actually measures learning objectivesValidity Reliability—results will be the same over time with different learners in different circumstancesReliability Should be developmentally appropriate for learners’ developmental stage continued

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Choosing Assessment Strategies Assessment should not be the focal point, taking away from the learning process Students will be less likely to internalize what was learned Teachers must consider time and other resources assessment will require

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Objective Analyze a grading policy. © Cheryl Casey/Shutterstock

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Determining Grades and Providing Feedback Ways teachers provide feedback include –grades –direct feedback © Tatiana Belova/Shutterstock

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Grading Students Purpose of grading is to communicate students’ performance and progress Establish a grading plan before classes begin Communicate the grading plan to students Grades should reflect students’ learning Grades should be based on a variety of assignments, tests, and other work continued

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Grading Students Not every activity should be scored Student work should be recorded as a number Scores for some type of work may be weighted

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Giving Effective Feedback Feedback is more effective in improving learning than grades –Can occur throughout the learning cycle –Can be verbal reinforcement or written comments –Should be specific guidance

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. For Reflection As a student, which do you find more effective: grades or feedback? Why? © Archipoch/Shutterstock

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Objective Develop questions a teacher might use for course evaluation. © Losevsky Pavel/Shutterstock

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Course Evaluation Course evaluation helps teachers improve their teachingCourse evaluation –What worked and didn’t work –Evaluation leads to reflection and change

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. For Discussion Have you ever evaluated a course? Do you think the teacher found your feedback useful? © Michael D. Brown/Shutterstock

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Key Points Assessment evaluates different aspects of teaching and learning Strategies for assessment include standardized tests, teacher-developed tests, and alternative methods Providing feedback helps students improve learning skills Course evaluation helps teachers improve

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Review ____ is an evaluation of students’ learning after instruction has taken place.  Summative What type of tests are state achievement tests?  standardized tests continued

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Review What is a rubric?  a scoring tool that lists the criteria for judging a particular type of work What is the difference between validity and reliability?  Validity means a test measures the learning objectives. Reliability means it measures the same over time.

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. GLOSSARY OF TERMS alternative assessment. A method of assessing learning other than through testing. checklist. A simple list of items to be noted, checked, or remembered when evaluating learning. course evaluation. Judgments about how well a course meets its goals and identifying suggestions for improvement.

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. GLOSSARY OF TERMS formative assessment. Assessment that is meant to provide feedback about students’ learning and understanding while the learning is occurring, rather than after it is completed. It is designed to guide teaching decisions and is normally not graded.

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. GLOSSARY OF TERMS mentor teachers. Experienced, skilled teachers paired with new teachers to help them improve their skills, solve problems, and become comfortable in their new role. peer evaluation. Students’ assessment of each other’s learning.

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. GLOSSARY OF TERMS reliability. A characteristic of assessments that measures learning consistently and fairly, even with different groups or under different circumstances.

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. GLOSSARY OF TERMS rubric. A scoring tool that lists the criteria for judging a particular type of work. It also describes levels of quality for each of the criteria and is often organized as a chart, with the criteria (characteristics that count for scoring) on the left, followed by columns that describe different levels of quality for each characteristic.

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. GLOSSARY OF TERMS scorecard. A tool for evaluating alternative assessments that lists the characteristics or factors to use when evaluating learning. They typically identify a maximum point value for each criterion but do not describe levels of quality. self-evaluation. Students’ assessment of their own learning.

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. GLOSSARY OF TERMS student portfolio. A collection of a student’s work selected to show growth over time, highlight skills and achievements, or to show how well the student meets standards.

Permission granted to reproduce for educational use only.© Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. GLOSSARY OF TERMS summative assessment. Assessment designed to evaluate students’ learning after instruction has taken place. It measures results, whether learning objectives have been met. validity. A characteristic of assessments that actually measures the learning objectives.