Assessment Of Student Learning

What is Assessment?

Assessment is a systematic process of gathering, interpreting, and acting upon data related to
student learning and experience for the purpose of developing a deep understanding of what
students know, understand, and can do with their knowledge as a result of their educational
experience; the process culminates when assessment results are used to improve subsequent
learning. Huba and Freed, 2000

Key points

Assessment is an ongoing process aimed at understanding and improving student learning

Multiple methods, Criteria and standards, Evidence, Students know, can do and understand. It's
more than just collecting data.

Sequence in Preparing Instructionally Relevant Assessment

INSTRUCTION Indicates the learning outcomes to be attained by students

LEARNING TASK Specifies the particular set of learning task(s) to be assessed.

ASSESSMENT Provides a procedure designed to measure a representative sample of the

instructionally relevant learning tasks.

Importance of Assessment

To find out what the students know (knowledge)

To find out what the students can do, and how well they can do it (skill; performance)

To find out how students go about the task of doing their work (process)

To find out how students feel about their work (motivation, effort)

What is Student Assessment for?

To help us design and modify programs to better promote learning and student success.

To provide common definitions and benchmarks for student abilities that will enable us to act
more coherently and effectively to promote student learning.

To provide feedback, guidance, and mentoring to students so as to help them better plan and
execute their educational programs.

To provide improved feedback about student learning to support faculty in their work.

Functions of Assessment
Diagnostic: tell us what the student needs to learn

Formative: tell us how well the student is doing as work progresses

Summative: tell us how well the student did at the end of a unit/task

What can be assessed?

1. Student learning characteristics

-Ability differences

-Learning styles

2. Student motivational characteristics

-Interest

Self-efficacy

-goal orientation

3. Learning

Content knowledge

Ability to apply content knowledge

Skills

Dispositions and attitudes

Performances

How should we assess?

· True-False Item

4. Multiple choice

5. Completion

6. Short Answer

7. Essay Practical Exam

8. Papers/Reports

9. Projects
 10. Questionnaires

11. Inventories

12. Checklist

13. Peer rating

14. Self Rating

15. Journal

16. Portfolio

17. Observations

18. Discussions

19. Interviews

Criteria In Choosing an Assessment Method

>It should be reliable.

>It should be valid.

>It should be simple to operate, and should not be too costly.

>It should be seen by students and society in general.

>It should benefit all students.

Who should be involved in assessment?

-The teacher

-The student

-The student's peer

-Administrator

-Parents

What should we do with the information from our assessment?

>Use it to improve the focus of our teaching (diagnosis)

>Use it to focus student attention of strengths and weaknesses (motivation)

>Use it to improve program planning (program assessment)

>Use it for reporting to parents

Classroom Assessment

>Paper and pencil assessments: Ask students to respond in writing to questions or problem

-Item level: Assessing lower vs. higher skills

-Knowledge vs. application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation

>-Authentic tasks

e.g. multiple choice, T/F, matching (recognition), short answer, essay (recall)

Paper and Pencil Assessment

Strengths

-an cover a lot of material reasonably well </li></ul><ul><li>-Fair </li></ul><ul><li>-Effective in

assessing declarative knowledge of content </li></ul><ul><li>- Easier to construct and
administer than performance assessments </li></ul><ul><li>Weaknesses </li></ul><ul><li>-
Require forethought and skill </li></ul><ul><li>-Less effective in assessing procedural knowledge
and creative thinking </li></ul><ul><li>-Construction of good higher level recognition items is
difficult </li></ul><ul><li>-Recall items that do a good job of assessing higher level thinking
(essay questions) are difficult to score. </li></ul>

18. Performance Assessments <ul><li>- assessment that elicits and evaluates actual student
performances </li></ul><ul><li>Types of Performances: </li></ul><ul><li>Products: drawings,
science experiments, term papers, poems, solution to authentic problems
</li></ul><ul><li>Behavior: time trial for running a mile, reciting a poem, acting tryouts, dancing
</li></ul>

19. Performance assessments <ul><li>Strengths </li></ul><ul><li>-Effective for assessing higher

level thinking and authentic learning </li></ul><ul><li>-Effective for assessing skill and
procedural learning </li></ul><ul><li>-Interesting and motivating for students
</li></ul><ul><li>Weaknesses </li></ul><ul><li>-Emphasize depth at the expense of breadth
</li></ul><ul><li>-Difficult to construct </li></ul><ul><li>-Time consuming to administer
</li></ul><ul><li>-Hard to score fairly </li></ul>

20. How can we assess student learning? <ul><li>Traditional assessment: assess student
knowledge and skills in relative isolation from real world context. </li></ul><ul><li>Traditional
assessment practices reflect what students are able to recall from memory through various
means, such as, multiple choice, true/false, fill in the blank, and matching questions. </li></ul>

21. How can we assess student learning? <ul><li>Authentic assessment: assess students’ ability
to use what they’ve learning in tasks similar to those in the outside world.
</li></ul><ul><li>Occurs when the authenticity of student learning has been observed. It
requires information from a variety of source such as content work samples, observation during
class activities, and conferences with students. </li></ul>

22. Classroom Assessment <ul><li>Informal Assessment: teachers’ spontaneous, day to day

observations of student performances. </li></ul><ul><li>Examples </li></ul><ul><li>Verbal
</li></ul><ul><li>-Asking questions </li></ul><ul><li>-Listening to student discussions
</li></ul><ul><li>-Conducting student conferences </li></ul>

23. Informal Assessment-cont. <ul><li>Nonverbal </li></ul><ul><li>-Observing

</li></ul><ul><li>-Task performances </li></ul><ul><li>-On-and off-task behavior
</li></ul><ul><li>-student choices </li></ul><ul><li>-student body language </li></ul>

24. Informal Assessment <ul><li>Strengths </li></ul><ul><li>-Facilitates responsive teaching

</li></ul><ul><li>-Can be done during teaching </li></ul><ul><li>-Easy to individualize
</li></ul><ul><li>Weaknesses </li></ul><ul><li>-Requires high level of teacher skill
</li></ul><ul><li>-Is vulnerable to </li></ul><ul><li>-Bias </li></ul><ul><li>-Inequities
</li></ul><ul><li>-Mistakes </li></ul>

25. Classroom Assessment <ul><li>Formal assessment : assessment that is planned in advance

and used to assess a predetermined content and/or skill domain. </li></ul><ul><li>Strengths
</li></ul><ul><li>-allows the teacher to evaluate all students systematically on the important
skills and concepts </li></ul><ul><li>-helps teachers determine how well students are
progressing over the entire year </li></ul><ul><li>-provides useful information to parents and
administrators. </li></ul>

26. Portfolios <ul><li>A collection of student samples representing or demonstrating student

academic growth. It can include formative and summative assessment. It may contain written
work, journals, maps, charts, survey, group reports, peer reviews and other such items.
</li></ul><ul><li>Portfolios are systematic, purposeful, and meaningful collections of students’
work in one or more subject areas. </li></ul>

27. Importance of Portfolios <ul><li>For Students </li></ul><ul><li>Shows growth over time

</li></ul><ul><li>Displays student’s accomplishment </li></ul><ul><li>Helps students make
choices </li></ul><ul><li>Encourages them to take responsibility for their work
</li></ul><ul><li>Demonstrates how students think </li></ul>

28. Importance of Portfolios <ul><li>For Teachers </li></ul><ul><li>Highlights performance-

based activities over year </li></ul><ul><li>Provides a framework for organizing student’s work
</li></ul><ul><li>Encourages collaboration with students, parents, and teachers
</li></ul><ul><li>Showcases an ongoing curriculum </li></ul><ul><li>Facilitates student
information for decision making </li></ul>
29. Importance of Portfolios <ul><li>For Parents </li></ul><ul><li>Offer insight into what their
children do in school </li></ul><ul><li>Facilitates communication between home and school
</li></ul><ul><li>Gives the parents an opportunity to react to what their child is doing in school
and to their development </li></ul><ul><li>Shows parents how to make a portfolio so they may
do one at home at the same time </li></ul>

30. Importance of Portfolios <ul><li>For Administrators </li></ul><ul><li>Provides evidence that

teacher/school goals are being met </li></ul><ul><li>Shows growth of students and teachers
</li></ul><ul><li>Provides data from various sources </li></ul>

31. What do portfolios contain? <ul><li>Three basic models: </li></ul><ul><li>Showcase model,

consisting of work samples chosen by the student. </li></ul><ul><li>Descriptive model,
consisting of representative work of the student, with no attempt at evaluation.
</li></ul><ul><li>Evaluative model, consisting of representative products that have been
evaluated by criteria. </li></ul>

32. Disadvantages of Portfolio <ul><li>Require more time for faculty to evaluate than test or
simple-sample assessment. </li></ul><ul><li>Require students to compile their own work,
usually outside of class. </li></ul><ul><li>Do not easily demonstrate lower-level thinking, such
as recall of knowledge. </li></ul><ul><li>May threaten students who limit their learning to
cramming for doing it at the last minute. </li></ul>

33. Rubric <ul><li>It is a scoring guide that seeks to evaluate a student’s performance based on
the sum of a full range of criteria rather than a single numerical score. </li></ul><ul><li>It is a
working guide for students and teachers, usually handed out before the assignment begins in
order to get students to think about the criteria on which their work will be judged. </li></ul>

34. Rubrics are scoring criteria for <ul><li>Free-response Questions </li></ul><ul><li>Scientific

reports </li></ul><ul><li>Oral or Power point presentations
</li></ul><ul><li>Reflections/Journals </li></ul><ul><li>Essay </li></ul><ul><li>Laboratory-
based performance tests </li></ul><ul><li>Article review or reactions
</li></ul><ul><li>Portfolios </li></ul><ul><li>Many others </li></ul>

35. Open-ended Question During a storm, Wendy noticed that she always heard thunder shortly
after she saw a flash of lighting. Explain why there is a difference a time between seeing lightning
and hearing thunder. No answer or answer erased 0 Thunder follows lightning Question or parts
of question restated 1 Sound is faster than light Response is scientifically incorrect 2 Sound
travels slower than light Response only mentions the fact that light is faster than sound; does
not relate the concept of hearing and seeing 3 Light is faster than sound. You can see the
lightning bolt before sound reaches you. Response include the fact that light travels faster than
sound; makes the connection with scenario 4 Sample Answer Criteria Level of Performance

36. Concept Mapping <ul><li>It requires students to explore links between two or more related
concepts. When making concept maps, they clarify in their minds the links they have made of
the concepts and having visual representation of these links, they are better able to rearrange of
form new links when new concepts are introduced. </li></ul>

37. Laboratory Performance <ul><li>In this format students and teachers know the requirements
in advance and prepare them. The teacher judges the student performance within a specific
time frame and setting. Students are rated on appropriate and effective use of laboratory
equipment, measuring tools, and safety laboratory procedures as well as a hands-on designing
of an investigation. </li></ul>

38. Inventories <ul><li>Diagnostic Inventories: Student responses to a series of questions or

statements in any field, either verbally or in writing. These responses may indicate an ability or
interest in a particular field. </li></ul><ul><li>Interest Inventories: student responses to
questions designed to find out past experience and or current interest in a topic, subject or
activity. </li></ul>

39. Classroom Assessment <ul><li>Presentation : a presentation by one student or by a group of

students to demonstrate the skills used in the completion of an activity or the acquisition of
curricular outcomes/expectations. The presentation can take the form of a skit, lecture, lab
presentation, debate etc. Computers can also be used for presentation when using such
software as Hyperstudio, Powerpoint or Corel presentations. </li></ul><ul><li>Peer Evaluation :
judgments by students about one another’s performance relative to stated criteria and program
outcomes </li></ul>

40. Journal Assessment <ul><li>This refer to student’s ongoing record of expressions experiences
and reflections on a given topic. There are two types: one in which students write with minimal
direction what he/she is thinking and or feeling and the other requires students to compete a
specific written assignment and establishes restrictions and guidelines necessary to accurately
accomplish the assignment. Journals can evolve different types of reflecting writing, drawing,
painting, and role playing. </li></ul>

41. REFLECTIVE JOURNAL What did I learn? How do I feel about it? What happened?

42. SYNTHESIS JOURNAL How I can Use It? What I learned? What I Did?

43. SPECULATION ABOUT EFFECTS JOURNAL What could happen because of this? What
happened?

44. Summary <ul><li>A fair assessment is one in which students are given equitable
opportunities to demonstrate what they know and can do. </li></ul><ul><li>Classroom
assessment is not only for grading or ranking purposes. Its goal is to inform instruction by
providing teachers with information to help them make good educational decisions.
</li></ul><ul><li>Assessment is integrated with student’s day-to-day learning experiences rather
than a series of an end-of-course tests. </li></ul>

45. Why link assessment with instruction? Better assessment means better teaching. Better
teaching means better learning . Better learning means better students. Better students mean
better opportunities for a better life.

46. ( Read and Take Joy in being a Teacher) THE CREATION OF A TEACHER Anonymous
<ul><li>The Good Lord was creating teachers. It was His sixth day of “overtime’’ and He knew
that this was a tremendous responsibility for teachers would touch the lives of so many
impressionable young children. An angel appeared to Him and said, “You are taking a long time
to figure this one out.” </li></ul><ul><li>“ Yes,” said the Lord, “but have you read the specs on
this order?” </li></ul><ul><li>TEACHER: </li></ul><ul><li>… must stand above all students, yet
be on their level </li></ul><ul><li>… must be able to do 180 things not connected with the
subject being taught </li></ul><ul><li>… must run on coffee and leftovers, </li></ul><ul><li>…
must communicate vital knowledge to all students daily and be right most of the time </li></ul>

47. The Creation of a Teacher <ul><li>… must have more time for others than for herself/himself
</li></ul><ul><li>… must have a smile that can endure through pay cuts, problematic children,
and worried parents </li></ul><ul><li>… must go on teaching when parents question every
move and others are not supportive </li></ul><ul><li>… must have 6 pair of hands.
</li></ul><ul><li>“ Six pair of hands, “said the angel, “that’s impossible” </li></ul><ul><li>“ Well,
said the Lord, “it is not the hands that are the problem. It is the three pairs of eyes that are
presenting the most difficulty!” </li></ul><ul><li>The angel looked incredulous, “Three pairs of
eyes…on a standard model?” </li></ul><ul><li>The Lord nodded His head, “One pair can see a
student for what he is and not what others have labeled him as. Another pair of eyes is in the
back of the teacher’s head to see what should not be seen, but what must be known. The eyes in
the front are only to look at the child as he/she ‘acts out’ in order to reflect, I understand and I
still believe in you”, without so much as saying a word to the child.” “Lord,” said the angel, “this
is a very large project and I think you should work on it tomorrow”. </li></ul>

48. The Creation of a Teacher <ul><li>“ I can’t, said the Lord, “for I have come very close to
creating something much like Myself. I have one that comes to work when he/she is sick…
teachers a class of children that do not want to learn… has a special place in his/her heart for
children who are not his/her own…understands the struggles of those who have difficulty…never
takes the students for granted…” </li></ul><ul><li>The angel looked closely at the model the
Lord was creating. “It is too soft-hearted, “said the angel. “Yes,” said the Lord, “but also tough,
You can not imagine what this teacher can endure or do, if necessary”. “Can this teacher think?”
asked the angel. “Not only think,” said the Lord,. “but reason and compromise.” The angel cam
closer to have a better look at the model and ran his finger over the teacher’s cheek. “Well, Lord,
“said the angel, your job looks fine but there is a leak. I told you that you were putting too much
into this model. You can not imagine the stress that will be placed upon the teacher.” The Lord
moved in closer and lifted the drop of moisture from the teacher’s cheek. It shone and glistened
in the light. “It is not a leak,” He said, “It is a tear.” </li></ul>

49. The Creation of a Teacher <ul><li>“ A tear? What is that?” asked the angel, “What is a tear
for?” The Lord replied with great thought, “It is for the joy and pride of seeing a child accomplish
even the smallest task. It is for the loneliness of children who have a hard time to fit in and it is
for compassion for the feelings of their parents. It comes from the pain of not being able to
reach some children and the disappointment those children feel in themselves. It comes often
when a teacher has been with a class for a year and must say good- bye to those students and
get ready to welcome a new class.” </li></ul><ul><li>“ My,” said the angel, &quot;The tear thing
is a great idea…You are a genius!” </li></ul><ul><li>The Lord looked somber, “I didn’t put it
there.” </li></ul>