The Library:
*Note: You may return to this page even when you are in your village. Simply wave your magic cursor and click at the library link and you will be transported immediately to the library.
Use the following resources to help equip yourself to the challenge. The library offers some links to the following topics but feel free to pursue other sites which you think will be most helpful to you.
Classroom Assessment is a method used by educators to collect and document feedback about how students are learning in their class. These are usually measurable terms which gauge the learner’s knowledge, skills and attitudes towards a subject/topic.
Listed below are types of assessment commonly used nowadays:
- Traditional Assessment - a method of assessment through the means of gathering of information on student learning by way of administering paper and pencil tests such as multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blank, and matching questions, as well as essays. These approaches are particularly useful in assessing students’ knowledge of information, concepts, and rules. They are also appropriate for assessing students’ knowledge of the terms and processes involved in a particular industry or career. (Gallagher 1999)
- Performance-based / Performance / Authentic Assessment - require students to troubleshoot and solve a problem, create a product, or construct a response that demonstrate a skill, process, or concept. Performance assessments are commonly presented to students as workplace related projects that may be done over an extended period of time. It requires students to locate, gather, organize, and interpret information. Typically, the project or product being assessed is rated by the teacher or team of teachers providing professional judgment, using clearly delineated criteria rubrics, which are in line with community and industry expectations or standards. Authentic Assessments are forms of performance assessment that are structured around real-life problems or work related situations. Although a traditional multiple-choice question can describe a real-life situation, the term “authentic assessment” usually is applied to performance assessments (Gallagher 1999). This type of assessment encourages students to use higher order thinking skills and motivates them to be more active in constructing their own understanding. Examples of authentic assessments include performance based outputs and original works.
Websites on Traditional & Performance-based Assessments
21st Century Assessment http://www.uwf.edu/pals/21stcentury/assessmentalternatives.htm
Assessment Vocabulary: Traditional (includes sample assessments comparing traditional & authentic methods) http://www.ncsu.edu/sciencejunction/route/professional/Assessment/assess.html#five
Assessment Vocabulary: Definition of Performance-Based Assessment
http://www.ncsu.edu/sciencejunction/route/professional/Assessment/assess.html#fourteen
Comparing Traditional and Performance-Based Assessment
http://www.sedl.org/loteced/comparing_assessment.html
- Criteria-Referenced Assessment- the process of evaluating (and grading) the learning of students against a set of pre-specified criteria (Harvey 2004). It measures how well students have learned the material. This is most commonly used by teachers in the classroom. Here it is possible for everyone to earn a passing grade as long as they have learned the information (Kelly 2004).
- Norm-Referenced Assessment - the process of evaluating (and grading) the learning of students by judging (and ranking) them against the performance of their peers (Harvey 2004) . Comparison is made on the scores of students against others. This is commonly used for standardized tests like SAT. Student scores are compared against a reference group to determine their ranks. A negative impression I see here is that the comparison discriminates students instead of assessing the knowledge/skill gained.
Websites:
Criterion vs. Norm-referenced Testing
http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/measeval/crnmref.html
Assessment Purposes: Comparison of Criterion and Norm-referenced Measures
http://www.edtech.vt.edu/edtech/id/assess/purposes.html
Learn NC
http://www.learnnc.org/glossary/norm-referenced+assessment
http://www.learnnc.org/glossary/criterion-referenced+assessment
Assessment is an integral part of the teaching-learning process. It is not merely done to evaluate the learning but is also a tool to facilitate and enhance learning. Good assessment renders results that are justifiable which means it would require consistency in its method so as to minimize factors that could lead to misinterpretation of results. The following are used to meet this requirement:
- Assessment Validity- An assessment is valid, when it measures what it intends to measure , which is usually specified in terms of the learning objectives . It is generally agreed that learning objectives must not be specified either too tightly or too loosely, if the learning is to be validly assessed (Elton 2002)
- Test Reliability - defined as an indication of the consistency of scores across evaluators or over time. An assessment is considered reliable when the same results occur regardless of when the assessment occurs or who does the scoring. There should be compelling evidence to show that results are consistent across raters and across scoring occasions. (Reliability 2004). Lack of agreement of scores will signify a possible unreliability of the assessment/test.
Websites:
http://www.materials.ac.uk/events/assessmenttrad.asp
Assessment Validity (includes types)
http://www.ioea.org.uk/knowledge_centre/articles_speeches/general_articles/assessment_validity.aspx
Assessment Reliability
Reliability
http://www.ericdigests.org/2002-2/reliability.htm
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