WelcomeTo

ClassJanuary 20 - 22, 2020

Hope This Session Will Be A Rewarding One For You

1

Teaching Goals

To help teachers understand the link between

teaching, learning & assessment

To empower teachers to formulate assessment

experiences that are relevant & meaningful to

both learners & teachers

Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of the presentation, teachers should

be able to:

Describe the link between teaching, learning &

assessment in their own words;

Describe at least three classroom assessment

techniques they can use;

Demonstrate, through collaboration, the steps in

making a classroom test;

Formulate a classroom test through collaborative

work;

What’s the connection?

testing

measurement

evaluation

assessment

teaching

learning

instruction

Instruction

and

Assessment

Teaching and learning are

reciprocal processes that depend

on and affect one another.

Thus, the assessment component deals

with how well students are learning, and

how well the teacher is teaching

What’s the purpose of assessment?

Assessment of Learning

External

Measures achievement

relative to learning

objectives

Used to assign grades

Does not need to

involve the student

Assessment for Learning

Internal

Used to diagnose student

problems for remediation

Determines effectiveness

of instruction

Brings the student into

the process

(Davies, 2000)

Assessment for Learning

Assessment for learning involves teachers using

evidence about students' knowledge, understanding

and skills to inform their teaching.

Sometimes referred to as ‘formative assessment', it

usually occurs throughout the teaching and learning

process to clarify student learning and understanding.

Assessment for learning:

reflects a view of learning in which assessment helps

students learn better, rather than just achieve a better mark;

involves formal and informal assessment activities as part

of learning and to inform the planning of future learning;

includes clear goals for the learning activity;

provides effective feedback that motivates the learner and

can lead to improvement;

reflects a belief that all students can improve;

encourages self-assessment and peer assessment as part

of the regular classroom routines;

involves teachers, students and parents reflecting on

evidence;

is inclusive of all learners.

Assessment of Learning

Assessment of learning assists teachers in using

evidence of student learning to assess achievement

against outcomes and standards.

Sometimes referred to as ‘summative assessment', it

usually occurs at defined key points during a unit of

work or at the end of a unit, term or semester, and

may be used to rank or grade students.

The effectiveness of assessment of learning for

grading or ranking depends on the validity and

reliability of activities.

Its effectiveness as an opportunity for learning

depends on the nature and quality of the feedback.

Assessment of learning:

is used to plan future learning goals and pathways

for students

provides evidence of achievement to the wider

community, including parents, educators, the

students themselves and outside groups

provides a transparent interpretation across all

audiences.

Assessment as Learning

Assessment as learning occurs when students are

their own assessors.

Students monitor their own learning, ask questions

and use a range of strategies to decide what they

know and can do, and how to use assessment for

new learning.

data is gathered either by or for students to help

them understand how they learn;

used so students develop learning skills and

control their own learning

Assessment as learning:

encourages students to take responsibility for their

own learning

requires students to ask questions about their

learning

involves teachers and students creating learning

goals to encourage growth and development

provides ways for students to use formal and

informal feedback and self-assessment to help

them understand the next steps in learning

encourages peer assessment, self-assessment

and reflection.

Improve

Student Learning

(Gronlund & Waugh, 2009)

To be fully integrated with

instruction,

plans for assessment should be

made during the planning for

instruction.

(Gronlund & Waugh, 2009)

Assessment in the Instructional Process

Beginning of Instruction (placement assessment)

During Instruction (formative and diagnostic

assessment)

End of Instruction (Summative assessment)

(Gronlund & Waugh, 2009)

Beginning of Instruction

(placement assessment)

Readiness Concern

Do the students

have the prerequisite

skills for this course?

Placement Concern

Have the students

already achieved the

intended outcomes

of the planned

instruction?

(Gronlund & Waugh, 2009)

During Instruction(learning progress)

Formative Assessment

Monitors student progress

Results are used to improve learning rather than assign grades.

Diagnostic Assessment

Focuses on the source of the error encountered by students.

May be difficult to construct.

(Gronlund & Waugh, 2009)

End of Instruction (Summative Assessment)

Used to determine terminal performance

Have students mastered the learning outcomes?

What grade should be assigned to each student?

How effective was the instruction?

(Gronlund & Waugh, 2009)

As we plan, teachers need to answer two main questions:

What are the

intended learning

outcomes of

instruction?

How will I know if

students have

achieved the

learning outcomes?

(Gronlund & Waugh, 2009)

The Instructional Plan

Instructional Objectives

Instructional Activities

must be linked to objectives

Assessment Activities

must be linked to objectives & activities

Our intended learning outcomes or instructional objectives provide

the blueprint for planning instructional activities and

preparing assessment instruments.

Instructional Objectives

What type of learning do you expect your

students to experience?

Consider the three domains of learning:

Cognitive: Mental Content

Psychomotor: Physical Skills

Affective: Emotional Values

The Cognitive Domain

• Evaluation

• Synthesis

• Analysis

• Application

• Understanding

• Knowledge

Instructional Objectives

Clearly stated objectives have four components:

A – Audience (who is fulfilling the objective)

B – Behaviour (what are they doing, a measureable

verb)

C – Condition (how are they doing it, what do they

need)

D – Degree (how much or to what extent are they

doing it)

Collaboration Time!

Work in your groups to:

choose a topic in your area;

divide it into bite size pieces;

formulate at least two instructional objectives

for a lesson

choose instructional activities to match each

objective.

Developing a good test is like target shooting.

You must:

Choose a target

Select an appropriate arrow

then

Take careful aim

Hitting the target requires planning

(Zimmerman, Sudweeks, Shelley, & Wood, 1990)

Developing a good test requires planning

You must:

Determine the purpose of

the test

then

Carefully write

appropriate test items to

achieve that purpose

(Zimmerman, etal., 1990)

Too often we miss the mark

Common Problems with classroom tests

Test content does not reflect the material discussed

in class.

Inadequate sample of content.

Questions are often ambiguous and unclear.

Inadequate sample of student achievement.

Too little feedback is given.

(Jacobs, 2004)

So how do we solve these problems?

Components of Assessment

Achievement targets

Assessment activity

Evaluative criteria/scoring tools

Grading & Reporting

(Beimfohr & Jacobson, 2003)

Choosing the Right Assessment Option

Decision must be based on

Achievement Targets

Achievement Targets

Master content knowledge

Use knowledge to reason and solve problems

Develop skills

Create products

(Beimfohr & Jacobson, 2003)

Planning for Pencil- and-Paper Assessment

Once we’ve decided on our achievement targets

or learning outcomes we can proceed to

formulate a

Table of Test Specifications

Table of Test Specifications

This is a blue-print of the test.

It shows the number of items per content

area and skill domain to be assessed.

Should be developed before teaching unit

Table of Test Specifications

This is the easiest way to ensure that there is

a representative sample of content and

cognitive objectives on the test.

We include content and skills in the same

proportion as they are to stressed during

instruction.

The table ensures that there is match

between what is taught and what is tested

Objectives Teaching Testing

(Jacobs, 2004)

(CXC, n.d.)

Table of Test Specifications

First determine the total number of items for

the test.

Second, allocate the number of items per

content area. The more important the content,

the greater the number of items.

Then , sort items across the various levels of

the domain.

Table of Test Specifications

Table of Test Specifications

Table of Test Specifications

Table of Specifications for a Chemistry Unit Test on Oxygen

Content (%) Knowledge Comprehension Application Total (%)

Physical Properties 8 6 6 20

Chemical Properties 12 9 9 30

Preparation 4 3 3 10

Uses 16 12 12 40

Total 40 30 30 100

(Jacobs, 2004)

Assessment Activity Options

Selected response

Essay

Personal communication

Performance assessment

Portfolio assessment

Selected Response

Multiple choice

True/false

Matching

Fill-in-the-blank

Essay

Restricted response essay

short answer / completion

Extended response essay

Factors to consider when deciding on the format of the test

What is to be measured

The size of the class

Time available to prepare and score test

Directions

Directions should be clear, concise, and to the

point.

Keep the directions and associated items on the

same page, even if the directions need to be

repeated on subsequent page(s).

Directions

Directions should include:

How to record answers

Time available

How answers are scored and the points

associated with specific subtests or items.

What to do when the test is completed.

Explain what is permissible

Arranging Items on theTest Instrument

Include an - Ice breaker item which virtually all

examinees will answer correctly to build

confidence.

Group similar content together on the testing

instrument.

Use items designed to measure important

content as testing time is almost always limited.

Arranging Items on theTest Instrument

Use items of appropriate known difficulty levels

when possible.

Don’t break items across a page.

Keep charts and figures pertaining to an item on

the same or preceding page.

Arranging Items on theTest Instrument

If using a computer printer, use a consistent font

or font size strategy.

If students are required to supply an answer,

provide enough room for the answer.

The Role of Formative Assessment

This takes place during the semester and allows

for assessment for learning.

This means giving several opportunities and

types of assessment.

This takes place during the semester and allows

for assessment for learning.

This means giving several opportunities and

types of assessment.

Feedback

Formative assessment should be done in such a

way as to allow for meaningful feedback to be

given to students.

Descriptive feedback is preferred over evaluative

feedback.

Feedback should inform students how they’re

progressing towards achieving learning

outcomes.

Feedback

Once you have collected the students‘ responses,

Sort and analyze the data.

Look for any patterns.

What is the most common response?

What did you not already know?

What suspicions were confirmed?

What do you plan to do about it?

Feedback

When you have analyzed the data, share at least

some part of that analysis with your students.

How will this activity affect their experience as

learners in the classroom?

Grading & Reporting

Instructional objectives should include both

minimal (lower-level)

and

developmental (higher-level) objectives.

Grading Issues

Communication to whom?

About what?

Using what evidence?

Shared how?

Questions for Establishing Appropriate Grading Practices

Is it appropriate to factor the following into the

report card grade?

Achievement

Intelligence

Effort

Attitude

Establishing Appropriate Grading Practices

Consider arguments for and against.

Create a balance scale reflecting a clear analysis

of all factors.

Factor student achievement into report card

grades.

Include unencumbered index of academic

achievement.

Report all other factors as separate grades.

Learning ability,

improvement and effort

should never be used as indicators

or evidence of achievement since

they present an unfair advantage to

some students and penalise others

unnecessarily.

Sound Grading Practices

Students:

Are clear about the achievement targets that have been set

Know what standards they are expected to meet

Understand the grading procedures that will be used

Teachers:

Gather evidence over time

Translate evidence into a composite index

Begin instruction with a complete picture of the grading process

Ways to Determine Grades

Assess at the end of the grading period

Average mid-term and final exams

Assess unit by unit

Whatever method of grading

you choose,

ALWAYS

tell students up front how

grades will be determined.

When all is said and done

assessment strategies should

help to answer the

fundamental but often elusive

questions

"What are your students learning?"

and its corollary,

"How effectively are you teaching?"

In Conclusion

(Enerson, Plank & Johnson, 2007)

References

Beimfohr, E. & Jacobson, E (Directors). (2003a).

Program two: Assessment Options and Designing

Paper-and-Pencil Assessments [Video recording].

In B. Schadlow (Executive Producer), Designing

Assessment to Promote Learning. Los Angeles:

Laureate Education, Inc.

Caribbean Examinations Council. (n.d.). Classroom

assessment: Teacher developed tests.

Davies, A. (2011). Making classroom assessment work.

(3rd ed.). Connections Publishing.

Enerson, D. M., Plank, K. M., & Johnson, N. (2007).

An introduction to classroom assessment

techniques. Pennsylvania: Schreyer Institute for

Teaching Excellence, Penn State.

References

Gronlund, N. E. & Waugh, C. K. (2009). Assessment of

student achievement. (9th ed). New Jersey:

Pearson Education Inc.

Jacobs, L. C. (2004). How to write better tests: A

handbook for improving test construction skills .

Indiana: Indiana University Bloomington Evaluation

Services & Testing

Zimmerman, B. B., Sudweeks, R. R., Shelley, M. F., &

Wood, B. (1990). How to prepare better tests:

Guidelines for university faculty. Brigham Young

University Testing Services & the Department for

Instructional Science.