Chapter 13: Assessing Student Learning
Instructional Objective: Statements of skills/concepts students should master by a certain time.
Evaluation
Tests
Grading and How Grading is Determined
objectives having three parts: performance, conditions, and criteria
First, state the conditions under which learning will be assessed
The second part of an objective is usually an action verb that indicates what students will be able to do.
Finally, a behavioral objective generally states a criterion for success
Instructional objectives should be specific enough to be meaningful.
In teaching any new skill, it is important to consider all the subskills that go into it.
Task Analysis: Breaking tasks down into smaller subskills.
Backward Planning: Planning instruction by first setting long-range goals, then setting unit objectives, then daily lessons.
assessment: a measure of the degree to which instructional objectives have been obtained.
teaching objectives (clear statements of what students are expected to learn through instruction)
learning objectives (specific behaviors students are expected to exhibit at the end of a series of lessons)
Bloom's Taxonomy
taxonomy of educational objectives: Bloom's ordering of objectives from simple tasks to more complex ones.
Key elements: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, evaluation
Behavior content matrix: chart that classifies lesson objectives according to cognitive level.
affective objectives: objectives that have to do with students attitudes and values
Evaluation: measurement of student performance in academic, and sometimes other areas
Feedback for students/teachers, information to parents, information for selection/certification/accountability, increase student effort
Formative Evaluation: evaluations designed to determine whether additional instruction is needed.
Summative Evaluation: Final evaluations of students' achievements of an objective
Norm-referenced interpretations: assessments that compare the performance of one student against others.
Criterion-referenced interpretations: assessments that rate how thoroughly students have mastered specific skills or areas of knowledge
you should use multiple assessment opportunities
Second, you should test learning when it is completed, not as it is developing.
Achievement tests should measure clearly defined learning objectives
Achievement tests should measure a representative sample of the learning tasks
Achievement tests should include the types of test items that are most appropriate for measuring the desired learning outcomes
Achievement tests should fit the particular uses that will be made of the results
Achievement tests should be as reliable as possible but should nevertheless be interpreted with caution
Achievement tests should improve learning.
Table of Specifications: list of instructional objectives and expected levels of understanding that guides test development
Knowledge of terms, knowledge of facts, knowledge of rules and principles, skills in using processes and procedures, ability to make translations, ability to make applications
Selected-response items: test items in which respondents can select from one or more possible answers, scorer is not required to interpret their response.
multiple-choice item: test items that usually consist of a stem followed by choices.
stem: a question or partial statement in a test item that is completed by one or several choices
distractors: incorrect responses that are offered as alternative answers to multiple choice questions.
True/False item: form of multiple choice test items, most useful when a comparison of two alternatives is called for.
Matching item: test items that are presented in two lists, each item in one list matching one or more items in the other list.
Constructed-response items: Constructed-response items require the student to supply rather than select the answer
Completion items: fill-in-the-blank test items
Short-essay item: a test question, the answer to which may range from a sentence or two, to a page of 100-150 words.
Long-essay item: a test question requiring an answer of a page or more.
problem-solving assessment: test that calls for organizing, selecting, and applying complex procedures that have at least several important steps or components.
evaluative descriptors: statements describing strong and weak features of a response to an item, question, or project.
Authentic/Portfolio/Performance Assessments
One goal of these “alternative assessments” is to demonstrate achievement in realistic contexts
Portfolio Assessment: collection of student's work to show growth, self-reflection, and achievement
Performance Assessment: student's ability to perform tasks in real-life contexts rather than just showing knowledge.
Teachers and schools that use letter grades attach the following general meanings to the letters:
A = superior; exceptional; outstanding attainment
B = very good, but not superior; above average
C = competent, but not remarkable work or performance; average
D = minimum passing, but serious weaknesses are indicated; below average
F = failure to pass; serious weaknesses demonstrated
relative-grading standard: grades given according to student's rank in his/her class or grade.
Mastery grading: grading that requires an established standard of mastery, by 80/90% correct on a test. Those who don't meet it the first time are given instruction then redo the test.
Report card grades are usually: scores on quizzes/tests, projects/papers, homework, seat work, class participation, deportment, and effort.