Different Types of Assessments

Accurate indicators of what students know and whether they can use their knowledge in novel situations.

Assessment of, as, and for learning

Assessment as learning
=
Self assessment

Assessment for learning
=
Summative assessment

Assessment for learning
=
Formative assessment

Teachers are gathering student’s comprehension and understanding of a skill or lesson during the learning and teaching process to improve and specify the learning.

When

at the beginning of a unit to gather students’ knowledge
throughout the course to see where students are

Why

To clarify student learning and understanding
To give feedback on learning and teaching
To identify gaps and improve learning
To better plan future lessons Identify at-risk students early

Example

Collecting information during a class discussion
Collecting Post-its
SMWCYD - Show Me What Can You Do assignments

Students are their own assessors as they monitor their own learning, identify their strengths and weaknesses and decide about future goals of their learning.

When
Anytime throughout the course to see how students feel about their learning

Why

To encourage students to think critically about their learning and skills and reflect on themselves as learners
To encourage students to take responsibility for their own learning
To teach students the importance of being reflective and always grow as a learner
To encourage students to ask questions and practise skills

Example

Peer reflection - for example ‘Glow & Grow’ or ‘Two Stars and a Wish’
Self reflection - identifying strengths weaknesses
Goal setting
Traffic lights - cards on tables to show how much students understand

Teachers are collecting evidence of their students learning to access students achievements against certain learning goals and standards

When
typically administered at the end of a unit to evaluate a student’s understanding

Why

To collect evidence of student knowledge, skill or proficiency
To demonstrate achievement
To grade and evaluate student understanding

Example

Benchmark assessments - students are assessed three times per year for universal screening
- Cumulative assessment - revisiting material from previous assessments on later assessments
- Portfolio of students work

Diagnostic Assessment

What is it?

Diagnostic assessments are assessments that assess a learner’s current knowledge base or current views on a topic/issue to be studied. The purpose of the assessment is to get a clear picture of a student’s current level. This should help the teacher make correct choices as to how to best teach new content to this student. This type of assessment is not meant to be graded.

Examples

Short quizzes
Possibly in the form of an entrance ticket to judge students current knowledge.

Journal entries
If journals are kept for a class, then the first entry for a given book/unit can be an entry about a student's reflectino of their current knowledge.

Student interviews
Teacher interviews a student to judge current knowledge.

Classroom discussions
Students discuss a topic with each other facilitated by teacher, demonstrating their current knowledge.

Sources

https://www.queensu.ca/teachingandlearning/modules/assessments/10_s2_02_diagnostic_assessment.html#:~:text=Diagnostic%20assessments%20are%20sets%20of,be%20studied%20in%20the%20course.

https://www.prodigygame.com/main-en/blog/types-of-assessment/

https://harappa.education/harappa-diaries/diagnostic-assessment/

When?

Should be given at the beginning of a course, unit, or book.

Diagnostic Assessment: Examples & Overview

Summative

Formative

Definition and Benefits

Evaluates the understanding and the learning process of the students in addition to academic achievement at the end of the unit, term, or year. It assesses if the students have met the learning goals and objectives,

It follows up the student's learning and academic progress throughout a unit. This helps students identify their strengths and weaknesses. A teacher can modify their lessons accordingly depending on the performance of these assessments.

Can be used

At the end of the unit, chapter, term, and year

Ongoing evaluation

Types

Self assessments

Visual drawings of understanding

Quizzes

Entry and exit tickets

Class discussions

Midterm exams

Final Exams

Essays

Standardized Tests

Final Presentations

Reflection writing assengments

Performance Assessment

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Performance assessment involves applying and showing skills and knowledge through various performance tasks. The purpose of a performance assessment is to improve the student learning experience and evaluate the effectiveness of lesson plans. These assessments measure how well a student can apply the knowledge they've learned, not if they can recall the knowledge.

When

Definition

Developing a thorow analysis in an essay

Portfolios of student work

Progress reports

Why

Engage the interest of students.

Accurate indicators of what students know and whether they can use their knowledge in novel situations.

Increase instructor confidence by allowing them to evaluate lesson plan effectiveness.

Identify how well teachers are teaching and provide progress reports for student learning.

Criteria for creating performance assessments

Use relatable communication and situations

Incorporate multiple stages of completion of a performance task and problems that use creative thinking

Ask students to produce a product, report, experiment or performance

Allow for self-evaluation

Importance

Make testing standards and expectations obvious to the student

Conducting a laboratory investigation

What adjustments to make to the class curriculum to ensure students are successful in their education

Help teachers identify if students are making progress

When evaluating the effectiveness of the lesson plans.

How

Teachers can use performance assessments to identify if students have knowledge of a subject or are gaining knowledge in a subject throughout the year. They can administer a performance assessment at any point, though they often use them at the beginning and end of the course.

IB overview of Performance Assesment

IB says the Performance assessment is the only realistic means of measuring student achievement in these areas, and because the outcomes of such activity cannot be tightly prescribed, these assessments must be relatively unstructured and open-ended where there are many diverse but correct responses. This assessment seeks to test the higher-order thinking skills of evaluation and analysis, not simply knowledge recall.

Sources

What Is a Performance Assessment? (Definition and Tips Included). (n.d.). Indeed Career Guide. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/performance-assessment

https://medium.com/inspired-ideas-prek-12/performance-assessment-what-is-it-and-why-use-it-1394712c5d3

Visual Resources