ED. Psych 401 Assessment Review

 

Assessment is a process of observing a sample of a student's behavior and drawing inference about the students knowledge and abilities. (Ormrod 504)

I found two great statements about assessment from an article online today! Here is the information and the title of the article:

 

 Differentiated Assessment Strategies: One Tool Doesn’t Fit All With Carolyn Chapman

 Assessment is ongoing. It is done before, during, and after the learning.

Assessment data drives curriculum planning.

I believe in both of these principles and am planning on assessing my assessments in the future.

 

-The following are examples of the assessment strategies listed on page 505 of the Ormrod text.

Informal vs. Formal Assessment:

Informal(spontaneous, unsystematic observations): An example would be if a student asked me why the Germans attacked Pearl Harbor  in WWII. I would notice that they had a misconception about the history at Pearl Harbor and figure out a way for me to explain that it was really the Japanese that attacked.  Informal is just not planned; at the same time I think these are the key moments in teaching and I don't want to miss out on them.

 

Formal(preplanned, systematic date gathering): An example would be if I put together a pre-test at the beginning of the semester to see what my students know going into the school year. That way I could get a general gage on what I would need to take more time on or what I could simply pass over. Formal Assessment are things that I will have written in to my curriculum almost like checkpoints for myself and the class.

 

Paper-pencil assessment vs. Performance assessment:

Paper-Pencil(written assignments):  An example I could use in my classroom would be a paper assignment on historical figures. These are simple and traditional things like essays, tests, journal entries, etc.

 

Performance Assessment(non-written behaviors): An example I can do is assigning a time that students can dress up like a historical figure and do a presentation about them. These are opportunities for students to showcase their abilities and their dedication in a non-traditional setting.

 

Traditional Assessment vs. Authentic Assessment:

 Traditional Assessment(learning separate from real world tasks): In my classroom, an example would be a True/False assessment on the States of America. This makes up the majority of what assessment seems to be; when I think about it, I don't know if that is a good thing.

 

Authentic Assessment(ability to apply learning to real world tasks): An example would be requiring my students to write a blog or journal so that they develop writing skills and computer knowledge. I want my students to leave the classroom with skills they can utilize in the future.

 

 

Criterion-referenced assessment vs. Norm-referenced assessment:

Criterion-Referenced(indicates mastery or non-mastery of specific topics): An example would be if I used a vocabulary quiz in my classroom. I could see and compare exactly what words the students need to work on in that section. These are assessments that tell us in specific detail what we need to focus on based on predetermined standards.

 

Norm-Referenced(compares performance to peers):  For example, if my high school students take the TCAP writing assessment in 11th grade. Also, if my students plan on taking an AP test that would be a good example as well. This is a way that students(and teachers) can see how they stack up against other students all around the state or nation.

 

 

Standardized test vs. Teacher-developed test:

 

Standardized Tests(developed by experts for use in many schools): An example would be when the state gives my students a required test at the end of the semester. It is a test that is standardized all around the state in different schools. I am not sure what the trend is looking like in terms of more or less implementation of standardized tests.

 

Teacher-Developed Tests(developed by teachers for their own classroom):   An example would be an essay question I would write for my class after each chapter. This would test their knowledge and be specific for the class alone. I am most excited about making my own testing material; this allows me to use the assessments I have done in the classroom to specifically cater to my students' needs and wants in academia.