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Assessment Basics By Peggy Marcy a professor at Cal State San
Bernardino. This video will look at some aspects of assessment
in the classroom. First, let's compare feedback and assessment.
In terms of the classroom, they are really the same. However, assessment is usually the
term used for formal evaluation, but make no mistake about it, any kind of feedback
is an assessment or evaluation of some kind. Feedback may be comments written on a paper
or verbally delivered to students. They may or may not be graded. Feedback from peers
and self can be just as valuable in learning as instructor feedback. I usually approach
peer feedback or peer assessment as a way for students to recognize their own mistakes.
It is easier to see mistakes in other peoples' writing than in my writing, but as I examine
theirs, I can find phrases that I like and want to use as well as see mistakes that I
want to avoid. Many students don't like or trust peer feedback on writing, and I have
to say that my experience with ESL students did not give me much confidence that they
could accurately pick out mistakes. However, the students judged later in the semester
that peer editing did improve their own writing. Next, let's talk about formative and summative
assessments. Summative assessments are the final evaluation, such as the unit test or
the rubric for an oral presentation. It is unusual for those to be given again. Summative
assessments are more likely to have a grade attached to them than formative assessments.
Formative assessments are inserted into the process of the task or project or unit. They
may or may not be graded, but usually are not graded. If they are graded, students are
encouraged to repeat the task until they get 100%. An example of a formative assessment
might be requiring learners to turn in the script or outline for their oral presentation
so that you can offer feedback before the actual event. Or, it could be asking learners
to turn in a checklist of steps that they have completed before they give the actual
product. The next aspect I want to discuss are formats
for assessments. There are "fixed format" types which are represented by true-false
questions, multiple choice, multiple answer, fill-in-the-blanks, and matching. "Structured
format" usually requires a little more thinking on the part of the student because they need
to manipulate the language in some manner. Perhaps they reorganize the words, or they
move them into various categories. If learners are asked to draw or sculpt their answers
and there is only one correct way of drawing it or sculpting, then it would fit under structured
format. If there are multiple options, then it would be considered an "open-ended format."
An example of one correct way to draw would pertain to directions. If the learner listens
to the directions and then draws the route they heard on a map, then there is only one
correct option. On the other hand, if they listen to a story, and you ask them to draw
three scenes from that story, it would be considered an open-ended format. Open-ended
formats include written paragraphs or essays, short or long speeches, portfolios and other
performance related activities. For example, perhaps we have been studying various idioms
and I want to know if the students have really learned how to use them appropriately. I might
choose to create an assessment where I put them in pairs and ask them to create and record
a dialogue that includes three of the idioms we learned.
The last point for this video is about making the assessments fair. If you spent most of
the lesson on role-playing dialogue in a restaurant, then it may not be fair to give them a written
test with multiple choice questions. On the other hand, if you spent the whole time having
them complete exercises in the workbook, it would likely be unfair to assess them with
a role-play at the end. In general, as much as possible, the assessment should look the
same, or be in the same category, as the way they learned the material.
In addition, you need to make sure that your assessment is designed in such a way that
you are assessing what you want to. For example, if I ask them to draw scenes to assess their
listening comprehension, I need to make sure that I don't count off for poorly drawn items.
If they are able to communicate the gist through their drawing, then I should accept it. If
I want to assess their listening by having them write a summary of what they heard, I
need to be fairly generous on spelling and grammar mistakes because that is not the purpose
of the assessment. I should also understand that some students will have better short
term memory than others, so I would probably want to allow them to take notes while listening
(which is a real world skill). If you have taught the material in ways that integrated
various skills of listening, reading, writing, and speaking, then it is okay for the final
assessment to include integration of skills. Just be careful about where you award or take
away points. In summary, this video looked at the idea
of feedback being a type of assessment, the difference between formative and summative
assessment, item formats, and making the assessments fair.