My Post: Assessments
Assessments measure learners achievements and can be used to improve instruction. There is a difference between assessments and testing. The goal of testing is to measure the progress of a learner. The goal of assessments is to develop and improve the learner’s performance. Assessments should align with course objectives, provide opportunities to practice newly acquired skills, and motivate learners to succeed. It includes observation, interviews, performance tasks, portfolios, as well as tests.
Traditional assessments use the objective or subjective assessment method to gauge learner’s progress. Objective assessments are easier to create such as a true/false or matching exams that measures what the learners can recall. These test scores can be machine scored and are useful to make improvements to the course for better learning outcomes.
Subjective assessments require a deeper level of cognitive effort. For example, term papers or essay tests are examples that require human judgment for scoring. The subjective assessments, as well as alternative methods work well in online courses with adult learners. The disadvantage of this method is they increase the subjectivity when grading. A checklist and creating a rubric helps the instructor in keeping the grading consistent and avoid subjectivity.
There are several approaches that are being used in creating alternative assessments that will provide a better insight into a learner’s knowledge. Three of these alternative approaches that often overlap are the authentic assessment, performance-based assessment and constructivist or learner centered assessment.
An authentic assessment refers to learning activities that simulate real-world challenges and encourage students to use higher-order thinking skills. According to the research paper by Torulf Palm, “Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation” he states, “The assessment is regarded as authentic if, for example, students are engaged in cognitive processes that are important in successful adult behavior in life beyond school.”
The performance-based method expects the learner to perform an activity. It may require students to work collaboratively. For example, assigning a team to conduct an experiment and together analyze the results.
In the article by Ingfei Chen, “Can Project Based Learning Close Gaps in Science Education,” he talks about a physics project that has the students answer the question of, “Why should I wear a helmet when I ride my bike?” He explains that, “…students work on a series of activities leading them to explore related questions that build their knowledge of the principles of force, motion, acceleration and gravity, so that they can grasp how a helmet would protect their heads from the impact of a potential collision.” The instructor guides the students to conduct investigations. Students are asked to collect data, organize it, analyze it, share it, and debate it.
The constructivist method suggests that the learners come to their own understanding and knowledge as they interact with others. Learners choose what type of activity they will perform and take on more responsibility for their progress toward meeting the instructional goals. Creating games for a quiz, assigning a group a problem-solving activity, creating an e-Portfolio or assigning a self-assessment assignment are all examples of assessment possibilities. Using the inquiry learning method helps students ask themselves questions while they complete a task. The important part in the learning process is giving timely feedback that makes continued progress by the learner possible.
There are challenges ahead that delay implementation of these new alternative assessment methods. One major issue for the school districts is the cost involved in creating these project-based activities. Instructors may also need additional training for implementing these activities. Another drawback is the assessments are time intensive for the instructor. They need to coordinate activities and assess the collaborative efforts of the learner to make sure they are meeting the course objectives.
Traditional assessments use the objective or subjective assessment method to gauge learner’s progress. Objective assessments are easier to create such as a true/false or matching exams that measures what the learners can recall. These test scores can be machine scored and are useful to make improvements to the course for better learning outcomes.
Subjective assessments require a deeper level of cognitive effort. For example, term papers or essay tests are examples that require human judgment for scoring. The subjective assessments, as well as alternative methods work well in online courses with adult learners. The disadvantage of this method is they increase the subjectivity when grading. A checklist and creating a rubric helps the instructor in keeping the grading consistent and avoid subjectivity.
There are several approaches that are being used in creating alternative assessments that will provide a better insight into a learner’s knowledge. Three of these alternative approaches that often overlap are the authentic assessment, performance-based assessment and constructivist or learner centered assessment.
An authentic assessment refers to learning activities that simulate real-world challenges and encourage students to use higher-order thinking skills. According to the research paper by Torulf Palm, “Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation” he states, “The assessment is regarded as authentic if, for example, students are engaged in cognitive processes that are important in successful adult behavior in life beyond school.”
The performance-based method expects the learner to perform an activity. It may require students to work collaboratively. For example, assigning a team to conduct an experiment and together analyze the results.
In the article by Ingfei Chen, “Can Project Based Learning Close Gaps in Science Education,” he talks about a physics project that has the students answer the question of, “Why should I wear a helmet when I ride my bike?” He explains that, “…students work on a series of activities leading them to explore related questions that build their knowledge of the principles of force, motion, acceleration and gravity, so that they can grasp how a helmet would protect their heads from the impact of a potential collision.” The instructor guides the students to conduct investigations. Students are asked to collect data, organize it, analyze it, share it, and debate it.
The constructivist method suggests that the learners come to their own understanding and knowledge as they interact with others. Learners choose what type of activity they will perform and take on more responsibility for their progress toward meeting the instructional goals. Creating games for a quiz, assigning a group a problem-solving activity, creating an e-Portfolio or assigning a self-assessment assignment are all examples of assessment possibilities. Using the inquiry learning method helps students ask themselves questions while they complete a task. The important part in the learning process is giving timely feedback that makes continued progress by the learner possible.
There are challenges ahead that delay implementation of these new alternative assessment methods. One major issue for the school districts is the cost involved in creating these project-based activities. Instructors may also need additional training for implementing these activities. Another drawback is the assessments are time intensive for the instructor. They need to coordinate activities and assess the collaborative efforts of the learner to make sure they are meeting the course objectives.
