Assessment Issues

Jeffrey Oescher

Quality Assessments

Knowledge of … learning targets, assessment methods, and specific guidelines for writing

specific assessments. Let’s briefly look at each of these

Learning Targets

Master factual and procedural knowledge

Use knowledge to reason and solve problems

Demonstrate mastery of specific skills

Create quality products Acquire positive affect/dispositions

Learning Targets

Knowledge Name at least two influences on the

culture of New Orleans Give two examples of how location

has affected the history of New Orleans.

Learning Targets

Reasoning Compare the way of life of the early

settlers of New Orleans to your own. What would New Orleans be like if it

was not located on the Mississippi River?

Learning Targets

Skills Use the scale provided on the map to

measure the distance from New Orleans to Baton Rouge.

Work effectively as a group to identify the critical issues facing New Orleans in the next several years.

Learning Targets

Products Create a crossword puzzle. Create a collage that depicts some

aspect of New Orleans’ heritage. Design a study to investigate the use

of data driven decision making in a school.

Learning Targets

Affective characteristics Demonstrate respect toward yourself

and others. Develop a positive self-concept. Develop a positive attitude toward

history

Learning Targets

Classify each of the student tasks on the following slide relative to the type of learning target

Write your responses on a scrap piece of paper

Learning Targets

List and define five types of achievement targets. Explain each of the five types of outcomes in terms of real

examples of targets you might address in your classes. Identify the learning targets upon which you might focus in a

class and assess them relative to the five types discussed today.

Statistically analyze the items on a test you have given. Revise your test items based on these analyses.

Write appropriate learning objectives for specific targets. Recall or knowledge level outcomes are often regarded as

“less important” or “less challenging.” Are some kinds of reasoning more important than others?

Heated debates continue about the kinds of outcomes our schools should help students attain. Opposing camps often include conservative and liberal political factions, religious communities, or business leaders. In your opinion, are these volatile exchanges of values good or bad for schools and students?

(Knowledge, Reasoning, Skills, Products, Affective Traits)

Assessment Methods

Selected response and short answer

Essay Performance assessment Personal/oral communication

Assessment Methods

Selected response All of the objectively scored paper-

and-pencil test formats Multiple choice True/false Matching Fill-in-the-blank

Assessment Methods Essays

An exercise in which the respondent is provided a prompt which calls for the preparation of an extended written answer

Describe how the concepts of evaporation and condensation come into play in the context of the water cycle. Be sure to include all the key elements of the cycle and discuss how they relate to one another.

Using what you know about the causes of air pollution in cities, propose two potentially useful solutions. Analyze each in terms of its strengths and weaknesses.

Assessment Methods

Performance Assessments An exercise in which the respondent actually

carries out a specified activity under the scrutiny of an evaluator who makes judgments based either on observations of the process and/or on the product created

Processes A musical recital A speech A hundred meter dash A science experiment

Products A drawing A term paper A prepared dish

Assessment Methods

Personal communication Formal and informal discussion with

students about their achievement Informal

Questions posed and answered during instruction Discussions during class Conversations

Formal Interviews Conferences Oral examinations

Target – Method Match

There is a need to match learning targets with assessment methods

Complete Table 1 on the following slide Place a ‘X’ for an appropriate match

between target and method Place a ‘?’ for a possible match Place a ‘O’ for an inappropriate

match

Target – Method Match

Target

Method

Selected Response Essay Performance

Assessment

Personal Communicatio

n

Knowledge

Reasoning

Skills

Products

Affect

Target Method Match

Using the table on Slide 17, place an ‘X’ in each cell where you feel the target and method are matched.

Target – Method Match

Target

Method

Selected Response Essay Performance

Assessment

Personal Communicatio

n

KnowledgeX X O

ReasoningO X X X

SkillsX X

ProductsO X

AffectX O O X

Reflection

What questions do you have about … achievement targets, assessment methods, or the match between targets and

methods?

Learning Objectives

Making your assessment targets clear to students

Learning Objectives

Clearly defining cognitive targets Learning objectives

Content Cognitive processing of this content

Bloom’s Taxonomy of the Cognitive Domain

Stiggins’ Knowledge and Reasoning Targets

Other taxonomies

Learning Objectives

Examples List the parts of a cell and describe the

structures included in each. Identify the literary devices authors use to

convey their characters’ feelings to the reader.

Across the stories we have read this semester, describe the general approach that the main characters have used to resolve their problems.

Learning Objectives

Examples Illustrate the similarity between addition

and subtraction. Categorize examples of researchable and

non-researchable research problems. Speculate on the long term impact of the BP

oil spill on Louisiana’s economy. Argue for the case that a particular golfer is

the greatest of all time.

Learning Objectives

Becoming clear – crystal clear

Test blueprints

Selected Response Items Write a multiple choice item for

each of the following learning objectives Identify four (4) sources of

information used to make decisions in education.1.1

Differentiate researchable problems from non-researchable problems.3.0

Evaluate the use of a norm-referenced or criterion-referenced test for specific purposes.3.5

Selected Response Items

Guidelines for writing selected response items General guidelines for all formats

Items are clearly written and focused A question is posed The lowest possible reading level is

used Irrelevant clues are eliminated Items have been reviewed by a

colleague The scoring key has been checked

Selected Response Items

Guidelines (continued) Multiple choice items

The item stem poses a direct question Any repetition is eliminated from the

response Only one best or correct answer is

provided The response options are brief and

parallel The number of response options offered

fits the item context

Selected Response Items

Guidelines (continued) True/False items

The statement is definitely true or false Fill-in items

A direct question is posed One blank is needed to respond The length of the blank is not a clue to

the answer

Selected Response Items

Guidelines (continued) Matching exercises

Clear directions on how to match are provided

The list of items to be matched is brief Any lists consist of homogeneous entries The response options are brief and

parallel Extra response options are offered

Selected Response Items

Critiquing your items Review the guidelines for writing selected

response items Take the practice exercise at the end of

this handout Identify any problems with your selected

response items Correct these problems

Statistically analyzing test items Let’s go here - briefly

What Is Next? Essay items

Specifying appropriate targets Writing, scoring and grading

Performance assessments Specifying appropriate targets Developing scoring criteria and scales

Affective scales Valued affective traits Measurement scales Scoring and score interpretation