Methods of Assessment | Learning Sciences. Formative (Low-Stakes) Assessments Formative assessment techniques monitor student learning during the learning process. The feedback gathered is used to identify areas where students are struggling so that instructors can adjust their teaching and students can adjust their studying. These are low-stakes assessments (i.e., they have low point values) that happen early and often in the semester. Written Reflections. “What was the most important thing you learned today?” Polls/Surveys. Checks for Understanding. Wrappers. In-class Activities. Quizzes. Online Learning Modules. Modules enable you establish learning pathways for students by establishing prerequisites and requirements. Class Deliverables. Summative (High-Stakes) Assessments: Summative assessment techniques evaluate student learning.
Exams. Papers, projects, and presentations. Portfolios.
Methods of Differentiation in the Classroom. It’s a term that every teacher has heard during their training: differentiation. Differentiation is defined by the Training and Development Agency for Schools as ‘the process by which differences between learners are accommodated so that all students in a group have the best possible chance of learning’. In recent decades it has come to be considered a key skill for any teacher, especially those of mixed-ability classes.
But what does it really mean? What is meant by ‘differences between learners’? In a large class, differences between students may on the face of it seem too numerous to be quantified, but differentiation works on 3 key aspects which can be summed up as follows: Readiness to learn Learning needs Interest These differences may sound rather broad, but by applying effective methods of differentiation, it is possible to cater for quite wide variations between learners. Task Grouping Resources Pace Outcome Dialogue and support Assessment.
A Teacher's Guide To Performance Assessment. A Teacher’s Guide To Performance Assessment by Tom Vander Ark first appeared on gettingsmart.com A Teacher’s Guide To Performance Assessment by Tom Vander Ark In the narrowest sense, according to ETS, performance assessment is “A test in which the test taker actually demonstrates the skills the test is intended to measure by doing real-world tasks that require those skills, rather than by answering questions asking how to do them.” Many educators use five criteria from Wiggins and McTighe in Understanding by Design (UbD) when creating and evaluating performance assessments: Real-World Goal, Role, Audience, Standards for Success, and Product/Performance. Similarly, Marc Chun, now at the Hewlett Foundation, wrote a paper on performance assessment in 2010 where he described the features of a quality performance task: The Definition Of Performance Assessment More broadly, performance assessment is part of an approach to teaching and learning that values application over rote memorization.
20 Simple Assessment Strategies You Can Use Every Day. 20 Simple Assessment Strategies You Can Use Every Day by Saga Briggs The ultimate goal of teaching is understanding. But sometimes it’s easier to talk than to teach, as we all know, especially when we need to cover a lot of material in a short amount of time. We hope students will understand, if not now then before test time, and we keep our fingers crossed that their results will indicate we’ve done our job. The problem is, we often rely on these tests to measure understanding and then we move on.
There isn’t always time to address weaknesses and misunderstandings after the tests have been graded, and by that time it’s too late for students to be interested. Below are 22 simple assessment strategies and tips to help you become more frequent in your teaching, planning, and curriculum design. 22 Simple Assessment Strategies & Tips You Can Use Every Day 1. Avoid yes/no questions and phrases like “Does this make sense?” 2. 3. Give a short quiz at the end of class to check for comprehension. 4. 6 Common Misunderstandings About Assessment Of Learning. By Iain Lancaster, TeachThought Intern Over the past two decades there has been a lot written, and much discussion, around the use effective use of assessment in the classroom. Unfortunately many educators, particularly at the secondary school level, continue to cling tenaciously to “traditional” practices which are, at best ineffective and at worst, counterproductive to the goals of modern education.
Here are six common misconceptions about assessment and evaluation that we could stand to rethink. 6 Common Misunderstandings About Assessment Of Learning 1. Too many people, particularly those not employed in the field of education, conflate these two and too often within the field we evaluate student work and tell ourselves that what we’ve done is assessment. 2. As we’ve learned over the past two decades or so assessment can be a very powerful learning tool in and of itself. 3. The most productive assessment should be a dialogue. 4. 5. 6.