Reflection

Evaluations is the first step in getting the students the help their needs to learn and progress in school. The evaluation tells teachers and parents what students need to learn and how they may learn, and finally his information is then used to build an Individualized Education Program.

I think that an adequate educational evaluation is an important help in terms of instruction, as evaluation impacts student learning and motivation, it also influences the nature of instruction in the classroom. There has been considerable recent literature that has promoted evaluation as something that is integrated with instruction. When evaluation is integrated with instruction it informs teachers about what activities and assignments will be most useful, what level of teaching is most appropriate, and how summative evaluations provide diagnostic information. For instance, during instruction activities informal, formative evaluation helps teachers know when to move on, when to ask more questions, when to give more examples, and what responses to student questions are most appropriate. Standardized test scores, when used appropriately, help teachers understand student strengths and weaknesses to target further instruction.

Observation techniques




One usable method of assessment for teachers is to provide a rubric for student use and for both formative and summative assessment purposes. Another is to provide some type of graphic organizer. 






The rubric is one authentic assessment tool which is designed to simulate real life activity, where students are engaged in solving real life problems. It is a formative type of assessment because it becomes an ongoing part of the whole teaching and learning process. Students themselves are involved in the assessment process through both, peer and self assessment. As students become familiar with rubrics, they can assist in the rubric design process. This involvement empowers the students and as a result, their learning becomes more focused and self directed. Authentic assessment, therefore, blurs the lines between teaching, learning adn assessment (Pickette and Dodge).

Types and procedures of Assessment

The key to effectively assessing your students' mastery of skills is to match the assessment method to the learning objectives. If a learning objective of your class is to have students understand the differences between Eastern Orthodox and Catholic architecture in the 15th century, then a research paper may be more appropriate than a multiple-choice exam.

Some of the more common types of assessments include:

Formal AssessmentMultiple-choice exam Essays Short-answer or problem-solving exam Lab report Research paper Performance-based ("authentic") - interpreting a piece of music, writing a computer program, constructing a three-dimensional model of a scientific concept, etc. Oral Presentations Comprehensive portfolios

Informal Assessment"Minute Essays" - at the end of a class/unit, students take 5 minutes to write about what they have learned, and how it relates to a learning objective "Peer Teaching" - after a short lecture about a new concept, have students work in pairs and explain that concept to each other "Question Time" - students are given an index card and asked to record two questions they have about the material covered in lecture that day/week. Allow time in the next class period to respond to some of the more common questions "5 Minute Quiz" - at the beginning of class, give students one or two questions over material covered in the previous class session. Discuss answers and do a show of hands to see how many understand the concepts.

Bloom's Taxonomy

Bloom's Taxonomy is a way to address the levels of student thinking desired on an assignment. There are six levels, with "Knowledge"-based questions being the most simple, and "Evaluation"-based questions being the most complex. When designing assessment, determine at which levels you wish students to demonstrate their understanding, then design questions that address this level of thinking. The Bloom´s Taxonomy website at the University of Washington provides model questions and key words for each level of thinking.

ASSESSMENT FORMATS
Format	Nature/Purpose	Stage
Baseline Assessments	Oral and written responses based on individual experience Assess prior knowledge	Baseline
Paper and Pencil Tests	Multiple choice, short answer, essay, constructed response, written reports Assess students acquisition of knowledge and concepts	Formative
Embedded Assessments	Assess an aspect of student learning in the context of the learning experience	Formative
Oral Reports	Require communication by the student that demonstrates specific topic understanding	Formative
Interviews	Assess individual and group performance before, during, and after any type of experience (art fair, scientific fair, play, etc)	Formative
Performance Tasks	Require students to create or take an action related to a problem, issue, or concept	Formative and Summative
Checklists	Monitor and record anecdotal information	Formative and Summative
Investigative Projects	Require students to explore a problem or concern stated either by the teacher or the students	Summative
Extended or Unit Projects	Require the application of knowledge and skills in an open-ended setting	Summative
Portfolios	Assist students in the process of developing and reflecting on a purposeful collection of student-generated data	Formative and Summative

       

Types of Assessment reflection



Assessment is a part of the instruction and determines whether or not the goals of education are being met, it affects decisions about grades, placement, advancement, instructional needs, etc.





Today´s students need to know not ony the basic reading and arithmetic skills, but also skills that will allow them to face a world that is continually changing. They must be able to think critically, to analyze and make inferences. Changes in the skills base and knowledge our sutdents need require new learning goals, these new learning goals change the relationship between assessment and instruction, teachers need to make an active role in making decisions about the purpose of assessment and the content that is being assessed. (edutopia.org)

Assessment

It is a systematic ongoing process of monitoring learning which measures the student learning at the micro-level.

We have different kinds of Assessmente;

According to the moment: 

_ Initial (diagnostic)
_ Formative (progress)
_ Summative (final)

According to the Instrument:

_ Observation
_ Essays
_ Interviews
_ Performance tasks
_ Exhibitions and demonstrations
_ Portafolios
_ Journ
_ Teacher-created tests
_ Rubrics
_ Self-and peer-evaluation

According to the Agent:

_ Hetero-evaluation: Evaluator is different level (teacher-student).
_ Co-evaluator/peer evaluation: Students evaluate other members within the same group.
_ Self-evaluation: Students evaluate their own performance.

Why do we Assess?

To check the student´s knowledge: What do they know.
To check the student´s skills: What they can do and also how well they can do it.
To check the student´s progress: How do they go about the task of doing their work.
To check their effort and motivation: How do they feel about their work.

And their functions are:

_ Diagnostic, tells us what the student needs to learn.
_ Formative, tells us how well the student is going as work progresses.
_ Summative, tells us how well the student did a task at the end of a unit.

Psychometric and Edumetric Assessment

Edumetric Assessment (by norm), Compares the performance of each student with the average performance of the rest of the members of the group.


Psychometric Assessment (by criteria), Compares each student´s performance with absolute criteria that are previously defined in relation to which the position of each student is seen individually.

Purpose of the approach

First compares each student´s performance with pre-determined standards, then evaluates the efficiency of the teaching methods considering student´s performance and results and finally it locates the students in the teaching and learning process according to their level of learining domain.

Evaluation, Assessment, Measurement

Evaluation, Assessment, Measurement.

Evaluation: It measures the effectiveness of the teaching-learning system, so it involves the three major elements, objectives, learning experiences and learner appraisal.

Assessment:  Is the process and instruments designed to measure the learner's achievement, judgement can be made on the basis of this assessment,  it precedes the final decision making stage in evaluation,  It has a narrower meaning than evaluation and a broader meaning than measurement.

Measurement:  It involves assigning a score on a given task performed by the learner, collection or gathering of data from the student's scores in an examination, measuring physical properties of objects, behavioural sciences, measurement of psychological characteristics such as neuroticism, etc.


1)  What is assessment?

The instruments on which the teacher is able to measure the student's learning and finally the teacher can make a judgement according to the results.

2)  What is measurement?

It is the score given on a performed task by the learner and also the collection of data from the students behaviour, the students psychological characteristics, etc.

3)  What is the relationship of evaluation, assessment and measurement?

Evaluation is a series of activities within the teaching learning process, where assessment, through a test, is needed to measure the student´s learning and achievements.

 Concept of Evaluation

It is a Systematic and Dynamic process, where the objectives clearly defined are the basis of an understanding between teacher and student and decision-making involves evaluation as a team work, to get an improvement of knowledge and develop abilities to achieve the goals according to the defined objectives.

In this definition, there are the following four key elements:

·         Systematic and dynamic process

·         Objectives clearly defined 

·         Team work  

·         Achieve the goals

·         Decision-making

·         Improvement      

Now, let’s discuss the importance of each,

·         Systematic and Dynamic process: The teacher and the student are constantly exchanging information according to a fixed objective methodically in a period of time; it is also associated with a critical thinking which is very significant for teachers and students in general.

·         Objectives clearly defined:  It is the desired direction of behaviour that learners should acquire and it is formulated by the school and the teacher.

·         Team work:  The teacher and student are allowed to challenge themselves, the students have freedom and have an active participation in the classroom and the exchange of information is permanent between them.

·         Achieve the goals: The result of a successful teaching learning process, where the objectives where clearly defined and the students acquire knowledge.  

·         Improvement: The team work is able to acquire all or most of the desired objectives defined from the beginning which also increases the abilities to go forward.

·     Decision-making:It involves evaluation so it helps to make better evaluative judgements in the future. When ever there is a decision made, there must be an action taken to guide the students in the right direction.  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

A good Evaluation

(Summary)

A good evaluation should have Validity, Reliability, Practicability, Fairness and Usefulness.

Validity:  It measures the behaviour described by the objective.

Reliability:  It measures if the test or examination produces the same result under different conditions, it gives reproducible scores with similar populations of students. Reliability and validity are closely related,  a test can be totally reliable and have very low validity, a validity must be reliable, but a test can be reliable but may not be valid.

Practicability:  An evaluation procedure should be realistic, practical and efficient in term of their cost, time taken and ease of application.

Fairness:  Evaluation must be fair to all students and it is possible by an accurate reflection of the expected behaviours as desired by the course objectives. Students should know exactly how they are going to be evaluated, they should be provided with information about evaluation such as nature of the materials on which they are going to be examined, ex: context and objectives.

Usefulness:  Evaluation must be useful to all students, there must be feedback available to the students to help them to prove their current strengths and weaknesses, so in that way students can think of further improvement.

The role of evaluation

Teaching-Learning Process  (summary)

To influence the pupil behavior in the desired direction, the teacher must be conscious of the goals and aims of education, he must formulate instructional objectives.

The teacher also should construct effective learning experiences and effective communication channels.

And finally, he or she will determine the extent to which these objectives are being achieved, learner appraisal.

Objectives:  The desired behavior that students should acquire, which is guided by the school and the teacher and the teacher must be conscious of the goals and aims of education.

Effective learning experiences: Should be focused on effective communication channels in order to acquire the desired behaviours.

Learner appraisal: The teachers will determine the extent to which the objectives are being achieved.



The objectives are determinant  in the learning experiences, and the primary focus of appraisal is on gathering evidence on the extent to which the objectives of the programme have been attained.

One example of learning appraisal would be the development of deductive thinking among students.

Learning experiences provide examples for the development of appraisal tasks, it gives ideas and suggestions for learner appraisal and also the objectives should furnish ideas for appraisal situations.

And also appraisal information can furnish valuable information that may result in the modification of learning experiences and modifications or elimination of some objectives. For example trough appraisal we can answer the following questions:
Should the objectives be modified or perhaps eliminated? Are the objectives realistic for the particular group of learners? Are the necessary references available for achieving the objectives?


Role of Evaluation

Evaluation is very useful to bring improvement in teaching and curriculum, provide accountability to the society, parents and to the education system.

Psychometric and Edumetric approaches

   
Circle the letter on the right which corresponds to the correct answer.



1) Which figure results from the operation shown? 

QUESTIONS

1) What type of test is this?

It is a Psychometric test, which is made by norm and it compares performance of each student with the performance of the average performance of the members of the group.

2) What is its aim?

Its aim is to find the "best for", it does not really evaluate the skills of each student, it just compare you with the rest of the group and tries to measure the group performance.

3) What is it trying to measure?

It is trying to measure how fast the person is, compared with a group of people.

(Aswer as many questions as you can in 20 minutes)

Need and importance of evaluation

1) List 2 activities form classroom situations which involve decision making by the teacher.

- A debate, where the topic is "Abortion", so once the activity starts, the teacher realize that none of the class understand much about the abortion, so the teacher has to make a decision by asking the students to research more about the topic and then continue with the activity.

- During a reading comprehension activity, the teacher realizes that students were not able to answer the questions from the reading, so then the teacher has to make a decision by strengthening the students with some more reading skills. 

2) List 2 important aspects related to the teaching process in which evaluation is needed.

Evaluation is needed when the teacher realizes during the teaching process that most of the student have acquired most of the knowledge according to the defined objectives.

Introducing the concept of Evaluation

1) In what way would evaluation serve you as a teacher? What would you use it for?

Evaluation plays an important role in deciding what the learners learn and what the teachers teach and through evaluation, we can judge the development and progress the students are making in the class. I would use it to check the effectiveness of my own teaching in the classroom so that I can improve my teaching skills to achieve the goals.   

2) In an ideal school, how do you imagine students' evaluation would be like?

In an ideal school, evaluation would be high quilified because teachers are well trained and aware of the concept of evaluation and what is involved in its process.

3) In general, what do you think students expect from an evaluation?

They expect a meaningful evaluation and according to the objectives given at the beginning and they also expect consideration of their difficulties and experience based.

4) What types of evaluations do you know?

- Alternative assessment

- Multiple choice assessment

- Open questions assessment

- Oral and writing skill assessment

- Speaking and listening assessment