Summary
In the article Seven Practices for Effective Learning by Jay McTighe and Ken O’Connor, several assessment and grading practices are presented. Characteristics of summative, diagnostic, and formative assessments are outlined. Based on these categories, descriptions of each practice is provided and compared with other typical forms of assessment typically used by teachers in the category. Justifications of how and why the practices enhance student achievement are also revealed.
Evaluation
The clarity of the article makes it easy to read, understand, and most importantly implement. Each practice listed in this article begin with a scenario of a teacher using that particular practice in a classroom setting. I consider this to be a
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Sixth graders really struggle with the self-evaluation component of rubrics. Having them check the boxes will serve two powerful purposes: self-assessment and self-improvement. Reading Practice 1: Use summative assessments to frame meaningful performance allowed me to make a connection with the big idea of Project Based Learning projects which I recently studied. I strongly believe that authentic learning tasks allow students to apply their knowledge, motivates and engages students, and develops critical thinking skills. Projects of this nature make it easy for the teacher to present summative performance tasks to students at the beginning of such assignments instead of the typical summative assessments at the end of a unit of study. My classes will be doing a Project Based Learning task later this year. I will be certain to present the summative performance assessment tasks to the students before the project has begun.
The practices in the article closely align with the ideas of leading researchers in the field of assessment. Concluding the article by classifying the seven practices into three of Marzano’s (1992) factors that influence student motivation to learn strengthens the validity of the article’s message even more. In conclusion, I would recommend this article to any educator possessing a sincere desire to impact student
Stiggins, R. J. (2006, November/December). Assessment for learning: A key to motivation and achievement. Edge, 2, 3-19.
A good assessment practice is a key feature in order to achieve an effective teaching and learning practice. This section will consider the assessment issue from a theoretical and empirical perspective, having as the main objective to improve my future teaching. Traditionally, assessment has been thought to be something that happens after the learning process, something separate of the teaching process in time and purpose. (Graue, 1993). However, currently, approaches about assessment make the difference between Summative assessment or assessment of learning (AoL) and Formative assessment or assessment for learning (AfL), but this is not actually a new approach, as Ryle (1949) already talked about Knowing
Educators, therefore, strive to create high quality assessments that produce meaningful results. Reviewing the learning objectives for the covered material helps the developer determine the best testing method. Depending on the content area, it may prove beneficial to include a student self-assessment step. It is important to report results in a timely manner. Reporting may be mean sharing with the students, administration, colleagues, or parents. Regardless, careful communication of results are important. After all parties receive results, objectives can ...
Multiple means of assessment requires more planning and long-term, ongoing measurement. When conducted properly, measuring student learning is essential in order to gain a true understanding of student ability. The use of multiple means of formative and summative assessments provides appropriate evidence of student learning that can be used to help modify instructional practice to better meet students’ individual learning needs. Some of the multiple means of assessment include student portfolios made up of work examples, letters from educators, pre-tests and post-tests, wri...
There is so much research out there on formative assessment. Unfortunately, there is not a great deal of empirical evidence that can directly such as the use of many suggest forms of formative assessment to gains on summative assessments (Dunn & Mulvenon, 2009).
Formative assessment is a collection of practices that lead to some action that improves learning. It is the use of the information gathered, and how it is used to adjust teaching and learning that makes it formative. A study by Black and William (1998a, 1998b) revealed that the largest achievement gains used classroom discussions, classroom tasks, and homework to determine student learning and the action that would be taken to improve learning and/or correct misunderstandings, descriptive feedback with guidance, and students developing self- and peer-assessment skills. Formative assessments are a powerful tool for teachers and students alike. Some examples of formative assessment include summarizing activities, questioning, conferences, and response journals (Chappuis, 2009). Another type of assessment is summative assessment. Summative assessment provides evidence of student achievement for the purpose of making a judgment about student competence or program effectiveness. It is also used to determine how much students have learned at a particular time such as at the end of a nine
The usage of formative assessment is not widely used in schools or employed by most teachers. In On the Impact of Formative Assessment on Student Motivation, Achievement, and Conceptual Change, this study connects two previously isolated but theoretically linked educational frameworks: conceptual change and formative assessment. The group of authors explored whether formative assessment would improve students’ motivation and achievement, and lead to conceptual change. The article includes discussion on the conceptual framework, research design, outcome variable measurements, and results. They had a very compelling hypothesis about the inclusion of embedded formative assessment, along with sound assessing strategies [i.e. overall consistency and validity measurement] to support their results and conclusion. They took the necessary steps to ensure validity and internal consistency when developing assessments and analyzing results of their study. I believe the reflections and future directions section is very beneficial to future researchers and educators, while offering valuable insight on the joint usage of formative assessment and other teaching strategies benefiting motivational and learning outcomes.
Assessments have always been a tool for teachers to assess mastery and for a long time it was just to provide a grade and enter it into the grade book or report card. Through resources in and out of the course, there has been a breath of new life into the research on how to use assessments. They take many forms and fall within the summative or formative assessment category. Sloan (2016) addresses how formative assessments has traditionally been used by teachers to modify instruction, but when we focus on a classroom that is learner-centered “it becomes assessment for learning as opposed to assessment of learning” (slide 4). The fact is, the students are the ones that should be and are the ones using the data we collect through assessments, since it is our way of providing feedback in order
One project-based assessment is assigned about once a month to students, but do they realize that they include benefits that will help them in the future? Most kids think that it's just for pleasure or to improve their teamwork, but they don't acknowledge that it shows them responsibility and how to critically think. "Project-based learning increases long-term retention, improves problem-solving and collaboration skills, and improves students' attitudes towards learning."-Strobel 2009. Surprisingly, these projects help introduce children to the upcoming tasks of college. Once high school graduates move on to college, they will already know how to be a responsible student who takes all tasks seriously. For example, a teacher could assign a
Referred to as “assessment of learning,” (Chappuis, J., Stiggins, Chappuis, S., & Arter, 2012, pg. 5) components of summative learning include evaluating, measuring, and making judgements about student knowledge, both on individual levels and group levels. Rather than supporting learning by way of formative assessment, summative assessment verifies learning, (Chappuis, J., Stiggins, Chappuis, S., Arter, 2012). Naturally, this is what interests educational stakeholders: administrators, parents, teachers, and those who create educational policies. (Chappuis, J., Stiggins, Chappuis, S., & Arter, 2012, pg. 5). Summative assessment historically and presently presents itself in the form of graded quizzes, tests, graded papers and presentations, district benchmark tests, state standardized tests, and college entrance
Through assessment students and teachers are able to determine the level of mastery a student has achieved with standards taught. Both formative and summative assessment should be purposeful and targeted to gain the most accurate data to drive further instruction (Ainsworth, 2010). While this syllabus does a good job of identifying the need for both formal and informal assessments, the way in which this is communicated does not provide enough detail for understanding. Simply listing assessment types does not give any insight into how these assessments fit in the learning process of this course. While some of the assessments mentioned could be common assessments chosen by the school or district to gain insight into the effectiveness of instruction, the inclusion of authentic assessments is most beneficial to students and demonstrates learning in a context closer to that of a work environment (Rovai, 2004). Unfortunately, this particular course, according to this syllabus, relies heavily on quizzes and traditional tests and essays to form the bulk of assessment opportunities. While other activities, such as formative assessments, journaling and discussions are mentioned as possible avenues for scoring, they are given a very low percentage of the overall grade. This shows that they are not valued for their ability to show progression and mastery. If this is indeed the case, this puts the students as a
Statistics show that students are motivated in education throughout two basic orientations, namely ego/performance and task/mastery. Motivating students in the academic curriculum has been an effective strategy that enhances students’ knowledge when learning and engaging in the classroom curriculum. Appealing learners in education expresses the concepts and opinions of students' support in four-component conceptualization: attainment value, an achievement that is attained; intrinsic value, the belonging to something by its nature; utility value, an expected return and risk; and cost, the price of something. In the present paper, motivating students in education is investigated validating that students are motivated in education, and the activities that teachers formulate in their classroom to confirm this statement. It is hypothesized that stu...
It is my goal to make assessment and grading a positive element to my classroom for both my students and me. I want to give many opportunities for my students to do well and achieve mastery as well as become the best student they can be. Students should not just be measured by the end result. Learning is a process and I believe that it is in this process that true learning occurs. Aside from being graded on the basic facts, students need to be measured on how well they apply their knowledge. Assessment will be a huge part of my classroom; however, I will hold more importance for a student’s performance and progress rather than a factual test. Down the road, these students will need the skills learned during their early years. A multiple choice question isn’t what is going to help them in the long run
As I reflect on my past assessment process, I realized how much my assessments have changed over the years. In my early years, I used tests for informational recall as my assessments. I felt these were appropriate guidelines in which I needed to follow in order to substantiate a student’s grade. Every assignment or tests was given a point value and then based on the amount of points, a grade was given. Every student’s assessment was exactly the same, and the assessments did not contain any subjectivity. I felt confident in giving the grade based on a valid point system. However reflecting back, I see that I did not include any performance-based assessments or individual learning styles in my early assessment. I also did not take into consideration the individual needs of my students. My assessment approach was awful. I am embarrassed that I use to assess students in this manner.
The sixth factor is “Assessments” (McBer, 2000). Assessments and instructions are inseparable. This is the factor that decides if the effective learning has taken place, which I will cover in the latter part of the essay. Effective teachers employ different assessments techniques and tools to know the understanding of their pupils. Assessments not only serve as the tool for measuring students’ understanding, it is also for the teachers to improve their teaching. They also need to differentiate their assessments based on the cognitive needs of the students. Effective teachers use three types of assessment. Diagnostic Assessment (DA), which is widely known as pre-assessment or prior knowledge assessment is used by the teachers to check the skills of the students, which will be helpful for the planning and guide DI (ASCD website). Formative Assessment (FA) is those ongoing assessments, helps teachers understand the grey areas, and helps them to clear the misconceptions by immediately acting on it. FAs can include both formal and informal ways such as written test, oral questioning, quizzes, and group discussions. It is not necessarily being graded. There are also few modern differentiated FAs such as ThinkDots, Cubing, Tic-Tac-Toe used by formally trained and trainee teachers in IIS. Using these differentiated FAs breaks the monotony of the class, and students find these FAs to be interesting activities. The fear of failure is reduced here. The Summative Assignments (SA) is nothing but the traditional way of assessing the students at the end of the topic/course. Though the SAs are important, it does not give opportunity for the students to rework on it or for teachers to support the students in building the concept. But the teachers ...