Module - 3 Prelim
Module - 3 Prelim
MODULE 3
OVERVIEW
Skillful and effective teachers require students to analyze and synthesize information, apply what
they have learned, and demonstrate their understanding of material according to specified criteria.
They have developed learning and assessment experiences to engage students and teach them how
to “produce,” rather than simply “reproduce” knowledge (Burke 1992, p. 5). In these classrooms,
the emphasis shifts from facts and isolated knowledge to active learning, where students work
together to examine information and issues, solve problems, and communicate ideas. These shifts
in emphasis are often accompanied by changes in assessment practices typified by involving
students in authentic tasks, measuring a variety of outcomes, and involving students in self-
assessment and reflection. The focus of this chapter is on the “tools” used to conduct authentic
assessment. It is important to preface this discussion by thinking about some key contextual issues.
As anyone who has ever worked with tools of any kind knows, tools can be (and often are) misused.
They are often used in ways and for purposes other than those for which they were designed. To
press the analogy still further, most “tool boxes” contain a diverse selection of tools, each of which
are selected and used for various purposes. Appropriate tool selection and use is a function of the
knowledge and skill of the “tool user.” Much the same is true of authentic assessment. The toolbox
is full of tools; but we must first think carefully about the various contexts and purposes for which
they are used.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
A. Describe the various types of authentic assessment tools that can be used in the classroom to
determine student performance.
Activity
Let’s Do these: Direction: In the box provided write all the assessment tools/activity
task given by your instructor/teacher.
Analysis
Guided Questions: 1. In writing the assessment task how was your feeling? Did you enjoy the
activity?
2. How the learners perform learning?
3. Who are performing best in the class room? Learners or teachers?
4. What will happen to the learners in the 21th century?
5. Do you believe that the future learners must be passionate in developing
their own learning?
Abstraction
Let’s Discuss:
If we want students to develop such competencies as analyzing, interpreting, synthesizing
and evaluating information, we must be able to assess those skills in relevant settings and context. Authentic
assessment makes use of three modes of assessment:
• Observations which include date and information that the teacher collects from daily work with students.
• Performance samples which are tangible results that demonstrate student achievements.
Tests and measures of student's actual performance at a specific place and time.
I. Observations-Based Assessment Tools
To make observation-based assessment systematic and objective, Diane Had (1994) suggested the
guidelines:
1. Observe not only one but all the students.
2. Observation must be as frequent and as regular as possible.
3. Observations must be recorded in
4. Observations should cover both routine and exceptional
5. Reliability of observation records is enhanced if multiple observations are gathered and synthesized.
Developmental Checklist is an observation tool which requires the teacher recorder to describe the traits
or learning behaviors being assessed. When used regularly during the school year, developmental checklists
give a moving picture of the student’s progress towards the desired competencies.
Written Communications
essays
Video tapes
Audio tapes
Conference note
Pictures
Graphs/chart
Art works
Group reports
Field reports
Portfolios
Another alternative assessment tool that has attracted widespread popular attention is portfolios.
Portfolios are collections of student work gathered over time. The contents of portfolios can range from
comprehensive coverage containing a plethora of materials to those that are quite selective, containing only
a limited number of student-selected items. Student portfolios offer a range of flexibility that makes the
method attractive to a wide range of teachers and programs. The elements to be included in this type of
assessment are almost endless. Several critical components of effective portfolios are—
• What goes in? To answer this question, other questions must first be addressed: Who is the
intended audience for the portfolios? What will this audience want to know about student learning? How
will these audiences be involved in portfolio development? Will selected documents of the portfolio show
aspects of student learning that traditional test results do not show? What kinds of evidence will best show
student progress toward expected learning outcomes? Will the portfolio contain best works only, a
progressive record of student growth, or both? Will the portfolio include more than finished pieces–for
example, notes, ideas, sketches, drafts, and revisions?
• How will procedural and logistical issues be addressed? How will student working files and
portfolios be kept secure? When will students select documents to include in their portfolios? When will
some portfolio document be taken out to specialize the portfolio? What criteria or assistance will be
provided to students so that they can reflect on their work, monitor their own progress, and select pieces
for inclusion in the portfolio? Will students be required to provide a rationale or explanation for work
selected for inclusion in the portfolio?
• How will portfolios be evaluated and who will be involved? It is critical that students be
actively involved in assessing their own work. To facilitate student self-assessment teachers will have to
answer some important questions. What factors will be evaluated such as achievement in relation to
standards, student growth along a continuum, or both? What models, standards, criteria and instruments
will have to be developed to guide assessment? When will portfolio entries be evaluated? Will other
teachers be involved assessing portfolio elements? Will parents or guardians be involved in assessing the
portfolio? If so, how?
• What will happen to the portfolio at the end of the semester or school year? Will they be
turned over to students at the end of the course or school year to keep and use as they see fit? Will students
be encouraged to keep their portfolios over an extended period of time and use them as “passports” for
entry into other levels of education or to work?
It is clear that portfolios are a way of collecting and packaging a comprehensive body of rich
evaluation materials. The key is to think carefully through the many logistical, conceptual, and procedural
issues that must be addressed in order for this tool to be used effectively. Portfolios should not be “a place
to dump anything and everything” loosely related to a given course. Rather, their value as an assessment
tool is maximized when they contain items that have been carefully and thoughtfully selected to address
specified learning goals. At their best, portfolios can represent an extremely rich portrait of student ability
and interest.
Learning Logs and Journals
Learning logs and journals are tools designed to cause students to reflect on what they have
learned or are learning. Used properly, they encourage student self-assessment and provide a mechanism
for making connections across the various subject matter areas. Journals have been used widely in English
classes for many years. Now they are being adopted by other teachers to develop communication skills
and to help students to make connections, examine complex ideas, and think about ways to apply what
they have learned over an extended period of time. Herman, Aschbacher, and Winters (1992) indicated
that the fundamental purpose of learning logs and journals is to “allow students to communicate directly
with the teacher regarding individual progress, particular concerns, and reflections on the learning
process” (p. 2).
A distinction can be made between learning logs and journals. Learning logs usually consist of
short, objective entries under specific heading such as problem solving, observations, questions about
content, lists of outside readings, homework assignments, or other categories designed to facilitate
recordkeeping (Burke 1994). Student responses are typically brief, factual, and impersonal. Fogarty and
Bellanca (1987) recommend teachers provide lead-ins or stem statements that encourage student
responses that are analytical (breaking something down into its parts), synthetic (putting something
together into a whole), and evaluative (forming judgment about the worth of something). Example log
stems include the following: One thing I learned yesterday was…, One question I still have is…, One
thing I found interesting was…, One application for this is…, and I need help with…
By contrast, journals typically include more extensive information and are usually written in
narrative form. They are more subjective and focus more on feelings, reflections, opinions, and personal
experiences. Journal entries are more descriptive, more spontaneous, and longer than logs. They are often
used to respond to situations, describe events, reflect on personal experiences and feelings, connect what
is being learned with past learning, and predict how what is being learned can be used in real life (Burke
1994). As with learning logs, stem statements can be used to help students target responses. Example
lead-ins are as follows: My way of thinking about this is…, My initial observation is…, Upon reflection
I…
Learning logs and journals can be used in the following ways (Burke 1994):
• Record key ideas from a lecture, video, presentation, field trip, or reading assignment,
• Make predictions about what will happen next in a story, video, experiment, event, situation,
process, or lesson,
• Record questions and reflect on the information presented,
• Summarize main ideas of a lesson, article, paper, video, or speech,
• Connect the ideas presented to previous learning, or to other subjects or events in a person’s life,
• Monitor change in an experiment or event over time,
• Brainstorm ideas about potential projects, papers, presentation, assignments, and problems,
• Help identify problems and record problem-solving techniques, or
• Track progress in solving problems, readings, homework assignments, projects, and
experiences.
Learning logs and journals can be effective instructional tools to help students sharpen their
thinking and communication skills. They give students the opportunity to interact with the teacher, lesson
content, textbooks, and each other. They also afford students an opportunity to think about material,
clarify confusion, discuss key ideas with others, connect with previous learning and experiences, and
reflect on the personal meaning of subject matter. They provide a record over time of what has been
presented and learned. Furthermore, logs and journals are typically best used to promote formative
assessment, although they also can be structured to provide summative assessment information.
Projects
Many different types of projects can be developed to challenge students to produce something
rather than reproduce knowledge on traditional tests. Projects allow students to demonstrate a variety of
skills including communication, technical, interpersonal, organizational, problem-solving, and decision-
making skills (Burke 1994). Projects also provide students with opportunities to establish criteria for
determining the quality of the planning and design processes, the construction process, and the quality of
the completed project.
The Southern Regional Educational Board has published a guide to preparing a syllabus for its
High Schools that Work Program that includes a major focus on projects as the centerpiece of curriculum,
instruction, and evaluation. This guide, Designing Challenging Vocational Courses by Bottoms, Pucel,
and Phillips (1997), describes the procedures required to select and sequence major course projects,
develop project outlines, decide on an instructional delivery plan, and develop an assessment plan.
Several states, notably California and Kentucky, have made successful completion of a student-
initiated culminating project (senior project) a part of their student assessment system. The California
Department of Education (1994), in collaboration with the Far West Laboratory, has developed the
Career-Technical Assessment Program (C-TAP), which includes a C-TAP project.
The project is a major piece of “hands-on” work designed and completed by each student. The
project becomes an instructional and assessment tool that allows students to demonstrate skills and
knowledge learned in a sequenced instructional program. Completing the project provides a mechanism
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Assessment of Learning 2 Page 8 of 14
for students to plan, organize, and create a product or event. Through this process, students are able to
pursue their own interests, meet professionals in the field who can offer advice and instruction related to
their project, work cooperatively with others in certain parts of the project, and apply the knowledge and
skills they have learned in other school subjects. Each student’s project must be related to the career-
technical program in which they are enrolled and can take as little as a few weeks to complete or several
months. Students are allowed to work on the project themselves or in small groups. There are four major
sections of the C-TAP project:
1. Plan: A process that helps the student design the project
2. Evidence of Progress: Three pieces that show the student’s progress toward developing the
final product
3. Final product: A final product that is the result of the student’s work
4. Oral presentation: An oral presentation in which the student describes the project, explains
what skills were applied, and evaluates his or her work
C-TAP projects are evaluated in two ways with two separate scores being generated. First, the
project is rated using a rubric focused on three evaluation dimensions: content, communication, and
responsibility. Content pertains to career technical knowledge and skills, communication relates to the
overall presentation of work, and responsibility pertains to the student’s ability to complete work
independently. The second score (also generated using a rubric) focuses on oral presentation skills
including public speaking skills, content knowledge, and analysis. A student manual and a teacher
guidebook contain the information necessary for the complete operation of the C-TAP program.
Graduating students should be able to prepare employability portfolio such as the following:
Academic Competencies
can understand printed materials
can use research and library skills
can use technology in preparing oral presentation
can use scientific method in solving problems
can and speak effectively in English and Filipino
Application
Let’s Do these:
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Assessment of Learning 2 Page 10 of 14
A. Determine whether each of the following assessment tools is for observation, performance
sample or actual performance.
1. Conduction research and writing a report.
2. Character analysis.
3. Student debates (individual or group)
4. Drawing and writing about a story or chapter.
5. Experiments - trial and error learning.
6. Journal entries (reflective writing)
7. Discussion partners or groups.
8. Student self-assessment.
9. Portfolio
10. Individual developmental checklist
KEY POINTS
✓ Many factors are driving assessment reform in this country, including an emphasis on
constructivism and authenticity, standards, and higher-order thinking skills. These forces and others
have stirred interest in the educational community to look for alternatives to traditional testing in
order to give a more accurate and complete picture of student growth and achievement.
Organizations that specialize in assessment (e.g., the Far West Laboratory and the Center for
Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing) are working with school systems to
develop and test alternative assessments. The preliminary results are quite promising in terms of
reform in curriculum and instructional practice as well as increased student engagement in the
learning and assessment process. Assessment of learning is truly a “work in process.” It is exciting
to see the progress that has been made to move beyond teaching and testing fragmented lists of
declarative knowledge in favor of involving students in applying knowledge in unique and
authentic ways.
✓ The challenge for teachers is to commit to change the way they teach and assess students as well
as put forth the effort to develop and use alternative assessment strategies such as those described
in this chapter. Every effort should be made to develop meaningful, authentic learning and
assessment tasks that target the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for learning and life.
Educators must also learn how to organize and structure these tasks so that they are contextualized,
integrative, flexible, and open to self-assessment and peer assessment. Additionally, a clear focus
on standards and criteria must be maintained in a way that provides for both formative and
summative procedures. Students should be encouraged to become actively involved in the
assessment process through metacognitive reflection, establishing criteria and performance
indicators required to develop effective scoring rubrics, and using these scoring instruments to
assess their own work. Effective feedback is the key to improved student learning. Yet many
teachers are reluctant to spend the time required to develop and exhibit exemplary models of
expected performances and to teach students how to assess and regulate their own performance.
Considerable progress has been made in the 1990s in designing and implementing alternative
assessments. There are many success stories that point toward systemic change in the way educators
are structuring curriculum, delivering instruction, and assessing student growth and achievement.
Much of this work closely mirrors work that has been done in vocational education for many years.
The current shared interest between the vocational and academic communities holds promise for
improving both as teachers share ideas, techniques, and tools across disciplines. Authentic
assessment supports change in curricula, teaching, and school organization. But the real question
is “Do these new assessment methods and techniques contribute to improved student learning?” A
growing number of teachers seem to think so. Reporting on the effects of authentic assessment in
action at five schools, Darling-Hammond, Ancess, and Falk (1995) note that classroom
interactions, student work, exhibitions, and hallway conversations provide widespread evidence of
in-depth learning, intellectual habits of mind, high-quality products, and student responsiveness to
rigorous standards.
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After analysing and reading this module, answer the activities
provided attach at the end of this module after the references.
Write your answer on the separate paper.
LOOKING AHEAD
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Congratulation for making it till the end of this module! If you aced the assessment,
I am happy and proud of you. For the next module, Please advance reading about
process- oriented, Performance-Based Assessment and write down questions you
may have experience and let’s see for the next discussion .
Discuss!
How it is working?
REFERENCES
This part requires you to rate the quality of the module to help you continuously improve the development of
this learning module. This also asks you to rate your learning experience for each of the modules.
Self- Evaluation
Rate the extent of your learning in this module using the scale below. Check the column corresponding
to your rating in the space provided. Do not hesitate to contact me if you need further assistance.
4- I’m an expert. I understand and can teach a friend about it.
3- I’m a Practioner. I understand and can cite examples on the topics given.
2- I’m an apprentice. I understand if I get help or look at more examples.
1- I’m a novice. I do not understand the topic.
My learning: 1 2 3 4
I can now
A. Describe the various types of authentic assessment tools that can be used in the
classroom to determine student performance.
Now that you have finished the review of the various concepts outlined above, it is now
time for an assessment to see how far you have improved. Write your answers on the blank
space provided for each question.
A. Decide whether each of the following assessment tools is (a) observation, (b) performance, (c)
actual performance.