What is the role of assessment in learning? Is assessment a tool for the teacher or student? How can assessment be both?
assess: 1. to set an estimated value on (property, etc.) for taxation; 2. to set the amount of (a tax, a fine, etc.); 3. to impose a fine, tax, etc. on; 4. to judge the worth, the importance etc. of.
If you look at and dissect the definition of assessment listed above, it would seem that several parts of the definition are applicable for our purposes. I wonder, though, at the meaning-are we judges of the worth of our students’ work? Or is it accurate that we are placing a value on the work of our students and by grading their papers we are deciding what fines to impose? If we go by this definition of “assess,” then the process would seem very negative indeed. It has always been my feeling that the term assessment has a negative connotation-usually that hurdle that we must jump at the end of our course-the one that as students we all dread! The use of valid and comprehensive tools of assessment, however, would change this viewpoint.
In Understanding by Design (2005), Wiggins & McTighe discuss how to revise an existing design and look at a particular design that has problem, particularly with assessment, or lack of it. They refer to the assessment as “…little in the way of valid assessment evidence of important learnings—just a grading scheme” p. 259). This statement is important regarding assessment since it implies that it is necessary to move beyond the grades in assessment. I think that too many times assessment is seen as something that is used to end a unit of learning instead of as another tool of learning within itself. I disagree with that being the only method of assessment to be used. I see assessment as part of part of the learning process, something that is continuously happening-and it doesn’t need to be something that is officially graded. I think that assessment could be a conversation, or an application, just a simple way to measure or gauge the learning that is occurring. Grades don’t always accurately reflect what someone has truly learned and aren’t always able to measure individual students’ learning accomplishments.
Assessment is an important tool for both teachers and students alike. A valid assessment will not only help teachers to understand what the strengths and weakness of his/her students are, but will also provide good feedback or insight for a student so that they can understand how their learning is moving along. A good assessment must be meaningful and the role of assessment in learning should be seen as a further extension of learning as well as a reflection of what is being learned.
Guralnik, D.B. (Ed.). (1987). Webster’s New World Dictionary. New York, NY: Warner Books.
McTighe, J. & Wiggins, G. (2005). Understanding By Design. New Jersey: Pearson.
It all goes back to the behaviorist approach to teaching, where the students are "performing" for the grade (or prize). Are they learning? Who's to say. Some of them could be, but in the long run I don't really think that spoon-feeding instruction so that a student can pass a standardized test is really learning...at least not for real understanding. Most of what I learned in junior high I can barely remember today. Around that time in the early 80's, there were all these new standardized tests being introduced in my home state, which it seemed all we were being groomed for. Other than some of the cool things I learned in science class and art class, I barely remember anything else (or even use it today).
ReplyDeleteWhat is really sad to me is that it seems there are more and more arguments these day by educators (or perhaps the bosses of educators) that assessment should simply be the examination or traditional pen and pencil test. It's like they want to turn education into an assembly line...teach the students the facts...review the facts...give them the exam. If they pass, then they can move to the next level. I'm not sure if it's pedagogical or a simple matter of budgetary concerns and school overcrowding (ie: we need to move these kids through as fast as possible to make room for the next group).
For real learning to take place, there should be self-assessment and creative opportunities for assessments. Kind of like the schools mentioned earlier this semester in the digital media video. These schools use digital media and social networking as tools for assessment. Students can use these tools to learn, and instructors can use them to assess the learning in non-traditional ways. Students can make video games, movies, music videos, and they can self-assess on blogs, online journal and social networking through bulletin boards or other online messaging systems. It breaks the mold and makes learning fun and creative. And it teaches more than the facts. It also teaches invaluable skills in this time of increasing technology.
I agree with you about the standardized testing. When I was teaching middle school English (specifically 8th grade), there was such pressure for teachers to prepare students for what was then called the EWT (Early Warning Test). Now it's called the NJASK. The reading and writing part of the test did call for students to be proficient in skills that they would be working on improving in class anyway, but the way that the test just wanted students to respond to random writing prompts that are completely disconnected from any real learning that has happened within the classroom does not make it a valid assessment.
ReplyDeleteIt really boxes students in and they do not learn anything from taking those tests. They wind up exhausted and stressed out from all of the pressure. I just always found it frustrating since we as educators always encourage and promote all types of teaching in order to encompass all students' learning styles, and then for these tests everyone is shut in a room for 3-4 hours a day for 4 or 5 days to answer questions in total silence that usually have no relevance to the classroom. Talk about archaic.
For me, assessments have always had a negative connotation. I think that assessments are sometimes thought of as how bad I am doing. What could be done better or what was wrong with what I did. But I have learned in the last two years that assessments can also be very helpful and motivating. It is important for me to get feedback on my work to see where I excelled and where I will need improvement. I also like it when a professor comments on my work to let me know that my line of thought is correct or that is not exactly what they meant in the lesson. I like to know that I am on the right track of learning and the assessments help me tremendously. I like that you stated a conversation can also be a type of assessment. I think that is a great way to see how the students react to the subject as well as getting new thoughts and information from different types of people. This also allows the students to listen to others opinions and can teach them how to have a conversation even if they do not agree with one another.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Tracy that a new form of assessment, such as the digital media video, will be good for teachers as well as students. It may be added work for the teacher but it is allowing the students to learn new skills and to be able to compete in the future with other students in college or in the work environment. It is very important to teach the students about technology because it is the way of the future.
The school that I currently work at is preparing for the CSTs and the teachers are spending all of the free time “cramming” for the test (cramming being their words). Some of them have even skipped library time so that they could get cover more information. I know when I was in school I enjoyed it. I liked the freedom that the teachers had to give a lesson how they wanted to. We had fun with learning and I still remember some of the stuff we did. I do not think the kids in my school have much fun with learning. It is a really sad that some of the students are not given the chance to enjoy school.
“I think that assessment could be a conversation, or an application, just a simple way to measure or gauge the learning that is occurring. Grades don’t always accurately reflect what someone has truly learned and aren’t always able to measure individual students’ learning accomplishments.”(Julie’s Blog)
ReplyDeleteIt is important that we promote learning as the goal of education not accomplishing high grades. Students want to perform well, as reflected in a high grades, but as educators we want to motivate our students to become learners. If we always use formal testing as assessment tools students will study to the test. Using informal tools, as you suggested in the quote above, allows students more freedom to enjoy learning and not scoring.
As a high school student in Ireland I felt that everything depended on my grades. I didn’t fret too much about my class grades because I felt that they would never matter. Universities and employers would only consider my state exam results. My entire high school career would be measured by my performance in the written exams given in the June of the last year in school. The message sent to students through this exam based system is that scoring matters not learning. Naturally the exams were demanding and required intense studying but students could delay much of their study efforts to the last six months of High School. Oddly, much of what I learned studying for these exams has stayed with me, particularly the poetry and science material.
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