Traditional Assessment

Lindsay Kaye Ohlert, Andrew Dwyer, Susan Samaha, Maria Matlashewski and Greta Krier

EdHD 5001

Traditional Assessment

Assessment for Chapter 7 of Educational Psychology: Windows on Classrooms (8th

edition)

Carefully read each question and circle the correct answer. There is one best answer for each question.

1. The memory store that briefly holds incoming stimuli from the environment until they can be processed

is:

a. Sensory memory

b. Working memory

c. Central executive

The correct answer is a, and this is from page 199. This is a knowledge level question because it

only requires recalling verbatim memorization of a definition.

2. The process of mentally combining separate items into larger more meaningful units is:

a. Grouping

b. Chunking

c. Dual processing

The correct answer is b, and this is from page 201. This is another knowledge question because

it only requires recalling a verbatim memorization of a definition.

3. Which of these is NOT an example of metacognition?

a. Meta-attention

b. Meta-realization

c. Meta-memory

The correct answer is b, and this comes from page 217. This question is comprehension-level

because it requires identifying examples by applying knowledge.

4. Give an example of a mnemonic device:

a. a CAT scanner

b. Every Good Boy Does Fine

c. Scholastic Aptitude Test

The correct answer is b, and this comes from page 213. This question is comprehension-level

because it requires not only memorizing the definition of “mnemonic device,” but being able to

identify examples of the concept.

5. Timmy answers the phone because his mother is in the bathroom. The caller asks him to tell his mother

that Mrs. Vygotsky called. Since Timmy doesn’t know how to spell her name to write it down, he

repeats “Mrs. Vygotsky, Mrs. Vygotsky, Mrs. Vygotsky” to himself himself until his mother returns.

Timmy is using:

a. a phonological loop

b. his cognitive load

c. chunking


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The correct answer is a, and this question comes from page 199. This question is application

level, as it requires the test-taker to apply their knowledge in order to understand what is

occurring in a scenario.

6. In high school, Kwan studied Spanish. He is now in college and he is studying French. We he tries to

write a sentence in French, he applies Spanish verb conjugations to French verbs. This is an example of:

a. retroactive interference

b. retrieval failure

c. proactive interference

The correct answer is c, and this question is from page 214. This question is application level as

it requires the test-taker to apply theoretical knowledge to a specific situation.

7. Which of these statements is true about both working memory and long-term memory?

a. Information from both, once lost, is lost forever.

b. Both have finite capacity.

c. Both are necessary for permanent storage of information.

The correct answer is c, and this question is from page 198. This is an analysis-level question

because it requires comparing and contrasting information about two different concepts.

8. Which of the following is a FALSE statement about the phonological loop and the visual-spatial sketch

pad?

a. They are both related to the central executive.

b. They both retain information through maintenance and rehearsal.

c. Each works independently of the other.

The correct answer is b, and this question is from page 199. This question is analysis-level

because it requires making connections between two related but distinct concepts.

Match the definitions to the corresponding terms. There is one extra term which will not be used.

9. _____ The process of consciously focusing on the

stimulus (pg. 207, b)

10. _____ Knowledge of facts, definitions, procedures and

rules (pg. 202, g)

11. _____ Memory for concepts, principals and the

relationships among them (pg. 202, d)

12. _____ A process of representing information in long-

term memory (pg. 209, a)

13. _____ The process people use to find meaning in

stimuli (pg. 208, c)

14. _____ Memory for personal experiences (pg. 202, e)

a. Encoding

b. Attention

c. Perception

d. Semantic

memory

e. Episodic

memory

f. Conditional

knowledge

g. Declarative

knowledge

All these matching questions are knowledge level, as they are simple matching of

memorized definitions.


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Answer the questions below. Responses should be three to five sentences long.

15. Using at least two examples, explain how schema activation can be used in

classroom teaching, and tell why it is effective.

Answer: Schemas can be activated in the classroom by having students recall their

relevant prior knowledge prior to introducing additional information. Ways of doing this

include asking students what they already know, recapping previous lessons, and asking

students for related personal anecdotes. This is effective because it aids students in

forming “conceptual bridges” between their prior knowledge and the information. This

makes the lesson more meaningful and aids the process of long-term memory encoding.

This is from pg. 212. The question is synthesis-level because it requires the student to put

different ideas (schemas and methods of pedagogy) together to form a plan.

Question 15 grading rubric:

CATEGORY Superior (3) Good (2) Fair (1)

Understanding terms Uses the term "schema

activation" in a way which

corresponds with the

textbook definition.

Uses the term which lacks

part (but not all) of the


Uses the term in a way

which contradicts the


Connecting the cognitive

process to lesson planning

and describing how the

cognitive process

facilitates long-term

memory formation

Answers the question

using at least two relevant

examples, and accurately

states schema activation's

role in memory encoding.

Lacks an example OR

doesn't connect schema

activation to memory

encoding.

Uses incorrect examples

and/or draws an

inaccurate connection

between schema activation

and memory encoding.

16. Give two or more applicable ways a teacher can use organization to improve

lessons and explain why using organization is important.

Answer: Teachers can use instructional aids such as charts, matrices, hierarchies,

outlines and models. Organization is important in promoting higher-level thinking

because it decreases the cognitive load, freeing up mental resources for more tasks

and more complex tasks. It also helps students form schemas as the information is

encoded in a more organized manner.

This is from page 210. The question is synthesis-level because it requires students to

put multiple concepts (organization and instructional methods) together to form a

plan.


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CATEGORY Superior (3) Good (2) Fair (1)

Understanding terms Uses the term

"organization" in a way

which corresponds with

the textbook definition.

Uses the term which lacks

part (but not all) of the


Uses the term in a way

which contradicts the


Applies organization to

pedogogy and explains its

role in long-term memory

formation

Gives two or more

applicable ways of using

organization in

instructional methods

AND correctly explains

organization's role in

memory encoding.

Lacks an applicable

instructional method OR

lacks the explanation of


memory encoding.

Uses incorrect examples

and/or an incorrect

explanation of


memory encoding.

Please answer the following question in one page or less.

17. Katya immigrates to the US from Russia and enrolls in an ESL class. Initially, when

reading and writing in cursive she confuses the English letter “g” for the Russian letter ,

which makes a “d” sound. Her instructor recommends that she practice English cursive to

the point of automaticity, and that she ceases writing in Russian until she’s mastered

English cursive. Later, as she becomes better at reading and writing in English, she

begins to mistake the Russian letter for the English letter “g”! Explain what

mechanisms are responsible for her language errors, and identify and provide a rationale

for both positive and negative aspects of the instructor’s recommendations. Use your

knowledge of cognitive processes in all parts the essay.

Answer (from pages 214-216):

Her initial difficulty recognizing the English letter “g” is an example of

proactive interference, because her previous knowledge of a similar-looking

Russian letter resulted in a loss of new information.

Her later difficulty writing Russian is an example of retroactive interference,

because her new language learning has resulted in her losing her previously

developed skills.

Possible rationale for disagreeing with the instructor’s actions: Teachers

should connect new learning with prior knowledge and skills, and use the

student’s existing abilities as a jumping-off point for instruction.

Possible rationale for agreeing with the instructor’s actions: The instructor’s

goal is to teach Katya English, and repetition to the point of automaticity is a

proven way to increase the chance of later retrieval.


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This question is evaluation level because the students need to make a value judgment

about the information provided and support their answers using evidence.


CATEGORY Superior (3) Good (2) Fair (1) Unacceptable (0)

Proactive

Interference

Connects the

student's initial

difficulty to

proactive

interference, using

the term as it is used

in the textbook.

Connects the

student's initial

difficulty to

interference, using


in the textbook, but

does not specifically

identify PROACTIVE

interference.

Connects the

student's initial

difficulty with the

concept of

interference, but

does not use the

specific term.

Does not connect the

student's initial

difficulty to the

concept of

interference.

Retroactive

Intereference

Connects the

student's later

difficulty to

retroactive

interference, using


in the textbook.

Connects the

student's later

difficulty to

interference, using


in the textbook, but

does not specifically

identify

RETROACTIVE

interference.

Connects the

student's later

difficulty with the

concept of

interference, but

does not use the

specific term.

Does not connect the

student's later

difficulty to the

concept of

interference.

Positive rationale

for instructor's

actions

Provides a

justification for the

instructor's actions

using specific

cognitive processes

as defined in the

textbook.

Provides a


instructor's actions

using cognitive

processes as defined

in the textbook

WITHOUT ever

stating the specific

terms for the

cognitive processes.

Provides a


instructor's actions,

but it is not based on


Does not provide a

justification.

Negative rationale

for instructor's

actions

Provides a criticism

of the instructor's

actions using

specific cognitive

processes as defined

in the textbook.


of the instructor's

actions using

cognitive processes

as defined in the

textbook WITHOUT

ever stating the

specific terms for the



of the instructor's

actions, but it is not

based on cognitive

processes.

Does not provide a

criticism.

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Traditional Assessment