Assessment in a Constructivist, Technology-Supported Learning

Abiva, Camille Joy V.

BSE-ENG 3-1

Learning transcends memorization of

facts.

Application

Concepts

Meaning

Facts

Meaning

Authentic AssessmentMeasures collective abilities, written and oral expression skills, analytical

skills, manipulative skills, integration, creativity and ability to work.

Assessing ActivityTo what extent does the environment you have created to promote manipulation of real-world objects and observations based on activities?

Learner Interaction with Real-World ObjectsLittle of the learner’s time is Learners are often engagedspent engaged with tools in activities involving toolsand objects found outside and objects found outside

school. school.

Observation and ReflectionStudents rarely think Students often stop and Students share frequentabout or record the think about the activities observations about theirresults of actions taken in which they are engaged. activity with peers andduring activities. interested adults.

Learner InteractionsStudents manipulated none Students manipulated some Students manipulated allof the variables or controls variables and controls in or nearly all variables/in environment. environment. controls in environment.

Tool UseStudents used no Students used some cognitive Students used nearly allcognitive tools. tools to support explorations/ cognitive tools effectively.

manipulations.

Assessing ConstructionTo what extent does the environment you have created cause learners to perceive puzzling dissonance and form mental models to explain the incongruity?

Dissonance/Puzzling

Students engaged in learning Learners frequently seem to Learners are consistently

learning activities because be operating based on sincere striving to resolve disparityactivities are required, curiosity about the topic of between observed and onrather than being an study. a sincere desire to know. intrinsic interest.

Constructing Mental Models and Making Meaning

Learners rarely create their own Learners are often expected Learners routinely wrestleunderstandings of how things to make sense of new with new experiences,

work. experiences and develop becoming experts at theories. identifying and solving

problems.

Assessing CooperationTo what extent does the environment you have created promote meaningful interaction among students and between students and experts outside of school? To what extent are learners developing skills related to social negotiation in learning to accept and share responsibility?

Interaction among Learners

Little of the learner’s time is Learners are often immersedspent gainfully engaged with in activities in which collaborationother students. with peers results in success.

Interaction with People Outside of School

Little of the learner’s time is Learners are often involved in activities spent gainfully engaged with in which there is significant learning experts outside of school. outside of school.

Assessing Cooperation

Social Negotiation

Little evidence that learners Learner’s are often observed Learners collaborate with ease.work together to develop in the process of coming to Negotiations become almost shared understanding of tasks agreement on the nature of invisible, yet the ideas of all or of solution strategies. problems and on the best team members are valued.

courses of action

Acceptance and Distribution of Roles and Responsibility

Roles and responsibilities are Roles and responsibilities are Students make their own shifted infrequently; most shifted often, and such changes decisions concerning rolescapable learners accept more are accepted by both the most and responsibilities, freelyresponsibility than the less and least capable. giving and acceptingcapable. assistance as necessary.

Assessing AuthenticityComplexity

The tasks learners face The tasks learners face are Students accept challenges ashave been designed for embedded in theme-based they exist in real world usingschools (i.e. separated into units that cross disciplines and languages, math science, and “subjects” and developed present issues in context. technologies to accomplishto simplify learning). important tasks.

High-Order ThinkingA large percentage of what Students are often asked Learners routinely generateis expected is memorization. to develop ideas and solutions, hypotheses, conduct Students are rarely asked to often in groups, and demonstrate investigations, assess results,evaluate, synthesize, or create. the abilities to create and reason. and make predictions.

Recognizing ProblemsStudents are not expected Students occasionally face Students frequently face to be problem finders, but ill-structured challenges and ill-structured challenges andare instead expected to be are expected to refine their develop proficiency inable to solve occasional problem as well as solve it. identifying and defining problems.well-structured problems.

“Right Answers”The “problems” presented to learners The problems presented are new to learners,tend to have “right answers”, “correct” and generally are involve complex solutions of solutions that the students are varying quality, rather than “right answers”.expected to eventually reach.

Assessing IntentionalityTo what extent does the environment you have created cause learners to pursue important,

well-articulated goals to which they are intrinsically committed? To what extent can learners explain their activity in terms of ho the activities relate to the attainment of their goals?

Goal Directedness

Learners are often pursuing activities Learners are generally engagedthat have little to do with the attainment in activities that contribute to theof specified goals. attainment of specified goals.

Setting Own Goals

Learning goals are provided Learners are sometimes Learners are routinely responsibleby educators. involved in the establishment for developing goals.

of learning goals.

Regulating Own Learning

Learners’ progress is monitored Learners are involved Learners are responsible by others. as partners in monitoring for monitoring and reporting

and reporting progress progress toward goals. toward goals.

Learning How to Learn

Little emphasis is placed on metacognition. The culture of the learning environmentThere are few opportunities to discuss promotes frequent discussion of the

the learning process with peers or educators. processes and strategies (both successful and unsuccessful) involved in learning.

Articulation of Goals as Focus of Activity

Learners don’t see the relationship Learners describe the activities in whichbetween the activities in which they they are engaged in terms that relate are engaged and specified learning directly to the specified learning goals.goals.

Technology Use in Support of Learning Goals

The use of technology seems The use of technology contributes The use of technology makesunrelated to the specified to the attainment of specified a powerful contribution goals. learning goals. to the attainment of

specified learning goals.