Lisa MacLeod – 27 August 2014

Programmatic and Learning Assessments

Assessments

Overall, assessments are used either as a Programmatic Assessment or as a Learning Assessment. One of the most familiar learning assessments is the multiple choice assessment that reflects the typical pen and paper traditional classroom test (Popham, 2006). However, these tests are not very easy to construct to ensure validity due to unclear directions, ambiguous statements, unintended clues, complicated syntax and difficult vocabulary (Popham, 2006). Other learning assessments that are constructive in manner such as the essay and the reflective journal and tend to focus on the students-centered pedagogy that increases the student’s personal responsibility for their own learning.

Assessments

Students practice critical thinking, problem solving and self-awareness that are all considered as survival skills in today’s global community (Wagner, 2010). In addition, the activities around such activities can also be incorporated into the assessment scheme to demonstrate the process of the student’s learning (Ballantyne and Packer, 1995). The only negative aspect of these assessments is the amount of allocated time that is required to complete the tasks and the amount of correcting is very time consuming for the teacher (Popham, 2006).

Assessments

Regarding the Programmatic Assessments, although there are many alternatives to assess programs, the most common non-preferred instrument is the standardized test. According to Leathwood ( 2005), “Assessment is used to provide a rationale and legitimacy for the social structures and power relations of modern day societies, and for one’s place within these.” (Leathwood, 205, p.307). Unfortunately, this tends to be very common among educators. Due to the number of standardized assessments that are required today, educators need to take a step back and focus on the learning and the development of the whole student. A tool that addresses such are the Attitude Surveys: an instrument that determines the attitudes, interests and the values of students and to encourage the development of the individual through the instructed curriculum.

Objective Assessment (multiple choice, true/false, short answer)

Strengths• Traditional style of pen and paper

assessment ensures a sense of confidence with the students as presenting an either or answer

• Provides the student to select the correct response rather than constructing it

• These assessments are the most widely used selected-response type of item, and are applicable to a number of different testing situations.

Weakness• They are very difficult to write –often

there are unclear directions, ambiguous statements, unintended clues, complicated syntax and difficult vocabulary (Popham, 2006).

• They Do not test student ability to develop and organize; ideas. and present in a coherent argument .

These tests can be used to assess recall of factual knowledge, a variety of intellectual skills, or significant attitudinal dispositions. These tests are both used as programmatic and learning outcome assessments.

Learner Essay

Strengths• Promotes the development of effective

written communication skills, critical thinking and academic development.

• Effective in assessing the broader kinds of subject matter.

• Most common type of construct-response.

Weakness• Assessment is subjective.• A detail criteria needs to be set and

outlined to the students prior to the test being administered.

• Crafty students can write a lot but may be way off topic.

• The amount of time required to take the test is extensive.

• Correcting the responses is very time consuming (Butler and McMunn, 2006).

Is used as a learning tool for students to demonstrate knowledge in a constructive manner while emphasizing on the organization skills, planning skills, use of vocabulary and being able to express through written communication. This tool is for both programmatic and learning.

Standardized Tests

Strength• Provides a benchmark and sets the

standard.• Easy to grade and construct; Student

answer choices limited.

Weakness• Expensive• Only provide a snap shot of the

student’s learning.• Difficult to report the scores to the

families and to the public.• Standardized tests are bias

(Leathwood, 2005).

These are large-scale tests that are used to collect information about student learning and are administered in the same way across many classrooms so that the data can be used for making comparisons. This is for both programmatic and learning.

Goals-Based Evaluation

Strength• The goals based evaluation can

determine how the predetermined goals are being met of a program.

• Allows the learner and instructor to mold their respective efforts based on individual need.

• An evaluation confirms whether or not a goal has been attained.

Weakness• The data is not able to predict long

term outcomes.• Do not list specific objectives based on

goals presented.

A Goals Based Evaluation is “any type of evaluation based on and knowledge of—and referenced to—the goals and objectives of the program, person, or product, (Scriven, 1991, p. 178).” This assessment is for both learning and programmatic.

Self Assessment

Strength• The learner’s take more responsibility

of their own learning and reflect on their successes.

• Promotes lifelong learning and learning to learn.

• Focuses on student attitudes, interests and values.

Weakness• Very subjective• Students tend to be more critical with

personal performance that the teacher.• One dimensional assessment with one

point of view.

The teacher encourages students to come up with personal appraisals of their own work. The students reflect and can compare their work with earlier work. This assessment is for learning.

Concept Maps

Strength• Student schema is activated.• Real life experiences are related to the

classroom.• Continual assessment of the

individual’s learning is being reflected upon.

Weakness• Difficult to assess.• Grading scheme needs to be clearly

defined in a rubric.• Not all students bring to class the

same background knowledge which makes it difficult to incorporate everyone as part of modifications to the curriculum if any.

Student incorporate their schemata to draw and outline a mind map of what they know prior to learning and continuously are adding to their mind map as they go through the class. This assessment too is for both learning and programmatic.

Process-Based Evaluation

Strength• There is not one snap shot of the

student’s learning but a series that determine what and how the students acquired knowledge.

• Provides order and accuracy to the evaluation process.

Weakness• This type of evaluation does not and

cannot compare with outcomes of other programs to ensure goals are being met in the program that is being evaluated (Phillips,2009).

• May contain inaccurate data not based on research.

This is a process of stringing along assessments or evaluations the determine the students’ learning. This assessment is programmatic and learning.

Reflective Journal

Strength• Students search out evidence and

analyzing it.• Students reflect on it, reflect on it

discovering meaning. • Students draw conclusions based on

the evidence.• Students evaluate in order to make a

pronouncement about value, Students provide constructive comment about each other's work.

• Students make changes to improve student learning (Ballantyne and Packer, 1995).

Weakness• Very subjective• Difficult to assess• Length of time to assess is extensive.

Students are encouraged to write freely as a process of learning that helps them reflect of what they are experiencing in the classroom. This assessment is for learning outcomes.

Attitude Survey

Strength• Promotes positive attitudes towards

learning.• Promotes a positive attitude towards

self.• Promotes positive attitude towards self

as a learner.• There are numerous other subject-

specific kinds of attitudes that teacher can foster.

Weakness• These can be very complex and not

very reliable.• Very subjective

To determine the attitudes, interests and the values of students and to encourage the development of the individual through the instructed curriculum (Popham, 2006). This assessment is for learning outcomes.

References

Ballantyne, R & Packer, J; (1995). Making Connections: Using Student Journals as a Teaching/Learning Aid. HERDSA ACT. Retrieved from http://www.clt.uts.edu.au/Scholarship/Reflective.journal.htm

Butler, S. M., & McMunn, N. D. (2006). A teacher’s guide to classroom assessment: Understanding and using assessment to improve student learning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Leathwood, C. (2005). Assessment policy and practice in higher education: purpose, standards and equity. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 30(3), 307-324. Retrieved March 10, 2011 from EBSCOhost database.

Phillips, Fred (2009, November 6). Philosophies of Evaluation. SciTopics. Retrieved March 14, 2011, from

http://www.scitopics.com/Philosophies_of_Evaluation.html Popham, W. J. (2006). Assessment for Educational Leaders. Boston: Pearson/Allyn and

Bacon.Scriven, M. (1991). Evaluation Thesaurus (4th ed,). New York: SageWagner, T. (2010). The Global Achievement Gap: Why Even Our Best Schools Don't

Teach the New Survival Skills Our Children Need and What We Can Do About It. Basic Books, New York.