CTL 721 - Evaluation of Classroom Learning

1. CTL 721 - Evaluation of Classroom Learning Dr. Robert J. Quinn

2. Traditional Reasons for Assessment • Diagnose Students’ Strengths and Weaknesses • Monitor Students’ Progress • Assign Grades to Students • Determine Instructional Effectiveness

3. Additional New Reasons for Assessment • Public Perceptions • Teacher Evaluations • Clarify Instructional Intentions

4. What to Assess • 1. Focus on decision options. • 2. A small number of significant curricular aims can provide a useful framework for deciding what to assess. • 3. Select domain: cognitive, affective or psychomotor. • 4. Review content standards of professional organizations.

5. What to Assess • 5. Consider NAEP assessment frameworks. • 6. Ask for advice from a colleague. • 7. Analyze state content standards and accountability exams.

6. Curricular Aims A Curricular Aim can apply to long-term educational goals, to very precise short-term outcomes, or to anything in between. Popham uses various grain sizes to describe the specificity of Curricular Aims.

7. Curricular Aims Popham stresses the importance of having clear curricular aims for assessment prior to instruction. These curricular aims must be selected and/or developed within the context of gathering Decision-Driven Assessment information.

8. Curricular Aims A Curricular Aim should include 3 components: 1. Behavior Component 2. Conditions Component 3. Criteria Component

9. Curricular Aims The behavior component describes exactly what the student will be able to do after mastering the Curricular Aim. The behavior component must include a demonstrable action verb.

10. Curricular Aims The conditions component describes the conditions under which the curricular aim will be performed. Examples include: with the aid of a calculator given a periodic table using a map of the world

11. Curricular Aims The criteria component defines how the evaluator will determine whether or not the Curricular Aim has been met. Examples include: 4 out of 5 times all three branches of the government

12. Bloom’s Taxonomy Bloom’s Taxonomy (see page 35) 1. Knowledge 2. Comprehension 3. Application 4. Analysis 5. Synthesis 6. Evaluation

13. Bloom’s Taxonomy You have probably encountered Bloom's Taxonomy many times in your varied educational experiences. This activity is designed to force you to consider the explicit implications of this taxonomy on assessment.

14. Bloom’s Taxonomy • In tonight’s activity, you will work in groups of 3 or 4 to create Curricular Aims that cover each of the six levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy.

15. Curricular Aims Phase 1 - Groups of 3 or 4 Select an area of the curriculum that is familiar to all members of the group.

16. Curricular Aims • The content chosen should be approximately the amount that could be covered in two weeks.

17. Curricular Aims Develop six Curricular Aims, one at each of the levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy. Write down your Curricular Aims so that you can easily share them with the rest of the class.

18. Curricular Aims Phase 2 - Whole Class Each group reads one or two of their Curricular Aims to the class, one at a time, in random order.

19. Curricular Aims Other groups guess which level of Bloom's Taxonomy each Curricular Aim is intended to cover. Each Curricular Aim is discussed with regard to the clarity of each component.

20. Curricular Aims Phase 3 - Whole Class Discuss what you learned about the nature of assessment from this activity. Be prepared to share your thoughts with the whole class.

21. Curricular Aims Phase 4 - Whole Class Each group reports their thoughts regarding the discussion in phase 3. The whole class participates in a closure discussion concerning the entire class activity.

22. Interpretation Options • Norm-referenced Interpretation • Criterion-Referenced Interpretation

23. Response Type • Selected Response • Constructed Response