Using Student Assessment to Improve Instruction

1. Using Student Assessment to Improve Instruction Dr. Tim Fry

2. Objective: • The teacher candidate should become more familiar with the assessment process noting the importance of assessment and how assessment can result in better instruction.

3. Specifically become more familiar with: • some underlying principles of assessment • things we assess • three categories or stages of assessment • various forms of assessments including alternatives to pencil and paper tests • reasons we assess--including using the data we collect to improve our instruction

4. Assessments • What? • How? • Why?

5. How does the teacher know if students are learning? Through Assessments!

6. Some Underlying Principles of Assessment Include: • Aligned to criteria-objectives and scoring rubrics • More Process than Product • Evidence and Data should come from a variety of sources • Reflection and self assessment are important

7. What do we assess? • Content and Process Skills • What a student says, does, and writes • Affective and Psychomotor domains

8. 3 Stages or Categories of Assessments • Diagnostic • Formative • Summative

9. Forms of Assessment (how)include: Tests Discussion Questions Application Exercises Quizzes Performance Assessments Journal Writing Projects Group work Portfolios Oral Exams

10. “I hate taking a test without an eraser.”

11. Some Reasons We Assess (Why) • Assign grades • Offer feedback to students and parents • Provide new learning experiences • Identify students’ strengths and weaknesses • Get feedback that will guide future instruction

12. How do you prefer to be assessed? • What is your least preferred way to be assessed? • Any type of assessment more common in your subject area? Possible reasons?

13. Is assessment important? • How often should we assess? • Should we assess in more than one way? • Will you use assessment to improve your teaching?

14. “Teaching without learning is just talking” Angelo & Cross (1993) Classroom Assessment Techniques