Module 4 Notes
Basic Steps in Classroom Assessment
Specifications for tests and assessments Appropriate assessment tasks Relevant assessment tasks Constructing Objective Test Items
True-False or Alternate Choice Items Matching Items Multiple Choice Forms Interpretive Exercise
Forms and Uses Advantages Limitations Suggestions for Constructing
Planning Classroom Test and Assessments Remember: The main goal of assessment is to obtain valid, reliable, and useful information concerning student achievement. Steps in developing the assessment instrument:
2. Determine what is to be measured -- instructional goals 3. Define it precisely so that tasks that evoke the desired performance can be constructed behavioral goals Basic Steps in Classroom Assessment 1. Determining the purpose of the assessment (pre-test, formative, or summative) 2. Developing the test specifications (this is the table you are creating) 3. Selecting the appropriate assessment tasks (form and type) 4. Prepare the relevant assessment tasks 5. Assemble the assessment 6. Provide instruction 7. Evaluate the assessment 8. Use the assessment results
2) To what extent students have already achieved the objectives of the planned instruction -- are confined to a limited domain - low level of difficulty - serve as a basis for remedial work or for adaptation of instructional plans - not usually different from post test (an equivalent form)
2) Provide feedback to students and teachers 3) Detect learning errors, diagnostic - practice tests, quizzes - predefined segment of instruction - limited sample of learning outcomes End of instruction assessment
2) Outline course content 3) Prepare a two-way table / chart; table is limited to those objectives that are measurable
Supply types
2) Completion Selection types: (1)
alternate choice (2) matching (3) multiple choice (4) keyed response (5) interpretive exercise Second Form = Performance Performance items -- less structure (problem can be redefined and the answer organized and presented in their own words); scoring is more difficult and less reliable Essay
questions:
2) Restricted response
2) Use of equipment or playing an instrument Product: Report, art work, science project Remember: Bottom line = select the item type that provides the most direct measure of the intended behavioral objectives
How long should the test be? Long enough to provide an adequate sampling of each behavioral objective; keep in mind also the limitations of the students (how long can they sit, etc.) Eliminating irrelevant barriers to performance:
2) Measure intended learning outcome, not the irrelevant skills (reading or writing ability)
NOTE: It is fine to test reading and writing ability. Just be sure that reading and writing ability is what you want to test. If you want to test knowledge of how to differentiate different types of clouds, then maybe reading and writing should be kept to a minimum to ensure that if they know the content they have the opportunity to demonstrate that knowledge.
4) Bias (gender, race, ethnic) -- items should be as free of bias as possible
2) Write more items than needed 3) Write items well in advance of testing date 4) Write items so that they call for the performance described in the behavioral objectives 5) Task to be performed is clearly specified 6) Write item at appropriate reading / writing level (in sub-tests not measuring reading, such as, math, science, and social studies, test makers generally write items two years below grade placement to avoid testing reading ability) 7) Item provides no clue to answer 8) Answer is agreed upon by experts 9) Recheck items when revised for relevance Valid Assessment will:
2) Improve instruction 3) Improve student-teacher relationships
Checklist for Specification Table
2. Do specifications reflect the nature and limits of the domain? 3. Do specifications indicate the types of learning outcomes to be measured? 4. Do the specifications indicate the sample of learning outcomes to be measured? 5. Is the number and types of items / tasks appropriate? 6. Is the distribution of items and tasks adequate? 7. Is the number of items adequate to represent the domain?
2. Developing the test specifications (this is the table you are creating) 3. Selecting the appropriate assessment tasks (form and type) 4. Prepare the relevant assessment tasks
6. Provide instruction 7. Evaluate the assessment 8. Use the assessment results There are several types of objective tests. The most common ones are: multiple choice, true-false (I call alternate choice), matching, and short answer. There are additional types, such as keyed response and interpretive exercise. I will focus on the most common ones and on interpretive exercise. We will not discuss keyed response, because it is really a matching type changed to the format of multiple choice. When you create your test for the project, you will need to follow the guidelines in your text for each of the types. Constructing Objective Test Items To construct objective test items, the teacher or the test maker need to have the following required skills:
2) Clear conception of the learning outcomes 3) Psychological understanding of students 4) Sound judgment, persistence, and creativity Types of Objective Tests
Plausible Distractor What are plausible distractors? They are distractors that appear correct to the student who has not studied the material. For example: What is the capital of Florida? a.
Tallahassee The distractors for b and c are plausible, because they are cities in the state of Florida. D is not plausible, because it is not a city. Anyone looking at this question would automatically eliminate "d" as an option, and
thereby, increase their chances of guessing the correct answer. Interpretive Exercise Complex achievement = those learning outcomes based on the higher mental processes (higher order thinking) such as, understanding, thinking skills, problem-solving
1. Consists of a series of items based on a common set of information (ex: a map, table, graph) Forms and Uses 1. Ability to recognize
inferences Advantages 1. Ability to measure interpretation of written materials Limitations 1. Difficulty in
constructing items and finding appropriate introductory material Suggestions for Constructing (See checklist in text on p. 232) 1. Select introductory material that is relevant to the objectives of the course Evaluating Test Items When evaluating test items, check to see that:
2. The formatting makes the test easier to take 3. There are no unnecessary clues in the stem 4. The reading / writing levels are appropriate 5. The items / questions have student appeal 6. The items / questions are free of superfluous material 7. There are no tricky phrases or clauses What is the interpretive exercise?Interpretive exercise questions are used to identify relationships in data, recognize valid conclusions, to appraise assumptions and inferences, and to detect proper applications of data.
For which of the following types of learning outcomes is the essay item most useful?Essay Questions Test Higher-Level Learning Objectives
Unlike objective test items that are ideally suited for testing students' broad knowledge of course content in a relatively short amount of time, essay questions are best suited for testing higher-level learning.
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