Module 4 Notes
- Planning Classroom Test and Assessments
Basic Steps in Classroom Assessment
- Purpose of the assessment
Specifications for tests and assessments
Appropriate assessment tasks
Relevant assessment tasks
Constructing Objective Test Items
- Types of Objective Tests
- Short Answer / Completion Items
True-False or Alternate Choice Items
Matching Items
Multiple Choice Forms
Interpretive Exercise
- Nature
Forms and Uses
Advantages
Limitations
Suggestions for Constructing
- To access the Study Guide for Mid-Term Exam, please click here.
Remember: The main goal of assessment is to obtain valid, reliable, and useful information concerning student achievement.
Steps in developing the assessment instrument:
- 1. Specify the achievement domain -- parameters
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
- Pre-testing
- 1) Whether
students have the prerequisite skills needed for the instruction
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)
- During instruction
assessment
- This is called diagnostic or formative assessment; done about midway through a unit or chapter
- 1) To monitor learning progress
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
- This is called summative assessment and measures the extent to which the intended learning outcomes have been achieved; can serve the same purposes as pre-testing (for the following unit) and formative assessment
- 2. Developing the specifications for tests and assessments (this is the table you are creating)
- Steps:
- 1) Prepare a list of instructional objectives
2) Outline course content
3) Prepare a two-way table / chart; table is limited to those objectives that are measurable
- 3. Selecting the appropriate assessment tasks [two forms: objective and performance]
- First Form = Objective
- Objective items -- highly structured; single right answer; limits type of response student can make; scoring is quick, easy, and accurate
Supply types
- 1) Short answer
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:
- 1) Extended-response
2) Restricted response
- 1) Construction of graphs, diagrams, models
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
- Learning outcomes at the first 3 levels of Bloom's taxonomy are easier to construct items for, so they usually receive undue emphasis; without the table of specifications, ease of construction becomes the dominant
criterion
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:
- 1) Make sure that the students have the prerequisite skills and prior
knowledge needed
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.
- 3) Ambiguity -- again, making sure that you measure your behavioral objectives and not mind reading
4) Bias (gender, race, ethnic) -- items should be as free of bias as possible
- 1) Use table of specifications
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:
- 1) Improve student achievement
2) Improve instruction
3) Improve student-teacher relationships
Checklist for Specification Table
- 1. Are the specifications in harmony with the purpose?
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?
- We have now covered the 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
- We will cover 5 through 8 later in the term.
- 5. Assemble the assessment
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:
- 1) Thorough grasp of the subject matter
2) Clear conception of the learning outcomes
3) Psychological understanding of students
4) Sound judgment, persistence, and creativity
Types of Objective Tests
Type | Characteristics | Advantages | Limitations |
Short Answer / Completion Items (See checklist in text on p. 178) |
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True-False or Alternate Choice Items (See checklist in text on p. 185) |
|
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Matching Items(See checklist in text on p. 190) |
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Multiple Choice Forms(See checklist in text on p. 214) |
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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
b. Miami
c. Orlando
d. Georgia
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
- Nature
1. Consists of a series of items based on a common set of information (ex: a map, table, graph)
2. Possible to measure various levels of proficiency in any particular area
Forms and Uses
1. Ability to recognize
inferences
2. Ability to recognize warranted and unwarranted generalizations
3. Ability to recognize assumptions
4. Ability to recognize the relevance of information
5. Ability to apply principles
6. Use of pictorial materials
Advantages
1. Ability to measure interpretation of written materials
2. Ability to measure more complex learning outcomes
3. Greater depth and breadth can be obtained in the measurement
4. Minimizes the influence of irrelevant
factual information
5. Forces students to use only the mental processes called for
6. Can measure separate aspects of the problem-solving process
7. Can be scored objectively
Limitations
1. Difficulty in
constructing items and finding appropriate introductory material
2. Introductory material may rely too heavily on reading ability
3. Measures separate aspects, not the whole problem-solving process
4. Limited to outcomes at the recognition level
Suggestions for Constructing (See checklist in text on p. 232)
1. Select introductory material that is relevant to the objectives of the course
2. Select introductory material that is appropriate to the students' curricular experience and reading level
3. Select introductory material that is new to the
students
4. Select introductory material that is brief but meaningful
5. Revise introductory material for clarity, conciseness and greater interpretive value
6. Construct test items that require analysis and interpretation of the introductory material
7. Make the length of test
items roughly proportional to the length of the introductory material
8. In constructing test items for an interpretive exercise, observe all pertinent suggestions for constructing other objective test items
Evaluating Test Items
When evaluating test items, check to see that:
- 1. There are no spelling or grammatical errors
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