Classroom Assessment

Classroom Assessment:
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Classroom Assessment

General Suggestions

Very few instructors have studied the theories of methods of assessment, yet all of us are continually assessing our students and ourselves. Most of us figure out basic ways to evaluate how our students are doing and how our classes are going in general.

There are, however, many assessment techniques available to college teachers. The trick is to decide which of them are best for the nature of our subject matter. As instructors, we also must learn how to design assessment tools (e.g. write tests, create writing assignments), how to score them, and how to interpret the results for our own benefit and for the benefit of our students.

Make sure that your assessment/testing matches what you are teaching.

Obviously, you would not give a computation quiz in a writing class. However, you also do not want to test students on a type of question or activity that they have never experienced before.

For example, if all homework and in-class activities have been based on short answer questions, don't use essay questions for assessment.

Use a variety of assessment techniques.

Different people do better with different modes of performance or expression. Give your verbal students an opportunity to shine, not just your visual students.

Do not give just one or two "high-stakes" tests over the semester.

Give students several opportunities to demonstrate their grasp or mastery of the course material.

Make sure students are very clear about the assessment/evaluation methods and standards for the class.

Whether you use a percentage system or a point system, students should be informed in writing of these standards at the beginning of the semester and should be reminded several times throughout the course of the semester.

The Purposes Of In-Class Assessment

For the benefit of students:

Students need to know how they are doing so that they can continue or change their learning behaviors.

Tests or papers often motivate students.

For the benefit of instructors:

Teachers need to know how well the students are accomplishing the course goals. For example, if a large number of students fail a test, is it a problem with the test, the students, the instructor, or the course?

For the benefit of the institution:

The department or the college needs to know if there are problems with the curriculum or any department-wide assessment measures.

Assessment may be used as a creative tool for program review or course re-evaluation.

"Classroom Assessment is a systematic approach to formative evaluation, and Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) are simple tools for collecting data on student learning in order to improve it. CATS are 'feedback devices,' instruments that faculty can use to find out how much, how well, and even how students are learning what they are trying to teach." CATs are not designed to substitute for traditional examinations. They are meant to be used before and between examinations and are most often ungraded. The goal is to assess students' progress and to improve it if it is needed so that there are no surprises after exams or the end of the semester.

In addition, CATs provide valuable information to faculty on the effectiveness of their teaching and the actual learning that is taking place with individual students.

Though there are 50 different CATs described in Angelo and Cross' Classroom Assessment Techniques, and there are five basic techniques suggested as introductory CATs which have been used extensively in many disciplines. They are:

The Minute Paper (CAT 6)

What was the most important thing that you learned today?

What questions remain uppermost in your mind as we conclude this class session?

The Muddiest Point (CAT 7) This CAT is designed to assess what points in a lecture are still unclear to the student. The typical question is, "What was the muddiest point in my lecture today?"

The One-Sentence Summary (CAT 13)

This CAT asks the student to summarize a large quantity of information in a highly structured, compact format.

The following prompt is usually given, "Who did what to/for whom, when, where, how, and why?"

Thomas A. Angelo and K. Patricia Cross, Classroom Assessment Techniques, A Handbook for College Teachers (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Inc., Publishers, 1993), p. 25.

Directed Paraphrasing (CAT 23)

Assessment of conceptual understanding by asking for student to paraphrase the concept in two or three sentences for a specific audience.

Applications Cards (CAT 24) Assess transference skills of learner to see if they can apply the lesson to a real life situation or example.

For more detailed information on CATs please refer to Classroom Assessment Techniques.

Modes Of Assessment

The two important points to remember about different modes of assessment are:

Use more than one mode in each class.

Use modes that are appropriate for the class and familiar to the students.

In-class tests

This, of course, is the most common assessment mode in colleges. Students are familiar with it; instructors are familiar with it.

Faculty within a department can collaborate in designing tests, and this can be useful in maintaining department wide standards.

Plagiarism and cheating can be prevented to a large extent.

On the other hand, good tests are difficult to write, and students with good test-taking skills have a distinct advantage.

Multiple Choice Tests

Allow testing of a wide range of knowledge and/or information.

Students do not need good writing skills, and they can be graded quickly.

However, students may make lucky guesses, and the level of learning tested tends to be lower.

Essay Tests

These allow instructors to test for deeper levels of learning and for students to express themselves more analytically and creatively.

On the other hand, some students may suffer from poor writing skills or time problems.

Open Book Tests

These allow a shift away from reliance on memory and may allow students to be more critical in their answers.

Alternately, students may not be motivated to study because they know "the answer" will be in front of them.

Timing can be crucial, and some students have a lot of difficulty finishing.

Written papers

This is another very common assessment technique. It is, of course, dependent on the students' writing skills and often their knowledge of research methods.

Grading is often subjective and can be inconsistent. Even the most well prepared instructors can find their standards shifting with the hour of day.

Essays

This mode encourages students to be active in their work.

Assigning appropriate topics can be a challenge, and grading essays is time-consuming. It can also be unfair.

Research Projects or Reports

The assignment must be very specific, and the instructor may have to spend a lot of time helping students learn to do research.

However, these projects allow students to explore their own interests within the context of the class.

Book, Magazine, or Research Reviews

This mode works well when you want the student to use a variety of skills (reading, writing, research).

It can be difficult for students with a limited background in the discipline.

Take home tests

These have the advantages of open book tests, plus the advantage of sufficient time.

Plagiarism can be a problem, as can students innocently copying literal answers from the text.

Performance evaluations

These can be particularly valuable when done in classes where the ability to perform is part of the expectations for the course.

Actually assessing the performance can be difficult. For example, how will you weight the creativity of the performance as opposed to the breadth of knowledge or skill demonstrated?

Some examples of performance evaluations

Labs

Oral presentations

Other presentations

Written

Visual

Skills mastery

Homework

In-class discussions

Group work

Written

Oral

Task oriented

Attendance

Portfolios

Students' Self-Evaluation

Published tests

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