The word assessment elicits a variety of reactions when used in the context of education. Students hear the word and cringe because it means a test is coming; teachers hear it and use the information as a means of assigning grades; administrators hear it and use the data for teacher evaluation purposes and politicians hear it and use the data as a measure of school accountability. So what exactly is assessment?
I find that in trying to understand assessment it is best to start from a historical perspective. Thirty years ago as a new teacher, I put into practice everything I had learned while training to be a teacher. I spent hours writing tests that I thought would measure the knowledge my students had about a topic. I tried to make sure the questions touched on everything I had taught them and would therefore result in a grade that was a good reflection of their mastery of the topic. I diligently worked to make study guides to help my students with their learning. They would answer reams of questions and write down definitions of the unit vocabulary in order to prepare them for the test.
Responsible students made sure to complete the entire study guide (I had them pass the study guides in to me so if parents wanted to know why their child did not do well I could point to the incomplete study guide.) I gave them a “grade” on the study guide in the belief that it would encourages the students to put in more effort in their studies. To ensure academic integrity I kept an eye out for any signs of cheating while the students took the test. I took student assessment very seriously.
Fortunately, the meaning of “assessment” and my understanding of “assessment” has evolved over time. Assessment is better defined as a measure of student learning – NOT student memorizing. Student learning means that students understand science content and have the ability to evaluate information and apply their knowledge of the topic to solve a problem that they have not seen before. Assessment in my classroom became the tool to measure how well students understood the material – not just whether they had memorized the information.
Assessment as a tool to measure student learning resulted in changes in my classroom.
- I no longer gave study guides for students to memorize the facts
- Assessments were practical – not merely questions on facts
- Assessments were scattered throughout a unit to track learning progress of students
- Assessments were impromptu (not to be studied for) with students being allowed to use their work on the assessment
- Students were taught to use assessments as a measure of their progress along a learning curve
- Assessments were not be feared, therefore formative assessments could be retaken
- Students were taught to understand the correlation between assessment and grades
Teachers today are bombarded with research, books, and mandates on what assessments are and how they should be used. Not to mention the input from students and parents on the effects of assessment on grades. The next series of blog posts will focus on how to change student views of assessment and practical ways to use assessment as a tool to improve student learning.