assessment 1: the process and progress of...

Assessment 1: The Process and Progress of Learning

e M I N T S N a t i o n a l C e n t e r

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Assessment 1: The Process and

Progress of Learning eMINTS National Center 325 Clark Hall Columbia, MO 65211 Voice: (573) 884-7202 Fax: (573) 884-7614 www.emints.org Cover Photos Joshua A. Bickel Contributors eMINTS National Center staff Written September 2012 Revised October 2012 Questions Have a question about eMINTS professional-development materials? Send inquiries to the eMINTS staff at [email protected]. ©2012 The Curators of the University of Missouri. Use or distribution of materials is restricted to authorized eMINTS instructors and staff. Do not copy, alter or redistribute without the express written permission of eMINTS National Center. To request permission, contact the eMINTS National Center at [email protected] or postal address above. Titles or names of specific software discussed or described in this document are registered trademarks, trademarked or copyrighted as property of the companies that produce the software. Please note that the World Wide Web is volatile and constantly changing. The URLs provided were accurate as of the date of publication.


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Table of Contents

Purpose of the Module ............................................................................ 4

Expected Outcomes ................................................................................ 4

What Are 21st Century Skills? ................................................................... 5

Learning and Innovation Skills

Creativity and Innovation ............................................................... 5

Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving .............................................. 6

Communication and Collaboration ................................................... 6

Information, Media and Technology Skills

Information Literacy, Media Literacy and Technology skills .................. 6

Life and Career Skills

Flexibility and Adaptability .............................................................. 6

Initiative and Self-direction ............................................................ 7

Social and Cross-cultural Skills ........................................................ 7

Types of Assessment

Formative Assessment ................................................................... 8

Summative Assessment ................................................................. 8

Purposes of Assessment

Gauge Student Prior Knowledge ...................................................... 9

Encourage Self-Direction and Collaboration ....................................... 9

Provide Diagnostic Feedback to Teacher and Student ......................... 9

Monitor Progress ........................................................................... 9

Check for Understanding and Encourage Metacognition ...................... 10

Demonstrate Understanding and Skill .............................................. 10

Putting into Practice ............................................................................... 10

Resources ............................................................................................. 11

References ............................................................................................ 13


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Purpose of the Module Assessment is an important part of teaching and learning. Assessments should take place before, during and after a unit to allow for measures of prior learning, instructional decision-making and determining student learning growth. There are many methods for assessing learning and development of 21st century skills. During this session, participants will be introduced to the various purposes, methods and instruments of assessment and learn how to modify and use these tools to support the process and progress of learning.

Expected Outcomes • Teachers value assessment as an instructional decision-making tool.

• Teachers understand the purposes of assessments and how they drive

instructional decision-making, including 21st century skill development.

• Teachers use a variety of assessments to address desired outcomes and standards and to support the process and progress of learning.

Essential Question • What is quality instruction?

Session Questions • When should assessment go beyond evaluating knowledge and skills? • How does assessment enhance instructional quality and learning? • How might assessment be incorporated as an ongoing component of

instructional design?


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What Are 21st Century Skills? Success in the world today is defined by new skill sets. The future for students is evolving at a rapid pace. Determining the knowledge students will need to be successful in the workplace they will face is an ever-changing process. So how do teachers prepare students for an unknown world? One way is to foster the development of skills that will help students develop broader competencies. If the goal of education is to prepare students to be lifelong learners, creative and critical thinkers, problem-solvers and decision-makers in the 21st century workplace, educators must equip students with the skills they need to succeed in these tasks. Experts in many professional fields agree that skills related to “broader competencies” are what students need to develop for the 21st century. A survey of over 400 employers across the United States—conducted collaboratively by the Conference Board (a group of business leaders), Corporate Voices for Working Families (an organization that studies/guides public and corporate policy issues), the Partnership for 21st Century Skills and the Society for Human Resource Management—found that broader competencies will be important for succeeding in the workforce of the near future.

The Conference Board found that employers still see basic skills like reading comprehension as fundamental to success on the job. But broader competencies are even more critical, they say, and are expected to increase in importance in the near future (Center for Public Education).

In the 21st century—as technology becomes more sophisticated and available— individuals have access to limitless opportunities to participate in their communities, as well as use technology for entertainment and leisure-time activities. In today’s workplaces, as computers take over routine tasks, a far greater proportion of employees are engaged in tasks that require them to be flexible and creative problem-solvers. In order for today’s students to be successful in this environment, schools must provide students with more than basic skills. Students also must become proficient at 21st century skills (Intel, Evidence of Impact: 21st Century Skills). As noted in previous modules, the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (an education advocacy organization) developed a framework that describes the knowledge, skills and expertise students must master to succeed in work and in life. The skills listed as necessary for the 21st century and for developing broader competencies fall into three categories: (a) Learning and Innovation Skills; (b) Information, Media and Technology Skills; and (c) Life and Career Skills. This session will delve into each group of skills looking at the subcategory levels and their importance in assessment.

Learning and Innovation Skills Creativity and Innovation Creativity and innovation skills are not limited to only artistic elements in student products. Creativity and innovation also encompass the ability to think divergently; the ability to use a variety of techniques to elaborate, refine, analyze and evaluate personal ideas; the ability to accept failure as a springboard for learning and


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improvement; and the ability to envision possibilities and come up with creative solutions. Anderson and Krathwohl’s revised Bloom’s taxonomy not only considers creativity a higher-level thinking skill but places that skill at the top of the hierarchy. The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) revised the National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS-S) in 2007 with creativity and innovation defined as using knowledge to create new ideas, original works and using models to explore and identify trends. Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Critical thinking includes using inductive or deductive reasoning to analyze, evaluate, synthesize, interpret and reflect on an experience and transfer that thinking to other appropriate situations. Problem-solving involves using conventional or innovative ways to solve unfamiliar problems and identify and ask questions that lead to solutions. The NETS-S note that identifying problems, planning activities, collecting data and exploring solutions all fall within this skill set. Communication and Collaboration Communication is a means of articulating thoughts—whether written, oral or non-verbal, as well as listening—to draw knowledge and meaning from others. Collaboration is working with others productively and respectfully while adjusting to meet the needs of a common goal. These skills are tied together due to the nature of their interdependence. The Common Core State Standards include this subcategory in the Speaking and Listening Standards and NETS-S includes it as a standards category.

Information, Media and Technology Skills Information Literacy, Media Literacy and Technology Skills Information literacy is the ability to identify a need for information and then locate, evaluate and use the information legally and ethically. Media literacy is using images or graphics to communicate. Technology skills include the appropriate use of technology as a tool to research, organize, evaluate and communicate information. As noted in the introduction of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts:

Students who meet the Standards readily undertake the close, attentive reading that is at the heart of understanding and enjoying complex works of literature. They habitually perform the critical reading necessary to pick carefully through the staggering amount of information available today in print and digitally. They actively seek the wide, deep, and thoughtful engagement with high-quality literary and informational texts that builds knowledge, enlarges experience, and broadens worldviews (English Language Arts Standards).

Life and Career Skills Flexibility and Adaptability Flexibility and adaptability skills address the ability to adjust to changing roles or responsibilities, accept feedback positively and work to balance different points of view. These skills are necessary for anyone who desires to succeed in a quickly changing, globally-connected digital world. With technology changing at a rapid pace,


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information overload can occur. The amount of information available is truly staggering, noted Robert Boland in an article for Connected Internet.

In 2007 alone, humankind managed to successfully send 1.9 zettabytes of information through broadcast technology like televisions, satellites and GPS. That’s equivalent to every person in the world reading 174 newspapers every day.

Cell phones and social media are not even included in this count! These facts reflect the need for flexibility and adaptability in a fast-paced world of globally diverse information. Initiative and Self-direction Initiative is setting obtainable goals and working effectively to reach those goals on time. Self-direction is going above and beyond to commit to a goal and reflecting on the experience for future reference. The skills are transferred and applied to new situations. Perseverance is a large part of these skills as well as learning by doing or learning from failed attempts. The ability to persevere as a self-directed learner is important in all curriculum areas. For instance, the Common Core State Standards Initiative notes that mathematically proficient students “make conjectures about the form and meaning of the solution and plan a solution pathway rather than simply jumping into a solution attempt. They consider analogous problems, and try special cases and simpler forms of the original problem in order to gain insight into its solution. They monitor and evaluate their progress and change course if necessary” (Common Core, Standards for Mathematical Practice). Social and Cross-cultural Skills Social and cross-cultural skills include knowing when to listen and when to speak as well as treating others with respect and being open-minded enough to include other thoughts and values in the creation of new ideas. Digital citizenship would fall into this category of skills. An excerpt from a report by the Strategic Task Force on Education Abroad notes that:

We must ensure that our students graduate with the tools necessary to understand the perils and opportunities that present themselves in the world beyond our borders. This is the great challenge facing America at the beginning of the new millennium: to give its citizens a thorough understanding of the world and its crosscurrents, to help them see what others value and believe (NAFSA: Association of International Educators).

Types of Assessment Assessment is a common practice in today’s classrooms. It usually takes place in predictable ways in traditional formats. A wide variety of assessment options are available, however, to meet the instructional needs of teachers and the learning needs of students.


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Formative Assessment Although tests and exams are not going to disappear from schools, student learning can be greatly enhanced when data from a wide variety of assessments is used to inform instruction, provide feedback and evaluate products and performances. The kind of assessment that occurs before and during a unit of study is called formative assessment. Summative Assessment While formative assessments can give students and teachers information about how well students are doing while they are working on projects, at some point, most teachers are required to give a report on student learning at the end of a particular unit or on a particular project. Students also want and need to know how well they have done. This kind of assessment, done after the fact, is called summative assessment. Summative assessments—such as unit tests—can provide useful information if teachers and students take the time to look at them analytically. Teachers can find areas of weakness to address in more depth in future units and with future groups of students. Students can identify problem areas and set goals for future learning.

Purposes of Assessment There are many ways to assess learning—formally, informally, written, orally, non-verbally and so forth. Teachers collect data continuously for a variety of purposes. The true purpose of assessment is to gain information to guide instruction. Systematically collecting appropriate data and using it to guide instruction and learning can help students expand their knowledge and cognition. Taking a more structured view of assessment can make the process as productive as it is rewarding. Virginia Commonwealth University education professor James H. McMillan believes assessment and instruction go hand in hand. “When assessment is integrated with instruction, it informs teachers about what activities and assignments will be most useful, what level of teaching is most appropriate, and how summative assessments provide diagnostic information” (2000). The Intel website contains a lot of information on assessing projects. One article on the website discusses the work of Paul Black, a professor of science education at King’s College London. Black noted that effectively integrating a variety of assessment types into everyday classroom activities “can in fact produce profound changes in the role of students as learners and in the role of teachers in developing students' capacity to learn” (Intel, Successful Assessment).

Black and his colleagues spent two years working with teachers in two British secondary schools, assisting as the teachers began including formative assessments on a regular basis. At the end of the project, the researchers asked themselves “whether it is possible to introduce formative assessment without some radical change in classroom pedagogy because, of its nature, this type of assessment is an essential component of classroom learning” (Intel, Successful Assessment). These researchers found that formative assessment supported a student-centered classroom culture. They found that as formative assessments were included on a


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regular basis, it proved beneficial because students received regular, useful information about how their learning was progressing and they became actively involved in activities that helped them transform knowledge and skills into personally meaningful learning. Gauge Student Prior Knowledge and Readiness Students bring a wide variety of experiences, abilities and interests to any new topic. A thorough understanding of the students’ background knowledge and understanding helps teachers design instruction to address misconceptions and to take advantage of relevant experiences. Examples from Intel: Examining student work, graphic organizers, KWL charts, think-pair-share, brainstorming Encourage Self-Direction and Collaboration The ultimate goal of education is to produce students who can learn on their own. This is especially critical in the 21st century, a time of rapid technological change, when skills must be constantly learned and re-learned. Self-directed learners are efficient at planning and following through without prompting. They know how to identify and use a wide variety of resources and tools. They take appropriate risks and learn from their mistakes. The literature shows that classrooms promoting self-directed learning develop students who are curious and willing to try new things (Garrison, 1997), view problems as challenges, desire change and enjoy learning (Taylor, 1995). Taylor also found students in these environments to be motivated and persistent, independent, self-disciplined, self-confident and goal-oriented. All of these characteristics support the 21st century skills that students must acquire to be successful in their future endeavors.

Examples from Intel: project plans, self-assessment and reflection, peer feedback, observation of groups Provide Diagnostic Feedback to Teacher and Student Assessment can provide information about more than a students’ knowledge or performance at the end of a unit.

When students receive frequent information about their progress, however, they focus more on learning. They know exactly how they will be assessed since the assessments reflect authentic work in the discipline. As they move through the subject matter of the unit, they receive information about how they are doing, what goals they are meeting, and what they can do to improve. When the time comes at the end of the unit for them to show what they can do, they have had multiple opportunities to build their understanding and skill, and they are not surprised by the outcome (Intel, Assessment Throughout the Learning Cycle).

Monitor Progress Teachers monitor the progress of their students by collecting information about learning processes and concepts while students are working on projects. By providing


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feedback based on this information, teachers can address misconceptions and other learning problems appropriately. When data collected from assessments that monitor student progress is tied to timely, specific feedback, students can take more control over their learning by addressing specific areas of weakness and affirming areas of understanding and strength. Research shows that when feedback is specific, focusing on features of the task and on the ways that students can improve, all students benefit, but struggling learners benefit the most (Black & William, 1998). Examples from Intel: informal observations and anecdotal notes, learning logs, progress checklists, progress reports, projects meeting and conferences Check for Understanding and Encourage Metacognition Metacognition, or “thinking about thinking,” refers to the mental processes that control and regulate how people think. Metacognition is especially important in project work because students must make decisions about what strategies to use and how to use them. Marzano’s (1998) research of 4,000 different instructional interventions found that those that were most effective in improving student learning were those that focused on how students think about their thinking processes and on how students feel about themselves as learners. Examples from Intel: written journals, video and photo journals, structured interviews and observations, informal questioning, and written and oral tests and quizzes Demonstrate Understanding and Skill Use these strategies to assess student understanding and skill at the end of a project:

• Products and performances • Portfolios and student-led conferences

Products are things that students create—these are often referred to as artifacts. Performances are things that students do. Portfolios are the purposeful collection of products and performances over time that exhibit the student's efforts, progress and achievements, while student-led conferences are the means by which students share portfolios, samples of their work and discuss their interests, learning and goals. Examples from Intel: products, performances, portfolios, student-led conferences

Putting into Practice Revisit assessment ideas and resources to expand on the structures in place for assessment in your classroom. Incorporate new methods to see which ones fit your needs and the needs of your students. Ask your eMINTS Instructional Specialist to assist in finding appropriate tools for measuring student needs and learning.


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Resources Edmodo

http://www.edmodo.com/ A website for online back-channel feed or protected chat.

Edutopia. Comprehensive Assessment: A New York City Success Story. http://www.edutopia.org/stw-assessment-school-of-the-future-video

TodaysMeet

http://todaysmeet.com/ A website for online back-channel feed.

YouTube. Education: “The Times Are A Changing.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuyrP_HhWEg&feature=related

21st Century Skills. Assessment and Teaching of 21st Century Skills

http://atc21s.org/ Center for Public Education. The 21st Century Job (21st Century Skills).

http://www.centerforpubliceducation.org/Main-Menu/Policies/21st-Century/The-21st-century-job-21st-century-skills-.html

Hart Research Associates. (2010). Raising the Bar: Employers’ Views on College Learning in the Wake of the Economic Downturn.

http://www.aacu.org/leap/documents/2009_EmployerSurvey.pdf Partnership for 21st Century Skills. A Framework for 21st Century Learning.

http://www.p21.org/ Partnership for 21st Century Skills. P21 Framework Definitions.

http://www.p21.org/storage/documents/P21_Framework_Definitions.pdf Partnership for 21st Century Skills. Route 21. Snapshots.

http://route21.p21.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=92&Itemid=163

Partnership for 21st Century Skills. Tools and Resources. Why 21st Century Skills?

http://www.p21.org/our-work/resources/for-educators#whyskills Intel Assessment Resources Intel Corporation. Assessing Projects: Using Assessment to Improve Teaching and Learning. Assessment Plans.

http://www.intel.com.au/content/www/au/en/education/k12/assessing-projects/assessment-plans.html

Intel Corporation. Assessing Projects: Using Assessment to Improve Teaching and Learning. Assessment Strategies.


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http://www.intel.com.au/content/www/au/en/education/k12/assessing-projects/strategies.html

Intel Corporation. Assessing Projects: Using Assessment to Improve Teaching and Learning. Assessing Thinking.

http://www.intel.com.au/content/www/au/en/education/k12/assessing-projects/overview-and-benefits/assessing-thinking.html

Intel Corporation. Assessing Projects: Using Assessment to Improve Teaching and Learning. Purposes of Assessment.

http://www.intel.com.au/content/www/au/en/education/k12/assessing-projects/overview-and-benefits/purposes.html

Intel Corporation. Assessing Projects: Using Assessment to Improve Teaching and Learning. Try It.

http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/education/k12/assessing-projects/try-it.html

Additional Assessment Resources Advanced Learning Technologies Center for Research on Learning. QuizStar. University of Kansas.

http://quizstar.4teachers.org/ Advanced Learning Technologies Center for Research on Learning. RubiStar. University of Kansas.

http://rubistar.4teachers.org/ Baltimore County Public Schools. Elementary Assessment Tools.

http://www.bcps.org/offices/lis/models/tips/assess-elem.html Foundation for Critical Thinking. Structures for Student Self-Assessment. The Critical Thinking Community.

http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/structures-for-student-self-assessment/458

Half-Baked Software, Inc. Hot Potatoes.

http://hotpot.uvic.ca/ International Reading Association. Strategy Guide. Promoting Student Self-Assessment. Read Write Think.

http://www.readwritethink.org/professional-development/strategy-guides/promoting-student-self-assessment-30102.html

National Capital Language Resource Center. Assessing Learning: Peer and Self-Assessment. The Essentials of Language Teaching.

http://www.nclrc.org/essentials/assessing/peereval.htm Pearson Education. Rubrics Library for Teachers. TeacherVision.

http://www.teachervision.fen.com/rubrics/assessment/26773.html?detoured=1


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Rolheiser, C., & Ross, J. A. Student Self-Evaluation: What Research Says and What Practice Shows.

http://www.cdl.org/resource-library/articles/self_eval.php/ Schrock, K. Assessment and Rubrics. Kathy Schrock’s Guide to Everything.

http://www.schrockguide.net/assessment-and-rubrics.html University of Missouri. Teaching Tips: Writing Assessment Tools. eThemes.

http://ethemes.missouri.edu/themes/1747

References Anderson, L. W., & Krathwohl, D. R. (Eds.). Airasian, P. W., Cruikshank, K. A., Mayer, R. E., Pintrich, P. R., Raths, J., & Wittrock, M. C. (2001). A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and Assessing: A Revision of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives (Complete ed.). New York: Longman. Assessment & Teaching of 21st Century Skills. What Are 21st Century Skills? http://atc21s.org/index.php/about/what-are-21st-century-skills/ Black, P., Harrison, C., Lee, C., Marshall, B., & William, D. (2003). Assessment for Learning: Putting it into Practice. New York: Open University Press (McGraw-Hill International). Black, P., & William, D. (1998). Inside the Black Box: Raising Standards Through Classroom Assessment.

http://blog.discoveryeducation.com/assessment/files/2009/02/blackbox_article.pdf

Boland, R. Researchers Work out How Much Information Is In the World, There’s alot! Connected Internet.

http://www.connectedinternet.co.uk/2011/02/18/researchers-work-information-world-alot/

Center for Public Education. Putting it All Together.

http://www.centerforpubliceducation.org/Main-Menu/Policies/21st-Century/The-21st-century-job-21st-century-skills-.html

Common Core State Standards Initiative. http://www.corestandards.org/

Common Core State Standards Initiative. Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects. http://www.corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_ELA%20Standards.pdf Common Core State Standards Initiative. English Language Arts Standards.

http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy Common Core State Standards Initiative. Standards for Mathematical Practice—Make Sense of Problems and Persevere in Solving Them.

http://www.corestandards.org/Math/Practice/MP1


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Garrison, D. R. (1997, Fall). Self-directed Learning: Toward a Comprehensive Model. Adult Education Quarterly, 48(1), 18. Intel Corporation. Successful Assessment.

http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/education/k12/assessing-projects/overview-and-benefits/successful.html

Intel Corporation. Assessing Projects: Overview and Benefits. Successful Assessment.

http://educate.intel.com/en/AssessingProjects/OverviewAndBenefits/SuccessfulAssessment/

Intel Corporation. Assessment Throughout the Learning Cycle.

http://www.intel.com/content/dam/www/program/education/us/en/documents/assessing-projects/overview-and-benefits/assessment-throughout-learning-cycle.pdf

Intel Corporation. Evidence of Impact: 21st Century Skills. http://download.intel.com/education/EvidenceOfImpact/21stCenturySkills.pdf International Society for Technology in Education. NETS-S: Advancing Digital Age Learning.

http://www.iste.org/docs/pdfs/nets-s-standards.pdf?sfvrsn=2 Iowa State University. Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching. A Model of Learning Objectives Based on a Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching and Assessing: A Revision of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. http://www.celt.iastate.edu/teaching/RevisedBlooms1.html Marzano, R. J. (1998). A Theory-Based Meta-Analysis of Research on Instruction. Aurora, CO: Mid-Continent Regional Educational Laboratory.

http://www.peecworks.org/PEEC/PEEC_Research/I01795EFA.2/Marzano%20Instruction%20Meta_An.pdf McMillan, J. H. (2000). Fundamental Assessment Principles for Teachers and School Administrators. Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation, 7(8).

http://PAREonline.net/getvn.asp?v=7&n=8

Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Missouri Core Academic Standards.

http://dese.mo.gov/divimprove/curriculum/Common_Core.html NAFSA. (2003). Strategic Task Force on Education Abroad. Securing America’s Future: Global Education for a Global Age.

http://www.nafsa.org/uploadedFiles/NAFSA_Home/Resource_Library_Assets/Public_Policy/securing_america_s_future.pdf?n=3894 NAFSA has more than 8,700 members representing 50 states and 80 countries. Members share a belief that international education advances learning and scholarship, builds respect among different people and enhances constructive leadership in a global community.

Partnership for 21st Century Skills. A Framework for 21st Century Learning.


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http://www.p21.org/

Taylor, B. (1995). Self-Directed Learning: Revisiting an Idea Most Appropriate for Middle School Students. Retrieved from ERIC database. (ED395287).

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