Assessment Issues
Jeffrey Oescher
Quality Assessments
Knowledge of … learning targets, assessment methods, and specific guidelines for writing
specific assessments. Let’s briefly look at each of these
Learning Targets
Master factual and procedural knowledge
Use knowledge to reason and solve problems
Demonstrate mastery of specific skills
Create quality products Acquire positive affect/dispositions
Learning Targets
Knowledge Name at least two influences on the
culture of New Orleans Give two examples of how location
has affected the history of New Orleans.
Learning Targets
Reasoning Compare the way of life of the early
settlers of New Orleans to your own. What would New Orleans be like if it
was not located on the Mississippi River?
Learning Targets
Skills Use the scale provided on the map to
measure the distance from New Orleans to Baton Rouge.
Work effectively as a group to identify the critical issues facing New Orleans in the next several years.
Learning Targets
Products Create a crossword puzzle. Create a collage that depicts some
aspect of New Orleans’ heritage. Design a study to investigate the use
of data driven decision making in a school.
Learning Targets
Affective characteristics Demonstrate respect toward yourself
and others. Develop a positive self-concept. Develop a positive attitude toward
history
Learning Targets
Classify each of the student tasks on the following slide relative to the type of learning target
Write your responses on a scrap piece of paper
Learning Targets
List and define five types of achievement targets. Explain each of the five types of outcomes in terms of real
examples of targets you might address in your classes. Identify the learning targets upon which you might focus in a
class and assess them relative to the five types discussed today.
Statistically analyze the items on a test you have given. Revise your test items based on these analyses.
Write appropriate learning objectives for specific targets. Recall or knowledge level outcomes are often regarded as
“less important” or “less challenging.” Are some kinds of reasoning more important than others?
Heated debates continue about the kinds of outcomes our schools should help students attain. Opposing camps often include conservative and liberal political factions, religious communities, or business leaders. In your opinion, are these volatile exchanges of values good or bad for schools and students?
(Knowledge, Reasoning, Skills, Products, Affective Traits)
Assessment Methods
Selected response and short answer
Essay Performance assessment Personal/oral communication
Assessment Methods
Selected response All of the objectively scored paper-
and-pencil test formats Multiple choice True/false Matching Fill-in-the-blank
Assessment Methods Essays
An exercise in which the respondent is provided a prompt which calls for the preparation of an extended written answer
Describe how the concepts of evaporation and condensation come into play in the context of the water cycle. Be sure to include all the key elements of the cycle and discuss how they relate to one another.
Using what you know about the causes of air pollution in cities, propose two potentially useful solutions. Analyze each in terms of its strengths and weaknesses.
Assessment Methods
Performance Assessments An exercise in which the respondent actually
carries out a specified activity under the scrutiny of an evaluator who makes judgments based either on observations of the process and/or on the product created
Processes A musical recital A speech A hundred meter dash A science experiment
Products A drawing A term paper A prepared dish
Assessment Methods
Personal communication Formal and informal discussion with
students about their achievement Informal
Questions posed and answered during instruction Discussions during class Conversations
Formal Interviews Conferences Oral examinations
Target – Method Match
There is a need to match learning targets with assessment methods
Complete Table 1 on the following slide Place a ‘X’ for an appropriate match
between target and method Place a ‘?’ for a possible match Place a ‘O’ for an inappropriate
match
Target – Method Match
Target
Method
Selected Response Essay Performance
Assessment
Personal Communicatio
n
Knowledge
Reasoning
Skills
Products
Affect
Target Method Match
Using the table on Slide 17, place an ‘X’ in each cell where you feel the target and method are matched.
Target – Method Match
Target
Method
Selected Response Essay Performance
Assessment
Personal Communicatio
n
KnowledgeX X O
ReasoningO X X X
SkillsX X
ProductsO X
AffectX O O X
Reflection
What questions do you have about … achievement targets, assessment methods, or the match between targets and
methods?
Learning Objectives
Making your assessment targets clear to students
Learning Objectives
Clearly defining cognitive targets Learning objectives
Content Cognitive processing of this content
Bloom’s Taxonomy of the Cognitive Domain
Stiggins’ Knowledge and Reasoning Targets
Other taxonomies
Learning Objectives
Examples List the parts of a cell and describe the
structures included in each. Identify the literary devices authors use to
convey their characters’ feelings to the reader.
Across the stories we have read this semester, describe the general approach that the main characters have used to resolve their problems.
Learning Objectives
Examples Illustrate the similarity between addition
and subtraction. Categorize examples of researchable and
non-researchable research problems. Speculate on the long term impact of the BP
oil spill on Louisiana’s economy. Argue for the case that a particular golfer is
the greatest of all time.
Learning Objectives
Becoming clear – crystal clear
Test blueprints
Selected Response Items Write a multiple choice item for
each of the following learning objectives Identify four (4) sources of
information used to make decisions in education.1.1
Differentiate researchable problems from non-researchable problems.3.0
Evaluate the use of a norm-referenced or criterion-referenced test for specific purposes.3.5
Selected Response Items
Guidelines for writing selected response items General guidelines for all formats
Items are clearly written and focused A question is posed The lowest possible reading level is
used Irrelevant clues are eliminated Items have been reviewed by a
colleague The scoring key has been checked
Selected Response Items
Guidelines (continued) Multiple choice items
The item stem poses a direct question Any repetition is eliminated from the
response Only one best or correct answer is
provided The response options are brief and
parallel The number of response options offered
fits the item context
Selected Response Items
Guidelines (continued) True/False items
The statement is definitely true or false Fill-in items
A direct question is posed One blank is needed to respond The length of the blank is not a clue to
the answer
Selected Response Items
Guidelines (continued) Matching exercises
Clear directions on how to match are provided
The list of items to be matched is brief Any lists consist of homogeneous entries The response options are brief and
parallel Extra response options are offered
Selected Response Items
Critiquing your items Review the guidelines for writing selected
response items Take the practice exercise at the end of
this handout Identify any problems with your selected
response items Correct these problems
Statistically analyzing test items Let’s go here - briefly
What Is Next? Essay items
Specifying appropriate targets Writing, scoring and grading
Performance assessments Specifying appropriate targets Developing scoring criteria and scales
Affective scales Valued affective traits Measurement scales Scoring and score interpretation