ASSESSMENT

M.Sc. Maria Cecilia Espinoza

 “Assessment is at the heart of student experience” Brown and Knight (1994)

“If you want to change student learning then change the method of assessment”
Brown, Bull & Pendlebury (1997)

“Assessment is the engine which drives student learning” (Cowan, 2005)

“Students learn what they think they’ll be assessed on, not what’s in the curriculum.
The trick is, then, to make sure the assessment tasks mirror what you intended them
to learn” Biggs, 2002, page 6
 What happens
What we want

Students who learn They only learn/ revise

throughout the year right before exams

Students who pay attention They try to find out what will
to the entire curriculum be on the exam and focus
on that
Students who take They don’t
feedback on board and use
it to learn
Students who understand They memorize facts
and engage with the
material
The word “assess”
Comes from the Latin verb
“assidere” meaning “to sit with”.
In assessment, one should sit with
the learner. This implies it is
something we do “with” and “for”
students, and not “to” students.
(Green, 1998)
Assessment vs evaluation
A simplified logic model

Improved
Better evidence
instructional
of student
decision
achievement
making
Improved
Increased peer
student
support
achievement

Increased
student
engagement

6
 Exercise:
Evaluating assessment methods - Are they fit for
purpose?

Task 1: Discuss in groups

What assessment methods do you use?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of these methods?

What are the qualities of good assessment?
 Good assessment and feedback practices
should:

1. Help clarify what good

performance is (goals, criteria,
standards). 5. Facilitate the development of
self-assessment and reflection in
2. Deliver high quality feedback learning.
information that helps learners
self-correct. 6. Support the development of learning
communities
3. Encourage positive motivational
beliefs and self-esteem. 7. Help teachers adapt teaching to
student needs.
4. Encourage interaction and
dialogue around learning (peer
and teacher student).

Nicol, D. (2007) ‘Principles of good

assessment and feedback: Theory and
practice’, Assessment design for
9 learner responsibility 29-31 May 07
How can
we
address
this?

Exam = The Silent Killer of Learning?

Students study for exam, not study for learning
10
Characteristics of authentic assessment

Ask students to perform, create,

produce or do something

Use tasks that represent

meaningful instructional activities

Tap higher-level thinking and

problem-solving skills

Invoke real-world applications

(Herman, Aschbacher and Winters, 1992) 11
 Authentic and sustainable
assessment: focuses on
assessment tasks that have
applicability to the world outside
the classroom and that foster
autonomous learning
 Foster metacognitive skills &
focus on deep, sustainable,
authentic learning (Kearney &
Perkins, 2011); provide
proficiencies and skills required
for job markets
Image source: 2018 iCanProgress
Transforming Assessment

to Enhance Student Transferrable Skills

12
Levels of Learning & Bloom’s Taxonomy

Image from Purdue University, Reflections on Teaching and Learning Webpage:

13 ‐taxonomy ‐of ‐
http://blogs.itap.purdue.edu/learning/2012/05/04/review ‐of ‐idc ‐tools ‐to ‐assess ‐blooms
cognitive‐domain/
 Constructive alignment

Establish
them first
and identify
Ss level of
mastery
Purpose of Assessment

 Assessment for Learning (Formative)

 Assessment of Learning (Summative)
 Assessment as Learning (Metacognitive)
1. Think: Can you think of examples of assessment
 of learning
 for learning
 as learning

2. Pair: Exchange ideas with your partners

3. Share: with the class the most common examples
of each type.
Questions to ask before assessing

 Why am I assessing?

 What do I want my students to know?

 How will I find out if they know it?

 How will I communicate the results of my

assessment?

 Who should be involved?

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