Developing Evaluation Instruments
chapter 11
Have you ever taken a test and wondered what course the instructor was teaching? Most of us have taken tests that were either easy or difficult. We have also taken tests that measured what we had learned and we have taken some tests that did not seem related to what we studied or what we learned. Assessing student learning does not have to be a difficult task, but it is one that requires careful planning. We must give thought to not only what we are measuring, but how we are measuring the learning. In this chapter we will examine various ways of assessing student learning.
A test or other assessment process must accurately and fairly measure the behavior stated in the objective. Thus, our starting point for developing assessments is our objectives. The objective's verb will provide us with some ideas for testing. For example, if the verb is "identify" then we might expect to include a picture of an object such as a cell and have the student identify the components. If the objective has the verb "operate" or "demonstrate" we would expect the student to perform a task rather than listing the steps. This first reading explores the different types of assessments for cognitive objectives. As you read this section, consider the following questions.
- What are the differences between objective tests and constructed response tests?
- What types of items are best suited for recall of knowledge and what types are best suited for assessing higher-level skills?
Read pages 268 to 282.
In week 5, you developed a number of objectives. Select at least 5 knowledge (cognitive domain) objectives and develop a test item that accurately assesses each objective. Try to use a variety of items.
Select your "best" test item and post the objective and test item in the discussion board for this exercise. Next, select an objective posted by another student and write a test item using a different type of test item to assess the objective. Post on the discussion board your alternative assessment with their test item. Review any new test items other students have proposed for your objectives. Is their approach better than yours?
Testing skills and behaviors requires a different approach to designing the assessment. Imagine yourself as a driver education instructor and you are testing the students' ability to parallel park. The first student has a perfect execution of each and every step that you taught. However, the car is at an awkward angle to the curb and over 2 feet away from the curb. The second student burns rubber and wildly maneuvers the car into perfect position, but failed to follow any of the steps you taught for parallel parking. What grade do you give student A and student B? It depends on what you are testing. If you are concerned only with the process of parking, you would give the first student an A. If you are only concerned with the final product, you would give the second student an A. Again, your objectives will provide guidance for developing your assessments.
Consider the following questions as you read this section.
- What are the implications for assessing either a process or a product?
- What constraints or limitations should you impose on the testing situation?
- How can you rate student performance?
Read pages 283 to 297.
Select or write an objective that requires a student to complete a procedure (e.g., calculate the paint required to paint a room) and one that requires the student demonstrate a skill (e.g., paint a room) that are relevant to your teaching area. Using the reading as a guide, write a brief description of the two best ways you could assess student performance on each objective. Post your descriptions on the discussion board for this exercise.
Review the descriptions others have written. Did anyone suggest alternative approaches that you think might be better for one of your objectives? Did you find any approaches that you believe are inappropriate? Which assessment method do you prefer for assessing skills? In the discussion board post a brief summary of what you believe is the most appropriate for your objectives.
Assessing attitudes is the most difficult type of assessment we will discuss. It is relatively easy to develop a multiple-choice test for knowledge or to develop a checklist for a skill. Attitudes, however, are not as easily observed or measured. Attitudes are inner feelings that students may not express or demonstrate as readily as knowledge or a skill. As you read this next section, consider the following questions.
- What are the two uses of attitude assessment?
- What methods can we use to assess affective objectives?
- What are the strengths and weaknesses of each method?
Read pages 297 to 305.
Exercise 3
Describe an affective outcome that you might include as part of your instruction. Develop two open-ended and closed-ended items to assess the outcome. Develop a rating scale and an interview guide to assess the outcome (see page 302). Discuss which assessment method or methods you think are most appropriate for the task. Post you work to the discussion board for this exercise.
Next, review the work of others and try to determine which assessment method might be the most effective for each outcome. Can you develop a set of guidelines for other teachers that describe which method might be most appropriate for a type of outcome? Post your ideas on the discussion board.
Final Project
This week, you should develop assessment methods for each of your objectives. You might use a number of methods including test items and rating scales. Make sure that your assessment accurately assesses the behavior (i.e., verb) described in the objective.
As you develop your assessment, you should also review your objectives. You might find that you need to revise your objectives in light of your task analysis, strategies, and assessments. For example, you might find that you wrote your objective requiring memorization, but now find that an application level objective is more appropriate.