Define Assessment of Learning
Assessment is defined as the process of observing and measuring learning. In order to improve student learning, teachers evaluate students' achievement levels. While many people still think of assessment as a multiple-choice test, in reality, assessments are accomplished in a number of ways.
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Assessing to Meet Benchmarks
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Standards are set by every state for each grade level as goals for achievement. Students are assessed to see if they are performing at grade level. For example, in language arts, upper elementary students should be skilled in using reference materials such as a dictionary and thesaurus, and they should be able to identify cause and effect and propaganda techniques. By using assessments to evaluate skill levels, teachers can identify those who need additional help in achieving grade-level goals.
Authentic Assessments
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Authentic assessments in the classroom resemble tasks a student might encounter in the real world. Working on an authentic assessment task is an engaging learning activity that motivates the student to complete the assignment. An example of an authentic assessment for reading might be to ask students questions based on reading a newspaper. For authentic assessments, the teacher takes the thinking process the student uses into consideration.
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Standardized Tests
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Standardized tests are typically a multiple-choice format in which all students answer the same questions. There is usually only one correct answer to the question. This type of testing is only one of the assessment tools used in today's classroom. The problem with standardized tests is that they reward a student's ability to answer a question quickly without any in-depth thought or creativity. Standardized tests have been criticized for not taking minority students' cultural background into consideration and because they do not reflect accurately what is now known about how people learn.
Performance Assessments
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Another form of assessment in common use today is the performance assessment. For this type of assessment, students are asked to apply their skills. Students are typically presented with a scoring rubric or matrix ahead of time, so they understand how they are being graded. Performance assessments have the added bonus of allowing students to work in cooperative groups, with each member contributing based on individual interests or skills. For example, after reading a short story by Edgar Allan Poe in class, groups might be assigned to research the author, read another of his stories and compare it to the first one, dramatize a scene from the story and create a visual aid for a presentation. Group members may be allowed to select the contributions they would like to make to the project.
Portfolio Assessments
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Portfolio assessments are increasingly used in the classroom. There is a lot of leeway in what is kept in the portfolio, but it should present an assessment of student progress over time. For a language arts class, students may choose to include essays, creative poems, lists of books read and photographs of presentations. An important part of portfolios is the self-assessment aspect, in which students review the portfolio and explain their achievements to date and set goals for future learning. Portfolios are also useful for parent conferences to demonstrate student achievement.
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References
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