Assessment & Critique Flashcards
Define assessment.
The process of gathering measurable information to meet evaluation needs.
Why is an effective assessment an important component in the teaching and learning process?
- It provides the instructor and student with information on how well the student is progressing.
- It provides feedback to the student, including direction and guidance on how to improve performance.
- It contributes to the development of ADM and judgement skills by helping develop the student’s ability to accurately evaluate their own knowledge and performance.
- It helps the instructor see where more emphasis is needed by highlighting the areas in which a student’s performance is incorrect or inadequate.
What are the general characteristics of an effective assessment?
- Objective
- Flexible
- Acceptable
- Comprehensive
- Constructive
- Organized
- Thoughtful
- Specific
Briefly describe the two broad categories of assessment.
- Traditional Assessment - Written testing, such as multiple choice, matching, true/false, or fill-in-the-blank; normally used to judge or evaluate the student’s progress at the rote and understanding levels of learning.
- Authentic Assessment - The student is asked to perform real-world tasks and demonstrate a meaningful application of skills and competencies; requires the student to use critical thinking skills and exhibit in-depth knowledge by generating a solution instead of merely choosing a response.
What is one of the most common forms of assessment used by instructors?
Direct or indirect oral questioning. Questions may be loosely classified as “fact” questions or “HOTS” questions. Answers to fact questions are based on memory or recall and usually concern who, what, when ,and where. HOTS questions involve why or how and require the student to combine knowledge of facts with an ability to analyze situations, solve problems, and arrive at conclusions.
What are the characteristics of effective questions that instructors must consider?
Effective questions:
- Apply to the subject of instruction.
- Are brief and concise, but also clear and definite.
- Are adapted to the ability, experience, and stage of training of the students.
- Center on only one idea.
- Present a challenge to the students.
Effective oral assessment should never include what types of questions?
- Puzzle - questions with many subparts
- Oversize - questions that are too general, covering a wide subject area
- Toss-up - Questions for which there is more than one correct answer
- Bewilderment - questions with unclear content
- Irrelevant - questions that are unrelated to what is being discussed
- Trick - questions that cause students to think they are in a battle of wits with the instructor.
Describe the characteristics of an effective critique.
An effective critique considers good as well as bad performance, the individual parts, relationships of the individual parts, and the overall performance. It may be oral, written, or both, and should come immediately after a student’s performance while the details of the performance are easy to recall.
Name several useful methods for critique of a student’s performance.
- Instructor/Student Critique
- Student-Led Critique
- Small Group Critique
- Individual Student Critique by Another Student
- Self-Critique
- Written Critique
Describe Instructor/Student Critique.
The instructor leads a group discussion in which members of the class are invited to offer criticism of a performance. This method should be careful controlled by the instructor. It must have a clear purpose, be organized, and not be allowed to degenerate into a random free-for-all.
Describe Student-Led Critique
The instructor asks a student to lead the assessment. Because of student inexperience in the lesson area, student-led assessments may not be efficient, but they can generate student interest and learning.
Describe Small Group Critique.
The class is divided into small groups, each assigned a specific area to analyze. Each group presents its findings to the class and the combined reports from the groups result in a comprehensive assessment.
Describe Individual Critique by Another Student.
The instructor may require another student to present the entire assessment. Discussion of the performance and of the assessment can often allow the group to accept more ownership of the ideas expressed.
Describe Self-Critique.
A student critiques their personal performance. A self-critique must be controlled and supervised by the instructor.
Describe Written Critique.
This method has three advantages. First, the instructor can devote more time and thought to it than to an oral assessment. Second, students can keep written assessments and refer to them whenever they wish. Third, the student has a permanent record of all suggestions, recommendations, and opinions.
