Issue 152: Oct 03, 2011 Connections Newsletter
There Is More Than One Way to Assess Student Learning
Toni Enloe
Oct 24, 2011
How can I collect evidence of student learning beyond the pencil and paper test?
Whether you use the name Alternative Assessment, Performance Assessment, or Authentic Assessment, they all require students to perform real-world or authentic tasks to demonstrate skills and knowledge that cannot be assessed through the traditional multiple choice, true/false, matching pencil and paper test. This type of assessment is typically developed by teachers and linked directly to curriculum standards.
It is not enough to just know something - students must be given an opportunity to apply what they know. Authentic assessments, when well-designed, can provide you with a better picture of how well their students have learned and internalized that new learning.
The National Capital Resource Language Center has identified 6 criteria that help define alternative assessments.
Authentic assessments:
* are built around topics and issues of interest to the students
* replicate real-world situations
* are multi-stage tasks and real world problems
* require students to produce a quality product or performance
* evaluated with rubrics that define criteria and standards for mastery and are shared up front with the students allow for student to self-evaluate and correct as necessary
This type of assessment must be
1. Meaningful - The assessment should have meaning and application that will transfer into the student's life beyond the classroom.
2. Open-Ended - Students should be challenged to use extending thinking strategies to create their own responses to topics or issues. By incorporating an open-ended approach teachers can easily differentiate assignments
3. Realistic - Students can identify "fluff". By making a task authentic for students it addresses the question, "Why do I need to learn this?"
4. Useful outside the classroom - The most informative assessments show us if students know how to solve problems and approach new situations with a critical eye. They provide evidence that students can use what they have learned and not just how well they are able to memorize.
5. Variety - By providing an assortment of ways that students can demonstrate their knowledge and skills, students are often more motivated to complete the task.
6. Interdisciplinary - Authentic assessments should help students make connections across the curriculum.
7. Standard criteria - Scoring rubrics can insure the validity of the assessment when they are based on a given set of consistent expectations and criteria.
Specific skills and objectives - For assessments to be effective they must be based on the Knows, Understand and Dos of the unit.
Advantages of Authentic Assessments
* Provides an alternative way for students who do not test well to demonstrate knowledge, skills and understanding
* Provides students with feedback on performance based on rubrics designed to address a specific set of criteria
* Can assess many standards at the same time
* Encourages teachers to connect instruction instead of teaching skills in isolation
* Provides more challenging work that extends student thinking
* Offers opportunities to differentiate assignments based on student interest and readiness
* Provides more accurate evidence of a student's strengths and weaknesses
* Guides plans for future instruction based on evidence collected
* Allows students to take more ownership in their own learning
* Does not compare students to other students but looks at the growth and improvement of individuals
* Boosts self-confidence through a non-threatening approach
(adapted from 2001 Pieces of Learning)
Examples of Alternative Assessment Methods:
There are many more ways to assess student learning. It is important to keep in mind the purpose (why you are assessing) of the assessment when designing it. If the assessment is to become your Culminating Activity for your unit, make sure that whatever the task, it will require students to answer the unit Essential Question.
For more information on ideas for assessing student learning check out the following LEARNING-FOCUSED solutions:
Planning Units for Learning
Differentiated Assignments
