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Why do you use assessment activities? How do you use assessment activities as a way to generate feedback that can improve learner performance?
Assessments are used to evaluate the students' skils and knowledge. The information gained can then be used to improve performance. Assessments also help us to understand strengths and weakness of both the students and the teacher. It is obvious that assessments show problem areas for a student, but if the assessments show an area that is unanimously low among all or most of the students, the teacher's method of teaching in that area may need to be reevaluated. If assessments are directly related to a specific learning activity, it reflects on the learners' performance of that activity. This can then show which areas need extra attention or help to re-examine the learning methods being used and can improve performance.
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What is e-portfolio? How does it help teachers and students? What are computer-based tests? Does the use of computer-based tests impact validity and reliability?
An e-portfoilio is "a collection of digitized artifacts that may include video clips, graphics, sound, writing samples, artwork, and multimedia presentations" and can show a person's acheivements. One way they help is they can serve as assessments of various abilities the student has learned. They also offer teachers flexibility and have "logisitc advantages. Computer-based tests are tests completed or scored on a computer. I don't think they impact validity or reliability. As long as accurate information is submitted by the teacher, the tests should be accurate as well.
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Conclusion
I thought this chapter was interesting because it reinforced some of what I read when doing my Journal critique. It is important for teachers to be able to accurately evaluate a students knowledge and skills. It is also important to have a way outside of standardized testing to do this. Some students just do not test well and others might just being having a bad day the day of the test. That woul not give an accurate view of their capabiities. With tools like the e-portfolio, it shows learned abilities being put to use. I feel this is a more accurate way of gauging a students aptitude.
Jonassen, David, Howland, Jane, Marra, Rose, and Crismond, David. (2008). Meaningful Learning with Technology. 217-239. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall
I also like the e-portfolio as a form of assessment over a standardized test. The e-portfolio is more of a curriculum-based standard. Rather than everything coming down to one test, the student's entire semester, or year, is taken into account. It shows what they have learned and the work that they have put in. While I do think standardized tests have their place, they should not be the most important part of a student's academic career. That e-portfolio is a much better reflection of the student.
ReplyDeleteI agree that assessment tools are necessary to show the performance of both the student as well as the teacher. If students are not understanding something then assessments show the teacher that a particular student might need tutoring one on one or if the whole class is not getting it then they may need to try another way of teaching. I also agree that standardized tests should not be the only form of assessments used by teachers. Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses and one particualar assessment tool may not be an accurate show of a student's performance.
ReplyDeleteTechnology can be used to improve so many things in the classroom. I always liked the teachers who used mini-assessment tests multiple times throughout my studies. That helps meaningful learning and keeps the information fresh in the mind. I have struggled with memory and I hated math and science courses because I needed to utilize so much memory for formulas and things.
ReplyDeleteIt really wasn't until a fellow student at Eastfield helped me out with algebra that I figured out how I learned; by social interaction.
I think that small bits of assessment testing can greatly improve student's retention of the lesson plan in the classroom. Of course, strategies might need to change from time to time, but utilizing assessment technologies in the classroom can be such a great thing.
I agree that e-portfolios seem to be a better guage of assessment. Students have bad days just like adults. The e-portfolio gives the student the opportunity to develop his/her work over time. He/She also chooses what and how to present artifacts. Eportfolios also allow the teacher to evaluate the students processes and reasoning. These are lost a lot of times in standard testing.
ReplyDeleteI believe what you said about the assessment helping teachers and students are very true. A lot of times a student maybe fully capable of learning what the teacher is trying to teach but the student may have an issue understanding the lesson because of the way the teacher is teaching. Also, I think it is important teachers teach in a style that is custom for the students, instead of how they normally do so.
ReplyDeleteI think you provided a very valid point in regards to the assessment allowing the instructor to evaluate their own lesson. So many times, teachers (or people in general)assume that if another person does not understand what they are trying to explain, then they just don't get it. However, you're point is very true. If many people have a hard time, it might mean there is an opportunity to tweak the lesson to accomodate the learners.
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