Alternative Assessment Methods

2.2 The strengths and limitations of a range of assessment methods in relation to the individual learner needs:

Questioning is a method of testing knowledge by asking the learner a series of questions related to the performance criteria. It is important that the assessor plans the questions beforehand, ensuring that open questions are used, and identifies the means of recording them, whether it be written; voice recorded or videoed. Questioning can be a very useful assessment method used alongside other methods. With observation, in particular, ‘what if’ questions can be used for evidence that might be hard to obtain, for example.

Haydn (2009 cited in Capel et al 2009 page 329) defines assessment as "all those activities which are undertaken by teachers, and others, to measure the effectiveness of teaching and learning".

Initially in this assignment, I intend to describe and evaluate two different assessment methods, which I use to assess the progress of my learners.

The reliability of an assessment in a perfect situation should produce the same results if marked by another tutor or if that examiner unknowingly receives the same paper again. If different marks are given the assessment is consequently unreliable and proves that this assessment is subjective.

As a multicultural educator, I believe that students have different learning styles and needs as a result of their diverse backgrounds. In order to develop an effective student centered educational program, we need an equally effective assessment program. As a strong supporter of balanced approach and learner centered design models, I encourage my teachers to use alternate and informal assessment approaches along with standardized tests in developing their assessments. Standardized tests given by state will primarily help in ranking schools and students. Furthermore, the standardized test results cannot be used by the student’s teacher as it takes two to three months before

This vastly researched and thriving subfield of psychology is concerned with basic methods used to identify similarities and differences among individual’s personal characteristics and capacities. Assessment involves more than mere administration of tests i.e.: collection and integration of information attained from various sources like interviews, behavioural observations, reports, psychological tests and historical documents in order to attain a complete picture of a person’s state.

Assessment is an imperative part of the learning process. According to Stiggins and Chappuis (2012), “Assessment is, in part, the process of gathering evidence of student learning to inform instructional decisions. This process can be done well or poorly.” To learn more about assessment I sat down for a one on one interview with Jim Libretti. Coach Libretti is the head coach of the freshman football team at Paradise Valley High School. Also, he is a math teacher.

An ongoing issue in the classroom that has gotten a lot of attention in the past couple of years is the cultural bias in standardized testing. On the surface, there are many issues with standardized testing; it stifles creativity, causes teachers to teach to the test, ignores the needs of individual students, and creates stress and anxiety for students. Going beyond this, these tests are unavoidably biased by social-class, ethnic, gender and other cultural differences. First off, students have many different experiences outside of the classroom and their educational potential is largely influenced by these experiences and circumstances. By conducting single test measurements in a uniform, high-stakes method, the educational system is jeopardizing

In the society of today, there are various educators who believe in assessment as proper method to measure the performance of a child in school as well as the overall achievement of a specific school system. The assessment may be presented in the form of verbal, written, or multiple choice, and it usually pertains to certain academic subjects in the school curriculum. Recently, many educators began to issue standardized tests to measure the intelligence of a common student body. (Rudner, 1989) These standardized tests were initially created to reveal the success in institutional school programs, and exhibit the abilities of students today. The standardized tests can reveal the strengths and weaknesses

Randy May works for a small airline based on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts. He recently won two million in the New England Lottery and decided to invest his winnings, ultimately, in a chain of ice cream shops in the Cape Cod area to gain potential future earnings. Figuring he had enough money to open up ice cream shops in both islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, as well as two shops in Falmouth and Buzzards Bay, he signed a contract with a local builder and began construction of the shops. After beginning the process of construction, he was faced with the next task of hiring employees to staff the four ice cream shops. Throughout his calculations, he estimated

As an educator it is very important that a teacher uses different methods to teach the variety of different learning styles, and it is also important that the teacher uses a variety of assessment procedures. People don’t learn the same, and people don’t test the same either. I personally, am horrible when it comes to taking multiple choice and problem solving type assessments. I do better with essay and writing assessments, presentations, and teaching back what I have learned. With the understanding of how I can best be assessed myself, it will be important when I am the teacher that I use many methods to assess and grade my students work.

Evidence needs to be authentic and actually related to the performance of the learner being assessed and not that of another learner instead.

Informal assessment allows students to demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways which can benefit all students. It can include group or individual projects, presentations, essays, experiments, or demonstrations. Each of these can allow for “knowledge that transfers from one situation to another [which] is based on students’ abilities to understand central principles, see connections and make distinctions, and be strategic in attacking problems and analyzing information” (Darling-Hammond, p. 285). A variety of assessment methods allow for this to happen and for students to use their personal strengths to demonstrate understanding of the information. “Research into students’ preferences for alternative assessments shows that the assessments that have been positively evaluated by students were more authentic and thus made learning more realistic and powerful” (as cited in Brown, Irving, Peterson, and Hirschfeld, 2009, p. 99). Students should be able to think creatively and take hold of their own education and learning because they must ideally be prepared for a rapidly changing society where they must be able to adapt and formulate their own solutions. Teachers are able to provide feedback to the children so they know what was done effectively and what needs to be modified. Rather than teachers pressuring students to show understanding through a single examination, they will have opportunities to confidently demonstrate knowledge with less

Individuals should have an easy time completing this assessment. The format should prevent any inaccuracy in responses. The questions are written at a sixth-grade level. This could cause a problem for some individuals who can’t