Principles of High Quality Assessments I Clear Learning Targets and Appropriate Assessment Methods

Summary

This video introduces the principles of high-quality assessments, highlighting their importance in enhancing student achievement. It covers two key principles: clarity of learning targets and appropriate assessment methods. The video outlines different types of learning targets—knowledge, reasoning, skills, product, and affective—and provides guidelines on how to match them with suitable assessment methods. Categories such as selected response, constructed response, performance tasks, teacher observations, and student self-reports are discussed to ensure assessments are valid, accurate, and reflective of student understanding. Practical examples and tips are also offered for effective implementation.

Takeaways

• 📚 Principles of high-quality assessments ensure tests are useful, appropriate, and effective for evaluating student achievement.
• 🎯 Principle #1: Clarity of learning targets helps teachers clearly state what students should know and be able to do by the end of a lesson.
• 🔠 The ABCD framework for writing learning objectives includes: Audience, Behavior, Condition, and Degree of mastery.
• 🧠 Learning targets include five categories: knowledge, reasoning, skills, product, and affective traits.
• 📝 Principle #2: Appropriate assessment methods are crucial to ensure the validity of assessments, based on lesson objectives.
• ✔️ Selected response formats, like multiple choice and true/false, are useful for quickly assessing knowledge.
• ✍️ Constructed response formats (e.g., essays, short answers) target higher levels of cognition and require students to create responses.
• 🎭 Performance tasks require students to perform tasks or create products, offering authentic assessments of knowledge and skills.
• 👀 Teacher observations and student self-assessments provide insights into behavior and self-reflection, supporting formative feedback.
• 📊 The appropriate assessment method must align with the learning target type, whether it's knowledge, skills, reasoning, product, or affective traits.

Q & A

What are the principles of high-quality assessments, and why are they important?

The principles of high-quality assessments serve as guidelines to ensure that assessments are useful, appropriate, effective, and feasible. They are important because assessments determine student accomplishments and help educators optimize assessment strategies to boost student achievement.

What is the first principle of high-quality assessments mentioned in the video?

The first principle is 'Clarity of Learning Targets.' Learning targets must clearly state what students should know and be able to do by the end of the lesson. This clarity is essential for creating effective assessment tools.

What are the five categories of learning targets according to Stigens and Conklins (1992)?

The five categories are: 1) Knowledge learning targets, 2) Reasoning learning targets, 3) Skills learning targets, 4) Product learning targets, and 5) Affective learning targets.

Why is it important to clearly state learning targets in the SMART format and use the ABCD method?

Stating learning targets clearly in the SMART format and using the ABCD method ensures that objectives are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. This clarity helps teachers align their assessments with the desired learning outcomes and evaluate student performance effectively.

What is the second principle of high-quality assessments?

The second principle is 'Appropriate Assessment Methods.' These methods involve strategies, techniques, and tools used to collect information about how well students meet learning outcomes. The methods must align with the learning objectives to ensure assessment validity.

What are the four categories of assessment methods identified by Macmillan (2007)?

The four categories of assessment methods are: 1) Selected response, 2) Constructed response, 3) Performance tasks, and 4) Teacher observation and student self-reports.

What is the difference between selected response and constructed response formats?

Selected response formats involve students choosing an answer from given options, such as multiple-choice or true/false questions. Constructed response formats require students to generate their own answers, such as short answers, essays, or oral responses.

What are performance tasks, and why are they significant in assessments?

Performance tasks require students to perform a task, create a product, or both. They are significant because they provide a more valid measure of students' knowledge and skills by allowing them to demonstrate their abilities in real-world contexts.

How does teacher observation contribute to the assessment process?

Teacher observation involves recording the frequency of student behaviors and activities during learning. This method helps teachers assess student engagement, plan appropriate interventions, and evaluate teaching effectiveness, although it may not heavily influence final grades.

What are the benefits of student self-reports in assessments?

Student self-reports allow students to reflect on and evaluate their own performance, tracking their progress against assessment criteria. This process encourages self-awareness and responsibility for their learning, providing insight into their understanding from their own perspective.