TED TALK - Providing Students with Multiple Assessment Formats

Summary

The script discusses the complexities of offering students choice in their education, particularly in assessment formats. It explores the benefits of choice, including increased motivation, creativity, and the development of higher-order thinking skills, while also addressing concerns about students staying within their comfort zones. The script highlights strategies for balancing student choice with academic challenge, such as diversifying assessment formats and using reflection to encourage risk-taking. Real-life examples, including a Kindergarten classroom, demonstrate how even young students can benefit from having choices in their learning and creative expression.

Takeaways

• 😀 Providing students with choice in both content and assessment formats can increase motivation and creativity in their learning.
• 😀 While offering choice, it's important to balance it with opportunities for students to stretch beyond their comfort zones and try new learning styles.
• 😀 Allowing students to choose how they demonstrate learning can activate higher-order thinking skills, such as synthesis and evaluation, on Bloom's taxonomy.
• 😀 Choice can serve as a tool for differentiation, helping students show their understanding in ways that suit their learning styles, such as through music or art.
• 😀 By offering diverse assessment formats, students can engage in projects that reflect their strengths and areas of interest, leading to more personalized learning experiences.
• 😀 Students can develop important 21st-century skills, such as collaboration and innovation, through assignments that involve choice and the use of technology.
• 😀 It's crucial for teachers to carefully design assignments that maintain equal rigor, even though the formats may vary.
• 😀 To prevent students from opting for easy choices, teachers can restrict the use of certain formats, encouraging them to challenge themselves with different modes of presentation.
• 😀 Focusing on the process rather than just the outcome can encourage students to take risks and track their progress through challenging tasks.
• 😀 Collaboratively developing assessment criteria with students ensures that assessments are fair, flexible, and aligned with the learning objectives.
• 😀 In younger classrooms, such as kindergarten, providing choice can still be effective in helping students make decisions, even within structured activities like crafts or games.

Q & A

What is the main concern when allowing students to choose how they demonstrate their learning?

The main concern is that students might stay within their comfort zones and choose assessment formats they are familiar with, potentially avoiding challenges that could help them grow in areas where they are less confident.

How can teachers encourage students to step outside their comfort zones when given the choice in assessments?

Teachers can encourage students to step outside their comfort zones by limiting the frequency with which they can choose the same type of assessment, and by offering a variety of options that balance familiar and more challenging formats.

What are some benefits of providing students with choice in assessments?

Providing students with choice increases motivation, fosters creativity, and encourages higher-order thinking. It also allows students to demonstrate their understanding in ways that align with their strengths and learning styles, while enhancing engagement.

How can offering choice support differentiated learning?

Offering choice allows students to engage with material in ways that cater to their learning styles, such as allowing a musical learner to create a song or a visual learner to make a poster, while also accommodating different proficiency levels.

What is the role of Bloom's Taxonomy in offering students choice?

Bloom's Taxonomy plays a crucial role by encouraging students to engage in higher-order thinking. Instead of simply recalling or summarizing information, students can synthesize, evaluate, and adapt concepts through various assessment formats.

Why is collaboration important when developing assessment criteria with students?

Collaborating with students to develop assessment criteria empowers them to take ownership of their learning. It also ensures that the criteria are meaningful and relevant, while allowing students to better understand how their work will be evaluated.

How can teachers balance structure with choice in the classroom?

Teachers can balance structure and choice by providing a set of options that align with learning objectives, while ensuring that all options are rigorous and meet the course requirements. This provides students with autonomy without compromising educational goals.

What are the challenges of allowing choice in assessment formats?

Challenges include ensuring that all choice options are equally rigorous and meet the same learning objectives, as well as the additional effort required to develop diverse assessment rubrics and provide tailored feedback for different formats.

How can teachers track student progress when offering multiple assessment formats?

Teachers can track student progress by providing structured reflection opportunities where students analyze their choices and the process they followed. This can also include periodic feedback and revisions based on teacher support during the assessment process.

What practical example was given for offering choice to Kindergarten students?

In a Kindergarten classroom, students were given the choice to customize their Valentine's Day craft, such as deciding the number of eyes, teeth, and the color of their monster. They also had the option to choose different math games or centers to play with during math activities.