Introduction to Assessment | Unit Planning and Curriculum Mapping

Summary

This educational video emphasizes the importance of aligning assessments with the skills being taught, highlighting that assessments should be evidence of student learning and provide actionable feedback for improvement. The speaker critiques standardized testing, comparing it to a medical diagnosis that provides initial insights but should not be used to make sweeping judgments. By advocating for assessments that inform teaching and support student growth, the video challenges the over-reliance on standardized tests and calls for a more thoughtful, feedback-oriented approach to evaluation.

Takeaways

• 🧩 Assessment in unit planning should align directly with the learning skills and objectives—if students are asked to compare, the assessment should reflect comparison (e.g., a Venn diagram).
• 📚 The primary purpose of assessment is to serve as evidence of student learning and curriculum understanding, not simply for grading or reporting.
• 🎭 Assessments can take two main forms: tangible products (like essays or projects) or observable performances (like speeches or demonstrations).
• 💡 Effective assessment provides feedback to the learner, empowering students to take charge of improving their own performance.
• 👩‍🏫 Teachers cannot directly improve a student’s performance; their role is to create conditions and provide feedback that invite learning.
• 🧠 Assessment should function as feedback for growth, not as a punitive or ranking tool—its goal is learning improvement, not labeling.
• 📊 Standardized tests provide valuable data for understanding program effectiveness but are not designed to give personalized feedback to individual learners.
• ⚖️ Misusing standardized test data for evaluating teachers, schools, or permanently grouping students is considered educational malpractice.
• 🏥 The analogy of doctors and medical tests illustrates that standardized tests are like taking a patient’s temperature—useful as initial data but insufficient for full diagnosis or treatment.
• 🔍 Quality assessments guide teachers to gather more information when needed, ensuring decisions are based on comprehensive evidence rather than knee-jerk reactions.
• 🧭 Educators should 'right-size' assessment practices—using standardized tests appropriately while prioritizing assessments that inform feedback and student growth.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of assessment in unit planning?

The main purpose of assessment in unit planning is to gather evidence of student learning and understanding of the curriculum, rather than to assign grades or produce report card marks.

How should assessments align with the skills being taught?

Assessments should have a direct alignment to the skills being taught. For example, if the skill is to 'list characteristics,' the assessment should involve a list; if the skill is to 'compare and contrast,' the assessment could be a Venn diagram or T-chart.

What are the two main forms that assessment evidence can take?

Assessment evidence can take two main forms: a tangible product, such as an essay or a built project, or a performance, such as a speech or demonstration.

What is the fundamental purpose of assessment according to the speaker?

The fundamental purpose of assessment is to provide feedback to the learner, helping them understand how to improve their performance.

Why does the speaker say that teachers cannot directly improve a student’s performance?

The speaker explains that only the learner can actually improve their own performance. Teachers can only invite and guide learning by providing effective feedback through assessment.

How does the speaker differentiate between classroom assessments and standardized tests?

Classroom assessments are designed to give feedback to learners for improvement, while standardized tests are intended to give faculty or administrators information about the effectiveness of educational programs.

What analogy does the speaker use to explain the role of standardized testing?

The speaker compares standardized tests to a doctor taking a patient’s temperature—it provides important but limited information that should be used to guide further investigation, not as a sole basis for major decisions.

What problems arise when standardized test data is misused?

Problems occur when standardized test results are used for purposes they weren’t designed for, such as permanently grouping students or evaluating teachers and schools based on test performance alone.

How does the medical analogy help clarify the appropriate use of assessment data?

The medical analogy shows that just as doctors use a temperature reading to decide whether to perform more tests, educators should use standardized test data as an indicator for further investigation, not as a complete diagnosis or basis for drastic actions.

What qualities should high-quality assessments possess?

High-quality assessments should provide meaningful, actionable information that allows students to understand their learning progress and take steps to improve their knowledge and skills.

What does the speaker mean by ‘teaching is an invitational art’?

The phrase means that teachers cannot force learning; they can only invite and encourage students to engage in the learning process through supportive feedback and effective assessments.

What is the relationship between assessment, diagnosis, and prescription in the educational context?

Assessment provides the evidence or diagnosis of a student's learning status, and feedback based on this evidence serves as the prescription that helps the learner improve, similar to how a doctor treats a patient.