Assessment – JESSICA WIEDEMANN

Jessica Wiedemann March 3, 2020

Looking Forward

Moving into my three-week block where I will be teaching every day in a high school classroom. I am excited but there are some concerns I have regarding assessment when I get into the classroom. The most concerning thoughts and questions that come to my mind when thinking about assessment are: how do I make sure an assessment is fair to all types of learners and for those less skilled in this type of assessment, how do I make my assessments transparent but at the same time challenging enough for students, and is there ever too much formative assessment? I want to create my classroom as a space where assessment is not scary or doesn’t mean anything. I want to know how to engage students with a want to learn rather than just a sense that they only need to try when it ‘matters’.

Why am I concerned?

These are concerns in going into my three-week block because I am unsure of the best ways to go about assessment when there is an atmosphere of “is this for marks” in classrooms today, not only in high schools. I know that is much how the students in my high school classes were. We wouldn’t do something if it was just ‘for practice’. We didn’t actually try unless we knew it was going to affect the grades our parents saw on powerschool. Some of the students would do the classwork because they were told to but there were others who knew it wouldn’t affect their grades if they didn’t do anything, the only way it would affect them is they wouldn’t have the practice behind them before the summative assessment. At that point in our lives at the time we couldn’t see that far into the future and the connection between the practice and the test of our skills.

I am excited to get into the classroom and pick the brain of my co-op teacher in my three-week block as well as in my internship. I want to ask as many questions as I possibly can and get the most out of the experience. Questions I want to ask my co-op teacher are: 1) How do you formatively assess and how often do you do it? Are you required to have lots of formative assessments? 2) What are your favorite types of assessment and why? 3) How do you work around the atmosphere for students only doing work that is ‘for marks’? these questions are important to me because I have not had a lot of explanation about assessment in my other university classes. Gaining knowledge from an in-service teacher would change my current practice as a pre-service teacher and my future practice when I get into the profession.

Seeing Assessment Differently

After seeing presentations of different ways of assessing learning during class today, some of my concerns seemed to be less worrisome. There were a lot of different types of assessment presented that pushed how I see assessment in a different direction. Integrating 21^st century literacies into assessments gives the students and the teacher more options for assessment. One of the presentations really resonated with me because they had woven science and music together using a Makey Makey toy to take about music as well as what conducts electricity. This type of cross-curricular activity makes learning more fun and gives students a memorable experience to link to the knowledge they gained. I am looking at assessment differently in this sense because linking two subjects together can make for better learning in both areas as well as creating fun in the classroom.

Looking Forward

Looking even more forward into my internship in the fall, I am seeing assessment differently in how I want to set up my class when it starts in September. Creating assessment with other subjects and cross-curricular connections in mind, I can see more options and more fun ways to assess students learning.

All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.
Walt Disney

Jessica Wiedemann

Jessica is a student at University of Regina. Her passion for helping others and advocacy for the prevention of bullying in schools has lead her to a career in education. She is a dog lover, photographer, and a food lover.

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Jessica Wiedemann February 4, 2020

What Principles Underline Assessment?

“Even though there are no ways of knowing for sure, there are ways of knowing for pretty sure.”
Lemony Snicket

What does it mean to ‘know’ and how do we know we ‘know’?

The concept of’ knowing’, what it is that we ‘know’, and how we know we ‘know’ brings about questions when looking at this idea through the lens of a teacher. As outlined in Chapter Three of Finding Freedom in the Classroom: a Practical Introduction to Critical Theory by Patricia Hinchey, the concept of knowing can be looked at from two points of view, positivist or constructivist epistemology. Hinchey defines epistemology as “the branch of philosophy that seeks to define “knowledge”, that seeks to explain what it means to “know” something” (p. 35). Epistemology is important to consider in the classroom because the teacher-student relationship is rooted in the understanding of what ‘knowing’ something means.

Looking at knowledge as a positivist, knowledge is in a way a thing that can be grasped and found in the world. As Hinchey puts it “[k]nowledge is there, waiting for us to find it” (p. 36). Bringing positivism epistemology into the classroom connects to the vessel philosophy of learning in that students are empty vessels for students to fill with knowledge, as it is seen as a physical thing that can be attained. While this philosophy created harsh boundaries around what can be done in the classroom by both the teacher and the students, there is more to the positivistic point of view of what it is to ‘know’ something. When looking at the world as something that can be tested gives rise to different opinions of how the world works. Concepts and theories can be explored through inquiry and the scientific method. Positivism lends more to a scientific approach to learning and knowing while constructivism gives rise to more opinion based learning and knowing.

The constructivist epistemology looks at ‘knowing’ and learning as more of a link to the meaning of what is known. Hinchey defines it as something that “comes into being only when a human examines the data” (p. 41). This view of knowledge gives the power to the human race rather than to the surrounding world. This philosophy in the classroom gives more power to the students to suggest meaning out of the data that is collected. This does also play into the scientific way of thinking in the post data collection phase of the scientific method.

As a future educator, I had not really thought about what it meant to ‘know’ something. In my education experiences before coming to university and more so in university, ‘knowing something had to do with what and how much someone could remember and regurgitate onto an exam. The addition of this type of schooling and my home environment, which was full of science and math based conversation, the positivist understanding of what it is to ‘know’ something makes the most sense to me. The combination of my schooling and home environment may have been a catalyst in my gravitation towards the sciences and looking at things in a scientific fashion. Bringing these philosophies of what ‘knowing’ something means into the classroom re-orientates me as a teacher to seeing different possible ways of assessing students and creating learning moments.

Theories of Assessment

The relationship between assessment and learning is an important relationship to keep in mind as a teacher in order to know better how students learn and how to assess what they ‘know’. In James’ 2006 article Assessment, Teachering and Theories of Learning, she speaks about the alignment of assessment and learning, examples of assessment practices in the classroom, and three theories of learning. These theories include Behaviourist, Constructivist, and Socio-cultural.

The in behaviourist theory, learning comes from the “[r]ewards and punishments” and “[p]raise may be part of such a reward system” (James, 2006, p. 7). The implications of using this teaching and learning style int h classroom are that the teacher creates an atmosphere where the human consciousness is disregarded and there is no acknowledgement of the mind or intelligence (p. 7). This theory connects in a way to the positivist theory touched upon above in that it relies on students being correct or incorrect. The student knows something if they are able to give the ‘correct’ answer back to the teacher. The use of behaviourism as a teaching strategy causes assessment to look like timed tests and success is measured by correctness. The behaviourist approach limits the options of the teacher in the ways to assess students learning and understanding.

In Constructivist theory, which is a derivative of positivism, behaviourism, rationalism, and humanism, there is an emphasis on the students cognitive processes and there is a higher importance placed on the ‘understanding’ of the student. This theory calls for more “active engagement of learners and is determined by what goes on in people’s heads” (James, 2006, p.8). Bringing this type of teaching strategy into the classroom brings about more engagement in the students as well as potential for self-guided inquiry. The student plays a bigger role in their learning and in their assessment in that they are more active participants in the learning process. Assessment for this type fo theory looks more like self-reflection and opinion-based answers rather than straight regurgitation of content.

The socio-cultural theory is the interaction between the student and the social environment around them. James classifies thinking in this theory as being “constructed through actions that alter the situation and the situation changes the thinking” (p. 10). The thinking and the environment are constantly changing. James goes on to say that “it is difficult to judge an individual as acquired knowledge” under this theory (p. 10). In regard to assessment, this leaves the teacher in an awkward position in the classroom when there is a requirement of grades and some sort of record of the students knowledge or what they have learned.

Translation Into My Classroom

As a future teacher, these philosophies and theories impact my educational and assessment philosophy in how I look at students and the how they understand, my teaching, and how I will assess. There is no single theory that is best to use practically as a teacher, rather a mixing of the theories or a progression of one to another is needed to teach students and assess if they have actually learned anything. Positivism can be applied in the sense that there is adventure involved in the learning process. Society is on an adventure to find out more about the world and discovery answers to questions and educational institutions are attempting to given students the tools to venture forth to find out “why” and “how”. Once the data and information is found, the question is what does it mean? This is where the constructivist theory comes in. Applying meaning and context to the information that is gathered is important to finding out the answers to the questions that we have about the world around us. The teacher cannot rely on one process of assessing how a student knows something, we cannot be that narrow minded. Finding a middle ground or mixture of the way a teacher assess students keeps both the teacher and the students on their toes to see where both parties are at.

References

Hinchey, P. H. (2010). Finding freedom in the classroom: A practical introduction to critical theory (Vol. 24). Peter Lang.

James, M. (2006). Assessment, teaching and theories of learning. Assessment and learning, 47, 60.

References

Hinchey, P. (2010). CHAPTER THREE: Rethinking What We Know: Positivist and Constructivist Epistemology. Counterpoints,24, 33-55. Retrieved February 7, 2020, from www.jstor.org/stable/42976884

James, Mary. (2006). Assessment, Teaching and Theories of Learning. 10.13140/2.1.5090.8960.

Jessica Wiedemann

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Jessica Wiedemann January 14, 2020

Why are We Assessing? What is it For?

On the surface, the reason teachers assess students and their learning is to evaluate where the students are in regard to what they have absorbed from their classes and assignments. There is an underlying reason why teachers assess students that goes a little deeper than simply seeing what students know. Brown, Race, and Smith offer a list of values, reasons for assessing, a checklist and much more in their book 500 Tips on Assessment from 2004.

Values of Assessment

In their list of values of assessment, the values of assessment being incremental, demanding, and motivate students to learn jumped out the most. In the classroom, assessment should be occurring on a regular basis. Keeping assessment consistent allows students to know what is expected and level at which they should be reviewing the material. Brown, Race, and Smith highlight that making assessment incremental, takes away the surprise out of assessment (p. 4). A consistent assessment creates an atmosphere of consistency in the classroom which also shows the students the importance of reviewing material outside class time on a regular basis rather than cramming everything they can possibly fit in their heads the night before the exam. This practice keeps the teacher accountable for their assessment and teaches student how to study rather than cram. The teacher is kept accountable when assessment is consistent because when assessing students, the teacher is also assessing their teaching.

The idea of assessment being demanding may cause anxiety in students when describing it that way, but what is being demanded is the effort and attention of the students. Assessment should be demanding, meaning it should not be something that does not require attention. Students should not be able to simply brush assignments off and be able to complete them without thinking. There are going to be some students who seem to do this with assignments, but that should not be the case for all the students in the class. Brown, Race and Smith explain that “[p]assing an assessment or test should not be automatic”. Further, “a good assessment system system should permit all students considered capable of undertaking a course of study to have a chance of succeeding in the assessment” (p. 4). In some cases, like a science class or math class, there will be some pieces of information that should be things that do not require thought. For example, the function of the heart in the body being to pump blood to the organs and limbs, should be a ‘no brainer’ for students by the end of the body systems unit.

Although it seems that assessment is to judge the learning that has already occurred, assessment should also create a want to learn in students. Brown, Race, and Smith explain that “Assessment should help them to structure their learning continuously during their studies, not just in a few critical weeks before particular assessment climaxes” (p. 3). This is saying that an assessment should create a foundation for students to build off of and learn more. Assessments are not there to weigh down the learning but rather to help it to fly farther. With motivating assessment, students would be able to assess themselves and see where they are at in their learning as well as understand how they learn best. The goal of teachers is to create lifelong learners and making assignments and assessments that encourage learning aids in this synthesis of learners.

Principles of Assessment

Assessment needs to take these values and the others highlighted by Brown, Race, and Smith into account as well as other principles to guide the teacher in creating effective assessment. Louis Volante suggests such principles in Principles of Effective Classroom Assessment from 2006. Volante highlights student-centered assessment being more important than teacher-centered assessment. Assessment that bring the student into the learning and assessment process gives the students tools to move further into learning when the structure of the classroom is no longer there. Volante argues that “assessment is student-centered, aligned with clear learning targets, based on multiple methods, able to account for a variety of student skills, aimed at reducing bias, reliable and valid, and efficient” (p.144). Students should be able to see the targets of the class and know how to work towards them. Assessment cannot only be in one form, there needs to be variability for students to keep them engaged as well as to create adaptable learners. Students are expected to have many skills so the assessment should be varied to account for those different skills that they require to learn the content. Creating assessment that reduces the bias of the teacher gives all students the opportunity to show their skills and what they have learned without any pre-determining factors that go outside the realm of what is being learned. The creation of assessments in a classroom that take all these things into account takes time and planning on the teacher’s part. Flexibility of the teacher is a necessity for assessments to evolve into good assessments that motivate students to want to learn.

“To assess the quality of thoughts of people, don’t listen to their words, but watch their actions”
Amit Kalantri

References

Brown, S., Race, P., & Smith, B. (2004). 500 tips on assessment. Routledge.

Volante, L. Principles for Effective Classroom Assessment Des Lignes Directrices pour Une Évaluation Efficace en Salle de Classe.

Jessica Wiedemann

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Jessica Wiedemann January 7, 2020

Assessment Philosophy

What is Assessment? What is its Aim?

Assessment, in the theoretical sense, , is the evaluation of something or someone’s abilities. It can also be thought of as the degree in which someone or something fulfills its purpose. In the practical sense, assessment is what the teacher decides is a just presentation of evidence of learning. This can take any form the teacher wishes. Due to the decisions being made by the teachers, there is a lot of possibility for bias to cloud the judgement of the teacher. The theoretical must influence the practical in order for the assessment to be logical and a reliable determination of learning. The aim of assessment is to quantify abilities or work into a figure that is easier to see in relation to others’ work or abilities. There needs to be some sort of quantifier of the evidence of learning in order to know how close or far a student is from hitting the goal of the lesson or the outcome in the curriculum.

What is the Relationship between Assessment, Classroom Environment, and Instructional Practices?

Assessment, classroom environment, and instructional practices are closely related because they are all centred around the student-teacher relationship. Assessment is linked to classroom environment in that it plays into the social structure of the classroom and imposes a nearly invisible social order that can dictate the manner in which the classroom functions. The type of assessment affects the way students respond to class work which can create deviations between students will different strengths, depending on the type of assessment. Further, assessment is almost one with the instructional practices of a teacher because there is an interdependence of both on the other. This mutual impact that assessment has on instructional practices and vice versa gives the teacher the ability to manipulate the classroom environment and its social order. As well, the classroom environment affects the instructional practices and the assessment being used in the classroom. The students affect the environment of the classroom as much if not more than the teacher does. This goes outside the fact that the teacher is outnumbered by the students. The students participate in an isolated society within the classroom which in some ways excludes the teacher because of the authority difference as well as a the generational difference. The interpersonal relationships between students can affect the instructional practices depending on whether the social interactions between students are positive or negative. An example would be the use of group work or partner work. If there is a student who is excluded from the collective group of the classroom, because of other students or themselves, there is potential for further exclusion is there is group work imposed as an assignment. This situation affects assessment as well due to the social aspect of a group project or partner work.

What is Important to Keep in Mind When Designing Assessment in the Classroom?

As touched upon above, there are multiple aspects of the classroom that are linked to assessment and as such, the teacher needs to be aware of what is going on socially in the classroom when designing assessment. Mainly the things that need to be kept in the mind of the teacher when creating assessment are consistency, transparency, and redeem-ability of assessment. An assessment should be consistent in that it has the same level of expectations of the students in relation to the demands on the students, not that there should be the same type of assessment over and over. Transparency in this context translates into the teachers openness about what is expected by the assessment. Giving students the tools for success in their assignments and learning gives them more agency in their learning. Along with transparency, the need for redeem-ability in assessment in order to give students the option and opportunity to redeem failures. This quality shows students that there isn’t just one shot at assignments and there are options.

Assessment in the classroom needs to be evidence of learning that accurately documents what was attempted to be taught in that lesson or that unit. The teacher needs to be aware of their own biases, their own experiences and understandings of what assessment means and how it can be done in the classroom.

“Education is not to be viewed as something like filling a vessel with water but, rather, assisting a flower to grow in its own way”
Bertrand Russell

Jessica Wiedemann

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