EDS113: Assessment in a nutshell

Before this course, I would think of the term “assessment” as merely testing the student’s knowledge in order to come up with a concrete grade in the form of numbers or letters. Little did I know that testing and assessment are not one and the same; while the former is often formal and standardized, the latter is based on evidence of the students’ learning. Taking the methods and principles of assessment to heart drew the line in distinguishing the common terminologies which for the longest time I had misconceptions of. Aside from assessment and grading, there are evaluation, measurement, validity, reliability, etc.

This subject was also helpful in differentiating the various types of assessment: the organized processes to be followed as guidelines, their corresponding timing and coverage, utilizing tools in identifying gaps, knowing how to effectively address these gaps, coming up with the right questions to ask, and the importance of giving feedback to students. It was a relief to know that there is hope for a modernized, contemporary approach to attempt to innovate education–that there are more ways than the traditional sit-down test types we grew up taking, that educators are taking baby steps to go gradeless to avoid student (and teacher) meltdowns.

As a future educator, it is not only important to take responsibility for the students’ excellence, but even in times when they fall short. Meaning teaching should be flexible, we should adjust to our students when it is called for. If the designed assessment plans are not working in bridging learning gaps, then we should learn how to make changes and adapt to them.

It all boils down to assessments being learner-centered: that studying is not short for “students+dying”. If learning objectives are the destination, then both parties (teachers and students) should be aware of its exact location. But rigidly taking only one specific path does not matter because there would probably be a different route for each student taking their uniqueness into account. Teachers were made for guiding learners toward that learning goal no matter how it takes.

EDS113 Exercise 2 e-journal: On going non-traditional

Our trio was brave enough to take the risk of merging non-traditional/alternative assessments to a highly objective and technical subject science. Surprisingly, I think we were able to pull it off through our fusion of ideas and insights. (Shoutout to my group mates, Ms. Krizzia and Ms. Jeremie, for absorbing me in their group at the last minute!)

Science is a broad subject that has an extensive list of branches enough to be considered “interesting”. For what it is worth, I hope being a former science major would make me credible enough to say that science is colorful and flavorful in all its angles and aspects. However, also take it from me, it tends to be exhausting to study infinite terminologies and concepts while trying to relate them to one another accordingly. The fact that science is purely objective makes it easier in a sense, though it puts more pressure on the students to understand interrelated concepts correctly and accurately. Merging information overload with traditional test types like multiple choice, (modified) true or false, and identification is one way to challenge the students’ mental stability, if anything.

I have said before about this non-conventional approach on assessments: I believe in imposing it as a refreshment for the students. In college, my instructors had their fair share of conducting such assessments in our major subjects. For one, this could be in terms of role playing as the different types of immune cells in the body. Additionally, composing a song or parody on cytogenetics. Looking back now, I appreciate more how their aim was not only to provide opportunities for the students to share their learnings in a different way–it was also their intention for us to make up for some disappointing grades (if any) we previously got from the standard quizzes and tests.

EDS113 Module 7b: On peer-assessment

image source: https://richardjamesrogers.com/2018/02/11/peer-or-self-assessment-benefits-and-challenges/

Personally, I find assessment from peers effective and a helpful source of feedback, whether positive or negative. This is especially true if they are as objective as they should be, and tend not to be biased with their scoring.

This makes me ponder on the times when our teachers would give us groupworks. Most likely, we preferred forming our own groups with our friends instead of him or her assigning our groups. I believe that it is because aside from the fact that we are more comfortable working with closer friends than acquaintances, they would be biased with peer-assessment when it is a requirement, all for the sake of friendship. Needless to say, it beats the purpose of assessment: to improve their metacognitive skills or point out what still needs to be improved.

Perhaps we were too young to perceive such flaws. And now that I know better, I appreciate the times when we are required to team up with less familiar people. Not only is it a chance to make new friends, but also to gain constructive criticism as well as objectively justified praises for feedback.

EDS113 Module 7: On grading, rubrics and feedback

image source: https://www.facebook.com/Boredakopre/photos/a.1670818786310296/3664262450299243/

“Grade is just a number” as we have heard before–this module just proves this statement more true. Grades should not define a student and what he or she is capable of, but it is not that they do not matter.

Teachers assess their students’ performance based on grades. Most students dread a failing score or grade because technically they think it means lack of intelligence. To add, they aim not to disappoint their parents. However, this just makes the school a battleground for the students instead of a learning institution.

Using rubrics as an objective tool for grading performance tasks can make it less detrimental for both teachers and students. Moreover, a gradeless classroom can also be considered as an alternative and modernized approach. Though it may be far from being the norm, this may help the students be pushed to their best potential. That is, alongside defining clear learning goals for them by the teachers and providing them with effective positive feedback.

EDS113: Exercise 1 e-journal

Although the traditional assessment plan is more commonly encountered in most of our academic life, it is not as simple as it seems when it comes to making one. With that said, I have a few takeaways from doing this Exercise 1 with my groupmates.

An assessment is better and well-planned if it is organized. Much as a lesson cannot be crammed overnight, an assessment is also not something that a teacher can finish in one sitting.

If two heads are better than one, then more heads are better than two. Formulating a well-designed assessment plan was done with more ease with the help of my groupmates. As I have only experienced working on exercises in the previous semester with groupmates in a synchronized manner via Google Meet. I have to say that I appreciate how it worked for us, despite our busy and mismatched schedules. It was great to have five brains giving their own insights and inputs even only asynchronously.

EDS113 Module 6: On Assessment Design

Image source: https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/assessing-across-modalities-strengthening-the-intentionality-of-curricular-design/

There is no such thing as a perfect assessment, more so, a perfect formula for one. Nevertheless, it is nice to have guidelines to follow for designing or structuring an effective assessment.

As a student passively taking the tests prepared by our instructors, I now appreciate the effort behind the assessments presented to us. Back then, we students would treat assessments as a burden on our shoulders: a task we had to endure for the sake of measuring our learning with numbers. Perhaps it hardly ever crossed our minds that teachers would spend days and nights to get those on set, when in fact, it is something teachers cannot magically prepare overnight.

Knowing better now, here are a few of my takeaways from this module:

• It is good to have an assessment checklist in hand to align the assessments with the aims and objectives of the course.
• There are 10 principles for building a high-quality assessment, it is also essential to uphold these.
• Table of Specifications, used for selecting appropriate tests for the students, is a helpful tool to increase the validity of the assessment.
• There are various considerations for planning suitable types of tests in an assessment–for one, essay questions are not always called for; the same applies with objective types of questions.

As a future educator, it is important to take these learnings about assessment to heart. Just as a sturdy building comes from a well done structural plan, a well-designed structure of assessment is essential towards desired learning outcomes.

EDS113 Module 5: On the principles and methods of assessment

“They say, timing is everything. But then they say, there is never a perfect time for anything.” -Anthony Liccione

This is probably why there are different timing for various types of assessments. As a continuation of my reflection on the previous module, wherein I talked about how I favor self-assessment among others, I wanted to associate this topic to the main characters in the motion picture Inside Out (2015).

1. Formative assessment as SADNESS

“INSIDE OUT” (Pictured) SADNESS. ©2014 Disney•Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

This one can sadly feel generic and boring, because chances are, this is encountered regularly in class discussions. Occasionally comes in surprise quizzes or tricky seatworks, there would be times when students may feel dismay when they scored low on a test because they were unprepared. The good thing about this is that it provides immediate feedback and is perhaps most frequently conducted, giving multiple chances to aim higher if ever bad results arise.

2. Summative assessment as FEAR

“INSIDE OUT” (Pictured) FEAR. ©2014 Disney•Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

As I also mentioned in my previous journal entry, summative assessments are usually dreaded for the reason that it has a big bulk of coverage (most likely cover-to-cover). Commonly given to have information on the overall learning and cumulated mastery of the student in the subject, it is normally given at the end of the unit or semester. I would say that the overwhelming scope of the test is what triggers fear of the majority of the students. I believe that if the teachers make this less formal than usual–like requiring portfolios or journals instead of formal presentations or written comprehensive exams–then students’ anxiety will be somewhat relieved.

3. Interim assessment as ANGER

“INSIDE OUT” (Pictured) ANGER. ©2014 Disney•Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

Interim assessment does not directly associate anger, but it comprises elements of both formative and summative assessments, which could trigger feeling overpowered or information overload for a test. As students assessed are normally expected to have effectively learned everything taught, it may cause distress, frustration, or even anger to students when they feel otherwise. This is when they realize that they still have yet a handful more to grasp about the lessons. On the brightside, it gives light to the gaps that need to be addressed before moving on.

4. Informal and/or Self-assessment as JOY

“INSIDE OUT” (Pictured) JOY. ©2014 Disney•Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

Being the one I would pick anytime over the rest, informal assessment is Joy. It is usually the most “chill” type of assessment, giving students no pressure regarding the grades. Moreover, a tension of competition is not felt among the students as they are all measured individually. This is also an opportunity to let mistakes slide as the students improve and better themselves.

5. Formal assessment as DISGUST

“INSIDE OUT” (Pictured) DISGUST. ©2014 Disney•Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

Formal assessment is helpful in a way that it provides a uniform grading system for the students who are given the same sets of questions (or minimal changes, if any) using predetermined criteria. Generally, I find this type of assessment too tedious and uninteresting for the students, hence, disgust. Teachers should therefore exert effort to spark students’ interest in the examinations. Some teachers I had from the past would give humorous or trivial questions for bonus points.

Image source: https://movies.stackexchange.com/questions/37345/why-are-two-of-rileys-five-emotions-in-inside-out-male

EDS113 Module 4: On the Purposes of Assessment

Image source: https://educationalresearchtechniques.com/2017/09/29/self-assessment/

Looking back to when I was a student, I would say we were most exposed with the formative assessment or assessment FOR learning. Ideally given in everyday lessons, it is in forms of discussions, recitations, seatworks and quizzes. I would also say that it is the one we anticipated and prepared for most frequently, at the same time, complacently. Knowing that there are multiple sources for this assessment, half the time I took this for granted as a student.

Meanwhile, assessment OF learning or summative assessment was usually every subject’s “The Dreaded, Major, and Most Challenging Test”, the type we spend our all-nighters studying for. This was the make-it-or-break it, often given for a big bulk of coverage. Being a crammer, I am guilty of being one of those students who would try to make up for my class standing with the periodical exam. 

Now, learning the purposes of assessment, I realize that assessment AS learning was overlooked a lot in my younger years. Being a student, I can hardly recall my teachers making us evaluate ourselves to reflect our own learning. Not until I got my first job where I started to actually rate my skills to track my progress; not to mention even as a trainee on my next job, I would perform a self-assessment everyday. I believe it is equally important to have a check-in of yourself, again, to keep your improvements or difficulties you handled in black and white.

Although commonly neglected, self-assessment might be my favorite one. Not only because it encourages learners to reflect on their self- as well as their peer-assessment, perhaps the best thing about this is that it does not put pressure on the grades of the students. It serves as a feedback of their learnings–to identify which transpired and what gaps need to be addressed. As students are also motivated to ask questions to clarify their concerns, together with the teachers, they create learning goals that promote growth.

EDS113 Module 3: On Needs Assessment

Image source: https://dtlconference.wisc.edu/news/5-tips-for-addressing-achievement-gaps-after-distance-learning/ 

In the photo above, where the red flag is would be the “desired state” and the point where the man is standing can be considered as the “actual status”, which makes the gap in between his “needs” that would act as a bridge to get him towards the goal.

As lifelong learners, we have stumbled upon countless gaps that needed bridges–a fraction of which were established in school. Academically, it is safe to say that teachers play a great role in building those metaphorical bridges. This is in terms of the teachers effectively guiding us to facilitate learning, imparting knowledge and skills, and unconsciously engineering our paths.

However, in terms of formally conducting the needs assessment, I do not think that it was done transparently to us students in my time. Most of my teachers, if not all, in grade school up to tertiary level taught conventionally. To say more about the common setup, identifying the individual needs of the students were not put much emphasis on. The students are usually the more adaptable and would be the ones to adjust. For instance, not all students can afford some essential resources for learning. This applied to inevitably switching to virtual classes. The students were left with no choice but to comply if they did not want to get left behind.

Seeing myself as a future educator, I hope to be a part of a step for changes in the needs assessment in our educational system. I aspire to be someone who gives importance to accurately identifying in order to prioritize the needs of the students. After all, effectively identifying which specific gaps need to be filled–resources-wise, knowledge-wise, or skill-wise–is the foundation of our “learning bridges” that lead towards our learning goal.

EDS113 Module 2: On Assessment Framework

Practically everything has to follow a certain process in order to be organized. Same thing can be applied in assessment.

Before, I would perceive assessment merely as a test for measuring knowledge or skills acquired from a certain lesson. Upon learning the assessment framework, I have to say I now view it more than that–that all assessments, for it to be appropriately fit for the students, must be intricately crafted, thoroughly designed.

Prior to even serving a lesson for the students to digest, most instructors probably have their assessment plans structured: from identifying the student needs, planning and actually facilitating learning, to assessing and evaluating learning. I have come to realize that teachers really do not present themselves unprepared, like a lesson plan cannot be perfectly written overnight. As educators, one must also be adaptable to how individual students differ from one another. They all have different needs that need to be met, but we all have one learning goal.

For this learning, I think it would be more helpful if the students become more aware of this assessment process. Most students often dread “assessment” as a norm. With the quizzes, recitations, and of course, periodical examinations, most students only aim to pass. I believe that if assessment becomes transparent as soon as identifying their needs with the goals of filling the gaps for a better learning outcome, then it would be a smoother flow. To put it simply, letting the students know what they need to have learned at the end of the lesson or unit, will allow them to strategize their own unique learning. This is also because it is true that all students learn differently. Giving students the opportunity to provide and receive feedback would also be beneficial in achieving the learning goals, and perhaps will be useful to ease their anxiety for future assessments.