Methods Of Assessment

Throughout Our School Careers, Both As Students And As Teachers, We Have Encountered Thousands Of Different Assessments.

All Of The Assessments We Have Experienced And Give Today Fall Into One Of Four Basic Categories Of Methods:

1. Selected Response And Short Answer
2. Extended Written Response
3. Performance Assessment
4. Personal Communication

All Four Methods Are Legitimate Options When Their Use Correlates Highly With The Learning Target And The Intended Use Of The Information.

Selected Response And Short Answer Method Of Assessment

Selected Response And Short Answer Methods Consist Of Those In Which Students Select The Correct Or Best Response From A List Provided.

Types Of Selected Response Assessment

• Multiple Choice
• True/False
• Matching
• Short Answer
• Fill-In Questions

Although Short Answer And Fill-In-The-Blank Do Require Students To Generate An Answer, They Call For A Very Brief Answer That Is Counted Right Or Wrong, So We Include These Options In The Selected Response Category.

For All Selected Response Assessments, Students' scores Are Figured As The Number Or Proportion Of Questions Answered Correctly.

Extended Written Response Method Of Assessment

Extended Written Response Assessment Requires Students To Construct A Written Answer In Response To A Question Or Task Rather Than To Select One From A List.

An Extended Written Response Is One That Is At Least Several Sentences In Length.

Examples Include The Following

• Compare Pieces Of Literature, Solutions To Environmental Problems, Or Economic Events.
• Analyze Artwork, Forms Of Government Or Solutions To Problems.
• Interpret Music, Scientific Information Or Polling Data.
• Solve A Mathematics Problem And Show And Explain All Work.

Performance Assessment

Performance Assessment Is A Method Of Teaching And Learning That Involves Both Process And Product.

It Is Not Just A Testing Strategy. Performance Assessment Tasks Involve Students In Constructing Various Types Of Products For Diverse Audiences.

Performance Assessment Is Assessment Based On Observation And Judgment; We Look At A Performance Or Product And Make A Judgment As To Its Quality.

Examples Include The Following:

Complex Performances Such As

• Playing A Musical Instrument,
• Carrying Out The Steps In A Scientific Experiment,
• Speaking A Foreign Language,
• Reading Aloud With Fluency,
• Repairing An Engine, Or
• Working Productively In A Group.

In These Cases, It Is The Doing - The Process - That Is Important.

Creating Complex Products Such As A

• Term Paper,
• A Lab Report, Or
• A Work Of Art

Personal Communication

Gathering Information About Students Through Personal Communication Is Just What It Sounds Like We Find Out What Students Have Learned Through Interacting With Them.

Examples Include The Following:

• Looking At And Responding To Students ‘Comments In Journals And Logs
• Asking Questions During Instruction
• Interviewing Students In Conferences
• Listening To Students As They Participate In Class
• Giving Examinations Orally