Alternative Assessment

Alternative Assessment Dr. M SOZBILIR sozbilir@atauni.edu.tr

Why bother about assessment? Because; Assessmentimpacts what is taught and learned.

STANDARDS What is standard? Why we need standards for assessment?

Why & What is Standard? • Good assessment begins with identifying a set of standards for teaching. • Much like a goal or objective, a standard is a statement of what students should know or be able to do.

Goals/Standards/Objectives Goals vs Standards Objectives Whereas goals are often written broadly enough to cross grade levels and content areas, Standards, particularly those that are content-based, tend to be specific to one or a few grade levels and one content area, and may be written at the level of a unit in curricular planning. Objectives are typically written at the level of the lesson plan, with one or more objectives for each lesson.

Question 1 Is there a need to shift from traditionalassessment toalternative assessment? If yes, why? If no, why?

Question 2 What are the philosophicalbeliefs and theoretical assumptions of traditional and alternative assessment?

Question 3 What would be the implications of shifting from traditional assessmentto an alternative assessment paradigm?

Is there a need to shift from traditional assessment to alternative assessment? • Yes, because; • We are overusing lecture and objective tests • We have more diverse studentpopulation (diverse in terms of needs, skills, motivations, nationality,….etc.) • Theories of learning are changing (behaviorismvsconstructivism) • ….?

Differences Between Traditional & Alternative Assessment? Alternative Assessmentvs • Authentic Assessment • Performance Assessment • Portfolio Assessment

Traditional vs AuthenticAssessment AuthenticAssessment: TraditionalAssessment A form of assessment in which students are asked to perform real-world tasks that demonstrate meaningful application of essential knowledge and skills. Student performance on a task is typically scored on a rubric to determine how successfully the student has met specific standards. It is meant the forced-choice measures of multiple-choice tests, fill-in-the-blanks, true-false, matchingitems in general. Students typically select an answer or recall information to complete the assessment. These tests may be standardized or teacher-created. They may be administered locally or statewide, or internationally.

Authentic Assessment

Authentic vs PerformanceAssessment • Some educators choose to distinguish between authentic assessment and performance assessment. • For these educators, performance assessment meets the definition of authentic assessment except that the tasks do not reflect real-world (authentic) challenges. • If we are going to ask students to construct knowledge on assessments, then virtually all such tasks should be authentic in nature or they lose some relevance to the students. • Thus, this distinction between performance and authentic assessments becomes insignificant and unnecessary. • Consequently, it is better to use authentic assessment and performance assessment synonymously. For more information please visit: http://jfmueller.faculty.noctrl.edu/toolbox/glossary.htm

Differences Between Traditional & AlternativeAssessment

BalancedAssessment

TRADITIONAL vs ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT METHODS/TOOLS Traditional Alternative Multiple choice items True and false items Fill in the gap items Matching items Essays Oral exam Projects /laboratory works Portfolios /e-portfolios Concept maps/mindmaps Observations Interviews Check lists Grids Posters Drama /role playing Diagnostic Branched Tree Group/peer and self assessment Rubrics

What would be the implications of shifting from traditional assessment to an alternative assessment paradigm? • Teachers need to critique the instructional strategies they use and the tasks they require, • Both formative and summative evaluation procedures should be included in the assessment process, • Students need to participate in developing the criteria and creating the rubric that is used to grade their work, • A balance is needed between teacher, peer, and self-evaluation.

Alternative Assessment Methods/Tools Portfolios /e-portfolios Concept maps/mind maps Rubrics Check lists Grids Diagnostic Branched Tree Group/peer and self assessment

Portfolio? A portfolio is a collection of student work gathered for a particular purpose that exhibits to the students and the others the students’ efforts, progress and achievement in one or more areas.

Concept Map vs Mind Map What are the difference between these two diagrams?

Concept Map vs Mind Map • A concept map is adiagram showing the relationships among concepts. • It is a graphical tool for organizing and representing knowledge. • Concepts, usually represented as boxes or circles, are connected with labeled arrows in a downward-branching hierarchical structure. • The relationship between concepts can be articulated in linking phrases such as "gives rise to", "results in", "is required by," or "contributes to". • A mind map is a diagram used to visually outline information. • A mind map is often created around a single word or text, placed in the center, to which associated ideas, words and concepts are added. • Major categories radiate from a central node, and lesser categories are sub-branches of larger branches

How to develop a concept map? • Stages in the Constructionof a Concept Map: • Brainstorming Stage • Organizing Stage • Layout Stage • Linking Stage • Revising and Finalizing Stage For a practical information and practice to try and learn concept mapping please visit: http://cmap.ihmc.us/docs/ConstructingAConceptMap.html

1. Brainstorming Stage • List any and all terms and concepts associated with the topicof interest. • Write them on Post It Notes or scraps of paper, one word orphrase per note. • Don't worry about redundancy, relative importance, orrelationships at this point. • The objective is to generate the largest possible list.

2. Organizing Stage • Spread concepts on a table or on the floor. • Create groups and sub-groups of related items. Try to group items toemphasize hierarchies. • Identify terms that represent higher categories and add them. • Feel free to rearrange items and introduce new items omitted initially. • Some concepts will fall into multiple groupings. This will becomeimportant in the linking stage.

3. Layout Stage • Arrange terms so that they represent your understanding of the • interrelationships and connections among groupings. • Use a consistent hierarchy in which the most important concepts are • in the center or at the top. • Within sub-grouping, place closely related items near to each other. • Think in terms of connecting the items in a simple sentence that • shows the relationship between them. • Feel free to rearrange things at any time during this phase.

4. Linking Phase • Use lines with arrows to connect and show therelationship between connected items. • Write a word or short phrase by each line or arrowto specify the relationship. • Many arrows can originate or terminate onparticularly important concepts.

5. Revising and Finalizing Stage • Carefully examine the draft concept map. • Rearrange sections to emphasize organizationand appearance. • Remove or combine items to simplify. • Consider adding color or different fonts. • Clean up and finalize your presentation so thatothers can readily understand your map.

Concept Map of a Concept Map For the theory behind concept maps please visit http://cmap.ihmc.us/publications/researchpapers/theorycmaps/theoryunderlyingconceptmaps.htm

The five essential characteristics of Mind Mapping • The main idea, subject or focus is crystallized in a central image. • The main themes radiate from the central image as 'branches'. • The branches comprise a key image or key word drawn or printed on its associated line. • Topics of lesser importance are represented as 'twigs' of the relevant branch. • The branches form a connected nodal structure. For more information please visit http://www.mindmapping.com

Mind Map of a Mind Map

Types of scoringinstruments for performanceassessments

Holistic vs Analytical Rubrics

Steps of Rubric design

Structural Communication Grid • The structural communication grid is formed of rows and columns. The number of boxes in the structure of thegrid may vary depending of the age of learners

Structural Communication Grid • Structural communication grid may be seen as an alternative to multiple choice tests because it is formed of boxes which may contain more than one correctanswer that students are asked to select. Since students should consider possibility of more than one answers itmay encourage students to make mindful decisions.

StructuralCommunicationGrid

Diagnostic Branched Tree (DBT) • DBTs are diagrams which combined with several True/False questions. • They are much better than normal true/true false questions in diagnosing knowledge structure.

t 1 =>2 marks Item D (True) t f 2 =>1 mark Item B (False) 3 =>3 marks t f Item E t (True) f 4 =>2 marks Item A (True) t 5 =>1 mark Item F f (False t f 6 =>2 marks Item C (True f t 7 =>0 Item G (False) f 8 =>1 mark Diagnostic Branched Tree (DBT)

Intermolecular forces between the solid particles are much stronger. T 1 =>______ Electrical forces between the particles cause them to be liquid and solid. T F 2 =>______ There is no intermolecular forces between the particles of liquids If there is no intermolecular forces between the particles of matter there would not be solids and liquids 3 =>______ T F T F 4 =>______ Electrical forces are only available in ionic solids. T 5 =>______ Mass forces between the particles cause them to be liquid and solid. F T F 6 =>______ Particles moves much more freely in gases compared to solids and liquids F T 7 =>______ F 8 =>______ Diagnostic Branched Tree (DBT)

Group/peer and self assessment • Peer assessment, or self-assessment, is a process whereby students or their peers grade assignments or tests based on a teacher’s benchmarks. • The practice is employed to save teachers time and improve students' understanding of course materials as well as improve their metacognitive skills. • Rubrics are often used in conjunction with Self- and Peer-Assessment

Alternative Assessment