EDF 435 Study Set Chapters 1 & 2

Learning target

a description of performance that includes what students should know and be able to do and what criteria are used to judge the performance.

Teaching objective

a description of the instructional plan.

Educational objective

a relatively specific statement of what students should know and be capable of doing at the end of an instructional unit.

Measurement

a systematic process of differentiating traits, characteristics, or behavior.

Refer to Table 1.2. Identify each of the following examples as preassessment (P), formative assessment (F), or summative assessment (S). a. Giving a pop quiz b. Giving a cumulative final exam c. Praising students for correct answers d. Using homework to judge student knowledge e. Reviewing student scores on last year's standardized test f. Changing the lesson plan because of student inattention g. Reviewing student files to understand students' cultural backgrounds

a. F, b. S, c. F, d. F, e. P, f. F, g. P.

Identify each of the following quotes as referring to one of the four components of classroom assessment: purpose (P), measurement (M), interpretation (I), and use (U). a. "Last week I determined that my students did not know very much about the Civil War." b. "This year I want to see if I can assess student attitudes." c. "The test helped me to identify where students were weak." d. "I like the idea of using performance-based assessments." e. "I intend to combine several different assessments to determine the grade."

a. I, b. P, c. I, d. M, e. U.

Identify each of the following as a knowledge target (K) or a deep understanding/reasoning target (DU). a. Recalling historical facts from the Revolutionary War b. Comparing vertebrates to invertebrates c. Identifying the organs in a dissected frog d. Explaining how and why recent U.S. recessions affected the world economy

a. K, b. DU, c. K, d. DU.

Identify each of the following as a goal (G), standard (S), or learning target (LT): a. Students will identify three different types of rocks from a display of 15 rocks and place them in like piles. b. Students will be familiar with global geography. c. Students will be able to write creative passages and critique other students' creative passages. d. Students will answer 10 of 12 questions about ancient Egypt in 15 minutes without use of notes.

a. LT, b. G, c. S, d. LT.

Summative assessment

assessment that occurs at the end of an instructional unit to document student learning.

Formative assessment

assessment that occurs during and after instruction to provide feedback to teachers and students.

Suppose a teacher pulls out a graded paper that was handed in by a student from a previous year's class and distributes it to the class. What would the paper be called in relation to assessment? a. Rubric b. Anchor c. Scoring criteria d. Performance criteria

b.

Criteria

categories of specific behaviors or dimensions used to evaluate students.

Exemplars or Anchors

examples of student responses, products, and performances that illustrate specific points on a scoring criteria scale.

Preassessment

gathering information about students prior to instruction.

Goals

indicator of relatively broad student outcomes.

Reasoning

mental operation in which cognitive skills are combined with knowledge to solve a problem, make a decision, or complete a task.

What does it mean when we say that assessment is not just an "add-on" or "end-of-instruction" activity?

"Add-on" means assessment that occurs at the end of an instructional unit, for example, the midterm or final exam. However, the teacher also assesses students before and during instruction. Assessment should not be thought of as testing only at the end of instruction; it is conducted continuously as students learn.

What is the difference between a test and an assessment?

A test is only one part of assessment. Assessment refers to measuring something, evaluating what is measured, and then using the information for decision making. A test is one way to measure.

Why may Bloom's original taxonomy of educational objectives not be the best source for identifying classroom learning targets?

Bloom's taxonomy is not aligned very well with more recent research on learning and motivation.

What is the relationship between teacher decision making, complex classroom environments, and assessment?

Complex classroom contexts that are different for each teacher influence the nature of instructional decision making, and information from assessment tailored to the context is needed to make good decisions.

What is the primary difference between content and performance standards?

Content standards describe the nature of the material that is to be learned, whereas performance standards indicate levels of achievement on the content that must be met.

Give at least three reasons why using public criteria that are shared with students before instruction is an effective teaching/learning tool for evaluating student work.

Could have selected from several reasons: communicating goals and different levels of work to parents, documenting judgments, helping students

Why is it important to include criteria in learning targets and standards?

Criteria are needed to completely understand the nature of the target and what it takes to achieve different levels of performance. Without criteria, targets are statements similar to simple behavioral objectives (without conditions, criteria, and audience).

What does the term criteria have in common with behavioral objectives? How is it different from what is contained in objectives?

Criteria are part of what would be included in a behavioral objective. Criteria, in contrast to objectives, contain descriptions of different levels of performance.

How do assessments communicate expectations for student learning?

Expectations are set by the nature of the standards and criteria used in the assessments and the way teachers provide feedback and otherwise respond to students.

Give original examples of at least one knowledge and one deep understanding learning target that could be stated for you concerning the content of this chapter.

For example, Knowledge: Students are able to recall and write accurately 80% of the definitions of key terms in the chapter. Deep Understanding and Reasoning: Students are able to analyze five examples of learning targets and modify them in writing so that they correspond better to the criteria in the chapter.

Why, according to recent research on learning, is performance assessment well suited to effective instruction?

Recent learning research has shown the importance of connecting new to existing information, of applying knowledge, and developing thinking skills. Performance assessments foster these skills by relating content and processes to problem solving in meaningful contexts.

Alternative assessments

refers to a number of different kinds of assessments that are not traditional paper-and-pencil tests, such as performance and portfolio assessments.

Standards

statements of expected student outcomes.

High-stakes tests

tests that students must perform adequately on for graduation, promotion in grade, school accreditation, and other important implications.

Classroom assessment

the collection, evaluation, and use of information for teacher decision making.