Assessing and Evaluating for Learning/Assessment Methods and Tools module

=Assessment Methods and Tools= In the last module you explored principles of aligning and designing assessment considering:
 * the language that you use
 * the requirements identified in the learning outcomes
 * the types of thinking you want the students to demonstrate (Blooms Revised Taxonomy)
 * consideration of cultural diversity
 * and now it is time to think about the tools themselves

Formal and Informal Assessment
There are two main functions of assessment - Formal and Informal assessment Formal assessment – assessment that is given a mark or grade contributing to a final recorded result

Informal assessment – unmarked assessment that provides feedback to support student learning


 * (Heather Day, personal definition - 2006)

These functions are also commonly defined as Formative and Summative assessment

"Formative assessment - Assessments undertaken during the learning and teaching process to provide feedback to both learner and assessor on progress made." “Summative assessment - Assessment which measures a level of performance and is used in determining final outcome/result.”


 * (Otago Polytechnic Academic Policy: Assessment, AP900.03, 2007, pp 5-6)

Often the above definitions are paired together.

Formal with Summative and  Informal with Formative. This generally works although the exception is Formative assessment is often used with a dual purpose and a summative mark is given alongside the provision of feedback to support student learning. This often occurs in response to students valuing marked work more highly than unmarked work.

This links well to the fundamentals of effective assessment which provide insight into 12 valuable principles of assessment; from the Centre for the Study of Higher Education at Melbourne University.

The first principle is: Assessment should help students to learn. in which they identify that formative assessment is crucial to effective learning.

Choosing the Tool
Oxford Brookes University (2011) have drawn on the work of Nightingale et al (1996) provide eight broad categories of learning outcomes:

1. Thinking critically and making judgements

2. Solving problems and developing plans
 * (Developing arguments, reflecting, evaluating, assessing, judging)

3. Performing procedures and demonstrating techniques
 * (Identifying problems, posing problems, defining problems, analysing data, reviewing, designing experiments, planning, applying information)

4. Managing and developing oneself
 * (Computation, taking readings, using equipment, following laboratory procedures, following protocols, carrying out instructions)

5. Accessing and managing information 6. Demonstrating knowledge and understanding 7. Designing, creating, performing 8. Communicating
 * (Working co-operatively, working independently, learning independently, being self-directed, managing time, managing tasks, organising)
 * (Researching, investigating, interpreting, organising information, reviewing and paraphrasing information, collecting data, searching and managing information sources, observing and interpreting)
 * (Recalling, describing, reporting, recounting, recognising, identifying, relating & interrelating)
 * (Imagining, visualising, designing, producing, creating, innovating, performing)
 * (One and two-way communication; communication within a group, verbal, written and non-verbal communication. Arguing, describing, advocating, interviewing, negotiating, presenting; using specific written forms)

Read Selecting methods of assessment for a list of potential tools for each category.

The following sites may be useful depending upon the type of tool you are exploring


 * Written Assessment


 * Tests and Exams


 * Self assessment and Peer Assessment


 * Practical Assessment

Link to the Discussion Board - Assessment Tools and Methods