Traditionally Authentic

The ultimate purpose of assessment whether using the traditional or alternative method is to enhance students’ learning. Students are evaluated to correct misconceptions, provide them guidelines for self-regulation as well as regular and timely feedbacks for improvement in their learning strategies. Teachers also learned from this assessment. They are able to identify students’ weaknesses and strengths and align their learning goals, teaching methods and assessment approach accordingly.



Alternative assessment is not a replacement of traditional methods simply because not all learning outcomes can be gauged effectively and efficiently with it. The challenge for the instructors is to balance the two in accordance with the contents of the curriculum and the learning goals.

Traditionally, students are generally given with objective type test items such as true-false, multiple choice, matching type and fill-in-the blanks. Occasionally, a short answer or an extended response essay type is also provided to measure what they have learned. However, this students’ evaluation is mostly given just to give a mark or grade to learners at the end of the grading period or at the end of the school year. No feedback has been provided genuinely to students and parents. This is seen as one of the reasons why many students lack the skills and knowledge needed in college life or in real life. Although they did not fully understand the concepts as manifested by their poor performance in the tests, teachers had to let them aside because they need to teach all the topics that are included in the curriculum for the annual achievement test within the scheduled time frame. As a result, many students entered the next grade level with limited understanding that resulted to poor performance.



Authentic or performance-based assessment or the so-called alternative methods of assessment have been introduced to measure students’ learning in a variety of ways relevant to their local and real life situations. Students are then exposed to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding through individual or group presentations or performances, process or product creation and other artistic endeavor such as writing, painting or poster making. Portfolios, journals, diaries are other authentic assessment methods that are added to traditional written tests.

Proponents of alternative assessments argue that the authentic approach is a better method of evaluating learners as compared to traditional measurement. Of course, this is a debatable issue since from the beginning up to the present, alternative methods do not fully replace the traditional one. In fact, most government and professional bodies are still adhering to the traditional methods of accrediting and licensing professionals and government personnel through multiple choice test items. Multiple choice test items are also widely used in college entrance and scholarship examinations and even in employment and other diagnostic activities.



Although authentic assessments can manifest direct evidence of students’ performance, measuring learners’ process and product is time consuming especially if students are involved in the production of checklist, rating scale and rubric as standards for good performance. In the same manner, traditional methods of testing can also measure higher order thinking skills if test items are designed in such a way that correct answers are not prone to guessing but as a product of in depth comprehension and analysis. Of course, creating very analytical and comprehensive test items is demanding and challenging.

Both traditional and authentic assessment can effectively and efficiently measure students’ knowledge, performance or skill depending on what specific learning outcomes and curriculum contents are to be measured. Time, cost and standards of performance should also be considered in selecting the better method in a particular situation. Whether traditional or authentic, the bottom line is whether students learned what they should learn or not. Select the one that is appropriate and practical in a given situation.

Images from

1) http://web.mst.edu/~rhall/ed_psych/assessment.gif

2) http://static.toondoo.com/public/w/h/a/whatedsaid/toons/cool-cartoon-1727740.png

3) http://onhandschools.com/Portals/166710/images/Test%20Taking%20Cartoon.jpg

4) http://www.uft.org/files/photo/cartoon5_2_13.jpg

References

Kwako, J. A BRIEF SUMMARY OF TRADITIONAL AND ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT IN THE COLLEGE CLASSROOM. Retrieved from www.stat.wisc.edu/~nordheim/Kwako_assessment4.doc

Mueller, J. Authentic Assessment Toolbox. Retrieved from http://jfmueller.faculty.noctrl.edu/toolbox/whatisit.htm

A Classroom without a Test

Almost everyone who has the chance and the means to attend school loves to do so. However, the enthusiasm wanes when it is time for testing. It seems that every student is keen to gain some kind of learning or understanding but when the teachers are about to measure their level of knowledge and skills, they become anxious and stress about it.

Because test is part of student life and his/her future depends on passing it in whatever type it is presented to him/her, some students develop a sense of abhorrence to it. The pressure from parents and teachers makes learning miserable to some.  Instead of the initial happy outlook about education and its importance, students begin to develop a fear to take a test. This results to some kind of cheating on the part of the student. The poem below written by Kenn Nesbitt showcases some of the tactics develop by learners:

This Morning is Our History Test

A Funny School Poem for Kids

This morning is our history test.
I've pinned my notes inside my vest.
Inside my coat I wrote my notes,
including dates and famous quotes.
I've written more upon my hand
that only I can understand,
and in my socks and sleeves I stowed
my scribbled notes in secret code.

I've written down so many names
of winners of Olympic games,
of buildings, people, places too,
from Tennessee to Timbuktu.
I even copied down a piece
on ancient Rome and ancient Greece,
plus everything from Shakespeare's plays
to who invented mayonnaise.

I came to school so well prepared.
I wasn't nervous, wasn't scared.
But here it is, the history test.
I look inside my coat and vest
to get the dates and famous quotes
and find I cannot read my notes.
So much for Shakespeare, Greece and Rome.
I left my glasses back at home.

As a student, I can understand why some students practice this kind of dishonesty. I can say that learner like me does not really hate tests. What we detest are tests that are designed badly and do not fairly measure our knowledge and skills, especially when they are given only as a requirement to grade us.

I dislike test when it was unannounced. For me, it is absolutely unfair. I know that teachers hate it too when the principal, district supervisor or superintendent suddenly comes to evaluate their classes. I hate test items that are not highlighted as important or even discussed in class. I abhor exams that are not given back or return without a single remark. I despise test items that are forgotten and never been reviewed even if most of the class did not get the correct answers. I hate test items that measure irrelevant and meaningless knowledge that can easily be forgotten such as names, dates, places and events, like Kenn’s history test. I dislike test when it is given only once at the end of the course and it is the only basis of your grade.

Some students hate tests because they do not study their lessons. They despise exams because they do not understand the contents. The abhor assessments because their parents will scold them when they performed badly.

Because of this natural dislike of tests of most students, can we design a classroom without a test?

As future instructor, I can say that it is possible to teach students, provide them opportunities for learning and assess them without a formal test such as the dreaded written exam. To measure their level of performance and skill, learners can be assessed using authentic or performance-based assessment method. Assessment tools in this approach include portfolio, presentation, products and other processes that constitute real world and local scenarios and benefits. However, to be of value and elicit positive response among students, learning outcomes, instructional strategies and assessment should be in accord with one another. For example, performance of knowledge or skill that is not taken in class or taught should not be assessed. Likewise, assessment methods used can gauge learning outcomes or objectives.



Since alternative methods of assessment can be time consuming at times, traditional approach minus written test can still be used as genuine determinant of student learning. One such method is class discussion or recitation. Initially, this approach should be used as formative. Towards the end, the class should be advised of the date and time that their answers and/or opinion might be graded. In this case, the students shall prepare for the appointed time.



Another approach to be used is class game, like that of trivial pursuit, where students can participate and answer a particular question regarding the material. So that every student can have the chance to answer, regain confidence and correct a mistake, it should be done frequently throughout the course. Although written, assignments, journals, actual experiments, scientific investigations and essays are less frightening than classroom exams. To be effective, the goals and the methods of assessment should be explicitly determined and discussed prior to any meaningful activity. Frequent feedback should be given throughout the process. For those who cannot show their understanding in written reports, presentations, performances or any artistic creations can be regarded as substitutes. Likewise, these proofs of learning should tackle the learning outcomes as well as the minimum standard required for such authentic activities.



Tests can be intimidating if they do not measure what they purport to measure and no discussion is given about their contents and objectives. Tests can be replaced by performance and skills manifestations as long as they showcase the relevant materials included in the learning objectives and they can be measured fairly and objectively. As long as students learn what we expected them to learn, the assessment method used to gauge their level of understanding and skills is irrelevant. Doing away with the written test is one way as long as the alternative method/s prescribed can successfully measure fairly and objectively their learning.

Come attend my classroom without a test!

Images from

1) http://campusninjas.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/exam-cartoon.jpg

2) http://www.poetry4kids.com/poem-339.html#.Un_KXnByC-k

3) http://www.insidecolby.com/blogs/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/ExamCartoon.jpg

4) http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/cartoonists/rma/lowres/rman195l.jpg

5) https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLOzA7FvoGCeFQtZyjTsoxMis0u5wHsVda8jTxMKFZjCXYLPBMMKZsJKtl92CowjYHPI985dD_UzRQGs7RLZRy8wxAOZZ9GbEIJbYPRUMKEvisx-RQ-prr6PUxLmrMWlik6m3aJf_c2Dhm/s400/MathClass.jpg

6) http://www.justajourney.co.uk/images/layout/rightHand_teachers_home.jpg

References

Erlandson, C. Performance Assessments: A Wealth of Possibilities. Developed by Saskatchewan Professional Development Unit. Retrieved from http://www.education.gov.sk.ca/Default.aspx?DN=38b5005b-31ca-4a37-bc4d-b6d03edc46d4

Nesbitt, k. (2005). This Morning is Our History Test.  http://www.poetry4kids.com/poem-339.html#.Un-n23ByC-l