1) The document discusses ways to assess student learning, including formative and summative assessments. Different types of assessments include tests, projects, and papers. 2) Effective assessment involves aligning objectives, instructional strategies, and assessments using backward design. Assessments should measure a variety of skills using tools like Bloom's Taxonomy. 3) Standardized tests are commonly used to compare students' performance against norms or criteria. Results are often reported using grades, percentiles, stanines, or standard scores. Reliability and validity are important characteristics of good assessments.

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Assessing Student Learning
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Dr. Jennifer Irwin
EDU 620: Module 11
Chapters 13 & 14

2. Ah….the joy of
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3. Assessing Student Learning
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• In this module, we will take a look at the
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ways in which student learning (and our
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teaching) is measured
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• First, think about this question:
• Is there a difference between what you
taught and what the students learned?
– (they are not necessarily the same thing, right?)

4. What is Assessment ?
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• Why do we have to “assess” student
learning?
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• How do you (or would you) assess your
students?
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• What kinds of assessments do you use?
– Multiple-choice?
– Essay?
– Performance assessment?
– Something else?

5. What is Assessment ?
• Assessment: a measure of the degree to
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which instructional objectives have been
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attained
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• Objectives: statements of skills or concepts
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that students should master after a given
amount of time
• Backwards Planning: looking at the
objectives, then writing lesson plans to help
students master the objectives using a
variety of instructional strategies
– in other words ……..

6. What is Assessment ?
• Beginning with
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The “what” you
the “end” in want students to know
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(objectives)
mind.
1 The “how” they will
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show you they have
learned (assessment)
• Effective
teaching begins
and ends with
learning Your instructional
objectives! strategies to help them
meet the objectives

7. Bloom’s Taxonomy
• Created in 1956 by Benjamin Bloom (and
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friends), this taxonomy orders objectives
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from simple learning tasks to more complex
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ones
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• It has been VERY influential in teaching
• Keep in mind that there is a time and place
for each of the levels but that teachers
should encourage higher-level thinking by
using the upper taxonomy levels.
• See chapter 13 for examples of each level

8. Bloom’s Taxonomy
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The man, the myth, the legend 

9. Evaluation
• Another word for assessment is Evaluation
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– The ongoing process of measuring student performance
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• Why is evaluation important?
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– It gives information (helps guide teachers to make
instructional decisions)
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– Helps students understand their own strengths and
weaknesses
– Provides feedback
– Can and should be reciprocal
• i.e. students should be given the opportunity to “evaluate”
their teachers ……

10. • If your school
doesn’t collect
students evaluations
of their teachers, you
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should consider
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asking for informal
(and anonymous)
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feedback from your
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students.
• It is a GREAT way to
improve your
teaching!

11. Evaluation
• The 2 main types of evaluation are:
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– Formative
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• Evaluation that takes place during the course of
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instruction (not always graded)
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• Examples: observations, quizzes, journal writing, exit
tickets
– Summative
• Evaluation that takes place at the end of a unit of study
or course (usually graded)
• Examples: tests, projects, papers

12. Test Construction
• When creating tests to assess students (whether
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they are formative or summative), you will need to
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consider the following:
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• Will the test:
– have open-ended questions (multiple answers) or
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closed-ended questions (only one answer)?
– be announced or unannounced? (are there benefits to
“pop” quizzes?)
– be open-book or closed-book?
– be take-home or in-class?
– have recognition or recall questions? (see next slide)

13. Recognition v. Recall
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• What are the capitals of the following
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countries?
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– Denmark -Poland
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– Austria -the Netherlands
– Ireland -Portugal
– Finland -Northern Ireland
– Belgium -Spain
– Greece

14. Recognition v. Recall
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• Would it help if I gave you a list of
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choices?
– Athens -Helsinki
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– Amsterdam -Lisbon
– Belfast -Madrid
– Brussels -Vienna
– Copenhagen -Warsaw
– Dublin

15. Recognition v. Recall
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• In the first slide, you were being asked to
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“recall” the capitals (which you may or may
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not have known)
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• In the second slide, you were being asked to
“recognize” them from a list (which should
have been much easier!)
– So which kind of questions are better?
– Is there a time and place for both types?

16. Standardized Tests
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• Standardized tests are commercially
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prepared for nationwide use and designed to
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provide accurate and meaningful
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information on students’ performance
relative to others of the same age or grade
• Two types
– Criterion-referenced
– Norm-referenced

17. Criterion-Referenced Tests
• Unlike norm-referenced tests, these tests
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measure a student’s performance not against a
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set of norms but rather against a body of
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knowledge
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• Students are tested on a predetermined set of
criteria, and their mastery of that criteria is
scored
• Example: the High School Assessments (HSAs)
in Maryland: Algebra, Biology, Government,
English (see slide on high-stakes assessment)

18. Norm-Referenced Tests
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• These are your typical
standardized tests
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• Results indicate relative
achievement of a person
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compared to others (norms)
• Example: the SATs
• There are several ways to
report scores on
standardized tests . . .

19. Ways to Report Scores
• Grade equivalents
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month)
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It appears that the
kids in this
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private school in
Kentucky are 2
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years or more
above grade level.
Caution: These
scores do not
reflect appropriate
grade placement
(i.e. a 5th grader
who scores 7-1
should not be
placed in the 7th
grade)

20. Ways to Report Scores
• Percentiles
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– Score is within 1 to 100%tile (a score of 68% means
that you performed better than 68% of the people
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who took the test while 32% did better than you)
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21. Ways to Report Scores
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• Stanines
– Reported as 1 to 9
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– 1-3 = below average
– 4-6 = average
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– 7-9 = above average

22. Ways to Report Scores
• Standard score (normal distribution)
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• This is the ‘ol Bell Curve (think IQ)
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Most people fall within 1
The mean/
standard deviation of the mean
average

23. Characteristics of Good Assessment
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• Good tests have these RSVP characteristics:
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– Reliability
– Standardization
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– Validity
– Practicality

24. Validity v. Reliability
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• These 2 terms are often confused, but they are
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very important in choosing and evaluating
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standardized tests
• Validity: the extent to which an assessment
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technique measures what it is intended to measure
• Reliability: the extent to which as assessment
technique yields consistent results for each student
• Think of it this way …..

25. Validity v. Reliability
• Think of stepping onto a
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bathroom scale
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• On Monday, the scale
reads 150 lbs.
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• On Tuesday, the scale
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reads 149 lbs.
• On Wednesday, the scale
reads 150 lbs.
• This is a pretty reliable
scale

26. Validity v. Reliability
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• Now, think about the time when
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you took your driver’s test
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• Imagine that instead of driving on
a course and taking a written test
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you were asked to to walk on your
hands for 50 ft. and create an
Excel spreadsheet!
• This would not be a valid way to
test your driving skills!

27. Validity v. Reliability
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• Validity becomes as issue when students are
asked to demonstrate their understanding of
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science (for example) by writing an essay
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• Perhaps the student knows science quite well but
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is just unable to express herself effectively in
writing
• Would this test be a science test or a writing
test?

28. Standardization & Practicality
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• Standardization: the extent to which
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assessment tasks and procedures are similar
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for all students
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– This is especially important when students’
tests results are being compared to other
students (normed)
• Practicality: the extent to which an
assessment technique is easy and
inexpensive to use

29. No discussion of assessment would be
complete without mentioning “high-
stakes” testing!0100 1011
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30. High-Stakes Assessment
0011 Remember the criterion-referenced
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HSAs?
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• In Maryland, all
students (starting with
the class of 2009) must
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pass these tests in order
to graduate
• They are considered a
form of “high-stakes”
testing…..a lot is riding
on them!

31. High-Stakes Assessment
• Tests 1101 0001 stem from
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the No Child Left Behind
(NCLB) Act and its demand for increased accountability
(usually done through testing)
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• “High-stakes” testing also refers to schools needing to
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make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) under NCLB.
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Much is riding on the outcome of these tests including
funding and staffing.
• What is your opinion of tests like these?
• Is there another way to ensure high-quality teaching in
all schools?

32. The end ….
• This is the end of our time together
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studying Educational Psychology!
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• I hope that you have enjoyed the class and
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that you have gained a better understanding
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of students and the best ways to teach them.
• I wish you all the best in your teaching
careers!!