This document provides descriptions of various assessment strategies that can be used for diagnostic purposes. These include response journals, self-assessments, quizzes/tests, placement graphic organizers, conferences/interviews, posters, performance tasks, mind maps, gap closing activities, student surveys, anticipation guides, graffiti walls, word splashes, parallel activities, formal assessments, and KWL charts. Many of these strategies ask students to reflect on and demonstrate their current understanding of topics before and after the learning process.

1. Diagnostic
Assessment
Ideas

2. Journal
A response journal is a student’s personal
record containing written, reflective
responses to material he or she is reading,
viewing, listening to, or discussing. The
response journal can be used as an
assessment tool in all subject areas
http://eworkshop.on.ca/edu/pdf/Mod21_as
sessment_strgs.pdf

3. Student Self-Assessments
 Self-assessment is a process by which the student
gathers information about, and reflects on, his or
her own learning. It is the student’s own assessment
of personal progress in terms of knowledge, skills,
processes, or attitudes. Self-assessment leads
students to a greater awareness and understanding
of themselves as learners.
 For diagnostic purposes students can reflect on
what they know about a topic and previous
experiences with this topic.
 This would work well with skills that are repeated
and refined year after year such as comprehension
strategies.

4. Quiz / Test
 Thinkingabout the criteria for success and
the achievement of curriculum
expectations teachers can design
questions they want students to be able
to answer by the end of the learning
cycle. Teachers can then administer the
quiz again at the end of the learning
cycle to compare student results to
determine student learning.

5. Placement Graphic Organizer
 Placemat Organizer is given to a group of
students.
 Each student gets their own section on
the organizer.
 Students write their ideas and answers in
their portion of the placemat.
http://bss.wcdsb.ca/literacy/Literacy%2
0Templates/Placemat%20-
%20%20Square.pdf

6. Conference/Interview
 A conference is a formal or informal meeting
between the teacher and a student for the
purpose of exchanging information or sharing
ideas. A conference might be held to
explore the student’s thinking and suggest
next steps; assess the student’s level of
understanding of a particular concept or
procedure; and review, clarify, and extend
what the student has already Completed
http://eworkshop.on.ca/edu/pdf/Mod21_assess
ment_strgs.pdf

7. Poster
 Students can make a poster about a
particular topic. Student should include a
variety of pictures, headings and
captions.
 This would be particularly helpful for a unit
about media.

8. Performance Task
 During a performance task, students
create, produce, perform, or present
works on "real world" issues. The
performance task may be used to assess
a skill or proficiency, and provides useful
information on the process as well as the
product.
 http://eworkshop.on.ca/edu/pdf/Mod21_
assessment_strgs.pdf

9. Mind Map
 Students place the central topic in the center
of a page.
 Around this topic student write one word or
short phrases that relate to the main topic.
 Teachers can assess how much students know
about a particular topic.
 Teachers can photocopy and return the copy
to students who can add new learning to this
Mind Map later

10. Gap Closing
 http://www.edugains.ca/newsite/math2/
gapclosing.html
These activities are designed to uncover
they typical problems students have with a
specific topic. Works great in Math or could
also work with grammar, or spelling.

11. Student Survey
 Students complete a survey about their
ideas or understandings about a certain
topic.
 This answers can be compared to their
attitudes from the end of the learning
cycle to gage student learning.

12. Anticipation Guides
 This activity activates students’ prior
knowledge and builds curiosity about a new
topic. Before reading, students listen to or
read several statements about key concepts
presented in the text; they're often structured
as a series of statements with which the
students can choose to agree or disagree.
Anticipation guides stimulate students' interest
in a topic and set a purpose for reading.
http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/antici
pation_guide/

13. Graffiti Wall
 Students in a group are given a chart paper
and different coloured markers.
 Each student with a different colour marker
writes, draws, or demonstrates their
understanding of a particular topic.
 Students write on the paper free form, all
directions, and places.
 Teachers determine student understanding by
reading each students responses.

14. Word Splash
 Students are given Key words from the
unit of study prior to learning.
 Students are to write about their
understandings of the words
 What the words mean
 What the potential topic might be
 How the words are related
 Their understandings about the words

15. Parallel Activity
 The diagnostic should be completed in
conjunction with all other assessments.
Teachers can design their diagnostic and
their summative task to be similar.
 Example:
 Students will learn how to write a FairyTale.
 Diagnostic – using these characters write a
short fairy tale story.
 Summative – Using your own characters write
a Fairy Tale set in Medieval Times.

16. Formal Assessment
 UsingFormal Assessment tools
 DRA, CASI, PRIME, ONAP,

17. KWL
 Students are given the potential topic
and a KWL chart
 Students answer questions about what
they already know about the topic, what
they want to know, and what they have
already learned about the topic.
http://www.eduplace.
com/graphicorganizer
/pdf/kwl.pdf