1. LIB 601 Libraries and Learning Fall 2009 Assessment of information literacy learning
2. What is assessment? Definition Assessment is the process of identifying, gathering and interpreting information about students’ learning. The central purpose of assessment is to provide information on student achievement and progress and set the direction for ongoing teaching and learning. Assessment provides information for those involved in the teaching and learning process to compare what is known and can be demonstrated against standards.
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5. Assessment FOR learning What is assessment FORlearning? Assessment for learning focuses on the gap between where learners are in their learning, and where they need to be – the desired goal. This can be achieved through processes such as sharing criteria with learners, effective questioning and feedback.
6. Why assess learning? To find out if they get what we’ve tried to teach them To find out if we taught them well enough To find ways of improving our teaching
7. Forms of assessment Assessment takes many forms in schools and classrooms: Formal and informal observation and discussion with students Formal assessment tasks Formative monitoring and adjustment of teaching Summative assessment at key points Comparing evidence of achievement with other students Comparing evidence of achievement against syllabus standards
8. The fundamentals of effective assessment The British National Union of Students presents its principles:
10. Is Assessment in an LMC effective? Practice does not fit theory: Theoretically, the level of involvement in planning, teaching, and assessment should be no less than a partnership with other educators. However, the current practice of the instructional (including assessment) and curriculum roles in many school library media centers does not reflect the present theoretical and epistemological expectations of assessment in school librarianship articulated in professional literature and national guidelines . . . Thinking beyond the Disjunctive Opposition of Information Literacy Assessment in Theory and Practice
11. What’s the problem? Impediments: Lack of time Role perception conflict Lack of teacher interest in cooperation Too many students to serve Thinking beyond the Disjunctive Opposition of Information Literacy Assessment in Theory and Practice Others?
12. What is Authentic Assessment? Definitions A form of assessment in which students are asked to perform real-world tasks that demonstrate meaningful application of essential knowledge and skills -- Jon Mueller “. . . Engaging and worthy problems or questions of importance, in which students must use knowledge to fashion performances effectively and creatively. The tasks are either replicas of or analogous to the kinds of problems faced by adult citizens and consumers or professionals in the field.” -- Grant Wiggins -- (Wiggins, 1993, p. 229).
16. Types of authentic assessment Observations: checklists of desired behaviors, rubrics that identify criteria for successful performance and describe different levels of performance, and rating scales that place levels of performance along a continuum. From Working Smarter: Being Strategic About Assessment and Accountability by Violet H. Harada, based on Ann Davies, Making Classroom Assessment Work
17. Products: checklists that list criteria for proficiency, rubrics that describe various levels of proficiency, and graphic organizers that organize and synthesize students’ work. From Working Smarter: Being Strategic About Assessment and Accountability by Violet H. Harada, based on Ann Davies, Making Classroom Assessment Work Types of authentic assessment
18. Conversations: formal and informal conferences, logs to record thoughts and feelings about the content and process, and notes and letters to self-assess and seek feedback. From Working Smarter: Being Strategic About Assessment and Accountability by Violet H. Harada, based on Ann Davies, Making Classroom Assessment Work Types of authentic assessment
19. Creating rubrics Ultimately, a good rubric is a promise to the learner that the elements outlined in the rubric are the valued, and therefore gradable, elements. When developing a rubric, I encourage my graduate students to think about the areas in which they would like the student to develop proficiencies and then articulate how they will know that the student has developed these proficiencies. Building Rubrics into Powerful Learning Assessment Tools
