Chapter 10 BLOG

Nathan Renfro

N_Renfro@tamu-commerce.edu

ETEC 424

October 5, 2010

Assessment activities are used to “determine if intended learning outcomes have been achieved (Gagne, Bridges, &Wayne, 1998). Assessment activities can be used in several different ways to create data you can use to improve the performance of the learner. Popular means of assessing performance are by the use of “…scoring grids, scoring schemes, ratings scales, and rubrics" (Crismond, Howland, Jonassen, & Marra, 2008). E-portfolios can also be used to monitor the outcome of a lesson. E-portfolios are “…a collection of digitized artifacts that may include video clips, graphics, sound, writing samples, artwork, and multimedia presentations” to show the accomplishments of an individual (Crismond, Howland, Jonassen, & Marra, 2008).

E-portfolios help teachers and students monitor their learning and teaching processes to find out what strategies work with retaining information and what strategies need to be adjusted. They also encourage meaningful learning and can be used to show an infinite amount of learning outcomes. They provide students with the opportunity to reflect on their work and  provide the opportunity for teachers to assess their lesson plans. Computer-based tests are tests or surveys that can be completed from a computer terminal. The computer-based test grades itself, allowing the student to see what questions were missed and, on certain computer-based tests, what steps the student missed to get the problem wrong almost immediately after the examination. Students also have the ability to take tests on scantrons that use a computer to grade their answers from a scan sheet or bubble sheet. This is a very common way of test-taking and has been used for several decades.  These forms of technology-based test-taking has made getting student test results faster and more convenient. Yes, the use of computer-based tests impacts validity and reliability. It is noted that computer-based tests focus on people of “average ability level… but do not work well for learners at either end of the spectrum” (Crismond, Howland, Jonassen, & Marra, 2008). It is also noted that if a test is made to adapt and increase learner engagement that meaningful learning will occur.

In conclusion, technology applied to assessment can be a valid resource in ensuring meaningful learning. It allows the teacher enough data to ensure his/her lesson plan is adequate to teaching the students that s/he has in the classroom. It allows the student time to reflect on what they have learned and ensure the information has been used in a meaningful way. So, like many things involved while teaching and learning, assessment activities, when used properly, can make the learning environment more effective. By combining the use of content and presentation a teacher can ensure that meaningful learning occurs in the classroom.

References:

Crismond, D., Howland, J., Jonassen, D., Marra, R. M. (2008). Meaningful learning with technology. Columbus: Pearson, Merrill Prentice Hall.

Gagne, R.M., Bridges, L.J., &Wayne, W.W. (1998). Principles of instructional design. Orlando:  Holt, Rinehart and Winston.