Nail down basic assessment terms
Assessment is to assemble and discuss information from various and diverse sources to build a deep understanding of what students recognize, identify and can perform with their knowledge for the result of their educational skill.
Assessment is explained as a process towards development or a process towards improvement or towards accountability, or all three of them together. The goal is to improve the quality of the curricular and co-curricular programs offered to a student by the college.
The results are used to improve subsequent learning process. It can also be defined as systematic process of examining student work, which is judged through points given to them. Assessment is a collective institutional process of inquiry, which examines student’s learning.
Assessment is not only collecting data. While making assessment work, educators have to be careful about the information collected. To gather the data, they should clarify the objectives and goals of learning and should know where to address these goals and objectives in the curriculum.
Target the learning process by understanding types of assessment
Quantitative and Qualitative Methods: These methods bring precious information to light. Quantitative methods are renowned by their importance on measurement, numbers, statistical analysis and experimental designs. The qualitative method is focused on group discussions, mini groups and in depth interviews. This is used in open-ended questions to grow, and to understand the explored questions in depth.
Indirect and Direct Methods: The indirect assessment methods capture student’s perception of their learning like accessing the quality of services, educational offerings which support learning. It includes group discussions, satisfaction, alumni and employer surveys. In the direct method a student presents or demonstrates their learning and have clear objectives and definite criteria of working, which is evaluated. Examples of this method are making portfolios, oral exams, one minute paper, public presentation, test questions or oral questions, or licensure exams
Summative and Formative Methods: The summative assessment method is used to understand whether the goal has been met or not. They are program learning goals. The formative assessment method is used to understand the student’s progress or its effectiveness to move towards a goal. Formative assessment is applied throughout the learning process. Faculty or program managers may apply any changes quickly—while the student is still in the class/department/program. It helps in recognizing whether change is necessary or not, to meet the goals. It includes the one minute paper.
Assessment explores multiple sources of proof which allow us to illustrate inferences about how students develop meaning based on our educational practices.
