Tools for Strengths-Based Assessment and Evaluation - Report Example

Assessment and Evaluation The paper illustrates the importance of evaluation and assessment as educational methods in an educational setting. Assessment as way a teaching mode provides the best method of learning because it offers interaction between the teacher and the learner. Evaluation on the other hand is reflective since it primarily focuses on the final score attained by the learner. Assessment is a continuous process while evaluation uses a fixed assessment criterion. Assessment Assessment is an interactive method used by teachers to gauge the progress of students through teaching, learning and the outcomes. It helps the faculty to determine its effectiveness in terms of teaching and the learning levels of the students. The information gathered is used by the teaching management to officiate changes in their mode of teaching, and the result is discussed with the students to assist them in their learning capabilities (Carl, 2009). Evaluation Evaluation focuses on the outcome rather than the process. That is, it is used entirely by the administrators for the purpose of grading students regarding a subject matter. It uses methods such as examinations, assignments, and attendance list and communication skills. Evaluation is primarily used for making judgments by the administrators regarding the amount of information gathered by the students. It can be measured according to the set standards or in comparison to other similar objects of study (Carl, 2009). Difference in Purpose Assessment is cooperative in nature. Assessment is used to engage both the teachers and the students. This learning process is a two way channel where the teacher engages the students’ cooperation to enquire their understanding. The teacher uses open ended questions where each student can answer regarding his or her opinion on the subject. This type of method is useful because it provides anonymity in terms of the students’ progress (Carl, 2009). Evaluation is competitive. Evaluation focuses on the final product hence; the process is competitive in nature since the students are compared amongst each other. This method uses the grading system to determine the level of students understanding. Evaluation uses examination standards which are usually set by the institution to rank students. In return, it enables the students to compete between each other academically (Nusche & OECD, 2011). Assessment is diagnostic. The process uses cooperative method to enhance students learning hence, the administrator can be able to identify areas of improvements. The program uses open ended questions, quizzes during class sessions, which enable the teacher to identify areas of understanding and areas of weakness. After identifying areas of weaknesses, the teacher can decide to repeat the topic or change the mode of teaching (Nusche & OECD, 2011). Evaluation is rather judgmental. The method uses grading system to measure its effectiveness. The administrator uses final examinations to rank the students understanding. This method uses scores or grades to rank students, irrespective of whether they crammed or not. Evaluation method is a subjective process which highly ignores the understanding levels of the students and might give wrong interpretation of the learning system (Nusche & OECD, 2011). Assessment is formative. Assessment is a learning process which values a significant and long term effect on the learners’ development process. Through the use of diagnostic tools to evaluate areas of weaknesses, the administrator can frequently be able to improve the learners understanding. The formative process is an on-going process which changes in regard to the learners pace of learning (Nusche & OECD, 2011). Evaluation employs summative method as a mode of teaching. The summative process majorly uses grades and scores to give the general view of the students’ learning curve. The process is final rather than on going, which can highly endanger the education system regarding the level understanding. A student can highly pass an examination due to cramming, but highly lack the concept of the information read (Nusche & OECD, 2011). In assessment the process is flexible; therefore changes can be made as need arises. Being a collaborative and a formative method, the instructor can then choose to change the mode of teaching, to dwell on the students’ areas of difficulties. The teacher will quickly point out areas of weakness based on the observation and questions he or she gives out in class and quantify the solution needed (Nusche & OECD, 2011). The Evaluation method is fixed because it is set before hand and follows a systematic channel. Since the method employs a judgmental mode of application, examinations results are the ones which depict the students’ level of learning. This method values learners’ results than the content. The successful students are then rewarded through gifts and presents while the failures are punished (Simmons & Lehmann, 2013). Assessment is process oriented that is, learners are monitored every step of the way. This learning method greatly values the content of understanding by the students. The instructor uses observation during class lessons to measure progress of the students understanding, whether in groups or as an individual (Simmons & Lehmann, 2013). On the other hand, evaluation is product oriented. The administrator in this case values the result of the learner ignoring the material grasp during the process. An examination can contain part of a syllabus which in turn, the learner can perform extremely well but on the bigger picture; he or she has understood a quarter of the whole course outline. On-going process is the best because it monitors the students’ progress in each topic (Simmons & Lehmann, 2013). Formative assessment vs. summative assessment Formative assessment is the method whereby the teacher uses on-going feedback from the students to measure their understanding capabilities and the learners on the other hand to grasp the content of study. The purpose of this method is to: identify the key points of weaknesses and strengths that the students possess and later on improving the students’ areas of difficulties. The second purpose is the help the administration track the students’ performance. Formative assessments have low stake value because they hardly count a lot on the students’ outcome results. The teaching tools include class tests, quizzes, open and closed ended questions and class projects. For example, the instructor giving class assignments during lesson time, and then marking as the class continues. The teacher asking questions to view the degree of understanding (Simmons & Lehmann, 2013). Summative assessment is used to evaluate the amount of information acquired by the students at the end of a certain academic period against some set academic standards by the institution. Summative assessments have a high stake value since they determine the students overall mark or the graduation level. The purpose of this measurement method is to help the teachers as well as the students determine the amount of information gained. The other purpose is to compare the students’ knowledge under stability against some other set guidelines to measure effectiveness. The measurement tools used in summative assessment include submission of the final project paper, sitting for a final or mid-term paper exam or sitting for a certain exam paper. Examples include: a student re sitting his Education exam paper to qualify for the next academic year, a student submitting his or her end year term project. Additionally, results from summative assessment can be used by the teachers to provide a guideline on future activities and efforts to be undertaken (Simmons & Lehmann, 2013). Formative vs. summative evaluation Formative evaluation is used to check a project’s efficiency during in its initial stages in order to decide when and where to improve the functionality. This method is highly beneficial when introducing a new project or scheme into the market but can also be adapted for the on-going projects. Formative evaluation can also be done using a smaller group of audience to the check the projects functionality. For example when developing a website, the owner can invite friends to check its defaults in order to make changes (KhosrowPour, 2013).  Summative evaluation is used to evaluate a projects efficiency at the end of its operation period and its findings are later measured to determine its functionality. The owner can then decide to adapt the project, reject it or even modify its efficiency. For example, a toy’s innovator can develop a toy which he can later evaluate its efficiency in terms of sales after two months and can later produce more if the product is on high demand (KhosrowPour, 2013).  Assessment and Evaluation As Used In the Instructional Design Process Formative Assessment Formative assessment is the process employed in collecting information in order to make improvements in the teaching mode. There are three stages that can help the instructor determine the system’s efficiency and its effectiveness as a whole. They include field trial, small groups and one on one evaluation. In one on one evaluation, the instructor uses a small sample of learners like three students to monitor feedback. It employs three criteria’s they include clarity, its feasibility and impact. In focus evaluation, the problems of the small group are given the same outcome as of the whole group. It is group centered not individual. Field evaluation is like simulation where learners learn from their usual instructor in a typical environment to test its feasibility (KhosrowPour, 2013).  Summative Assessment Summative assessment employs the use of collected data to make decisions about the mode of teaching. It has two instructional designs and that is, field trial and expert judgment. In field trial two analysis are used; outcome and management analysis. Outcome analysis measures the impact of the teachers’ instructions on the learners’ skills. Management analysis is instructor focused such that, it evaluates the teacher’s attitude towards the student which has an overall impact on the student’s performance. Lastly, in expert judgment the level of outcome is measured according to the students understanding capabilities, the teacher’s competence and the instructional materials used to meet the school’s target (KhosrowPour, 2013).  References Carl, A. E. (2009). Teacher empowerment through curriculum development: Theory into practice. Cape Town: Juta. Nusche, D., & Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2011).Norway 2011. Paris: OECD. Simmons, C. A., & Lehmann, P. (2013). Tools for strengths-based assessment and evaluation. Khosrow-Pour, M. (2013). Cases on assessment and evaluation in education. Hershey PA: Information Science Reference. Read More