Sensitive Attributes of Teaching and Learning Process - Essay Example

Name: Institution: Assignment 1 Part One: Quality Assessment Practice The assessment of student achievement has increasingly been the primary focus of the all education stakeholders: parents, teachers, academics and contemporary education systems. This incremental attention has reflected the integral role of quality assessment in the teaching and learning processes (Segers, Dochy, Cascalla, 2003). The quality of current assessment practices is underpinned by the need to integrate change bolstered by new understanding of learning theories, the new curricula that are being created, and the recognition of the necessity for new knowledge and skills. The teaching and learning realms are fast changing, which underscores the need for quality assessment practices to not only focus on achieving deep understanding of disciplines but also bolster learner’s capacity to critically analyze, synthesize, and make feasible inferences while summoning critical thinking for problem solving (Smith, Smith & De Lisi, 2001). It is imperative that quality in assessment practice is a function of its ability to invigorate knowledge, skills and behavioral development, which integrate the need for life-long learners through flexibility that allows changes in the assessment for teaching and learning. In essence, many assessment tasks require quality component at the development point in order to remove the illumination of intellectual challenges, and become explicitly significant as regards what students learn by cultivating connections with application of learnt knowledge past the college environment. Part Two: Two Major Tasks This assignment component will delve in quality assessment especially through interrogating the methods deployed to identify and collect information about learner’s achievements in the learning process. It is imperative that to fit in the context of this assignment component, discussions will revolve around understanding the quality of teaching in relation to concurrent testing practice. Therefore, assessment tasks in this context will be anchored on the analysis of written assessment documents. The statutory mid and end year official examinations, and a class custom term paper instruments will be critiqued to achieve the aim of the assignment. Task One: Examination Written examinations are generally the statutory assessment instruments required by many education regulatory agencies. This form of assessment is primarily meant to appraise the knowledge, skills, and intellectual abilities that are mainly crucial for success in a job. As provided by Newmann, Secada and Wehlage (1995), test questions in a mid or end of year exams are not developed from particular reading materials, and often students are not fed with directional information about what to study in preparation for the exam. However, to live to the tenets of quality assessment spirit, the elements of proper explicit criteria, high expectation, student direction, and others that reflect intellectual quality must be explicit and scalable. The coding in this task will revolve around the elements of explicit quality criteria, student direction, and those that bolster significance. Explicit Quality Criteria: The quality of an examination is underscored by the prerequisite integration of design attributes that reflect explicit quality mannerisms. This premise connotes that a major written examination will rank high in explicit quality criteria through the specificity of core statements and the details of the directives that communicate to the candidates the quantity and quality of work expected from them. This task element forms the primary basis of assessing the student’s work when it is apparent how the criterion will aid markers in awarding marks. Coding Scale The scale stretches though lens of the degree the examination employs explicit criteria to denote to the students the quality of work expected of them, and the plausibility of the criteria as references for marking the student’s works. Explicit Quality Criteria 1: There are no explicit instructions regarding the question of each question. 2: Unclear statements are vaguely given regarding the quality of questions and sections. 3: Concise instructions are delineated regarding the quality of each question and sections in the exam, although little effort is made to appropriately show what full mark entails. 4: Explicit instructions are given regarding the quality of answers to each question and there is some elaboration of the requirements for top mark in each section of the exam. 5: High explicit instructions are given regarding each test question and section, and it is explicit regarding how the criteria will be deployed to marks awarding. Each of the coding scale for the examination task reflects the degree of clarity for the deployment of explicit quality criteria in communicating the desired quality of student’s work. Scale five (5) is awarded to the exam task if it clear statements are used to inform the students exactly what is expected of their work and how the criteria would be used in mark awarding. High Expectation: This task element is very important in an examination context where the student is compelled to live within time restrictions, make fast question choices, and critically summon desired knowledge in expectation of higher rewards. Arnot (2004) describes high expectation as an attribute of an exam that confronts learners with leveled intellectual challenges. These examinations cultivate high expectation in that students are encouraged to work hard and with more cooperation in order to reap high intellectual rewards out of high marks earned when the exam results are out. It is notable that main examinations bolster higher expectations that continuous assessment tests or other assessments that do not directly influence the final mark upon with the candidate will be intellectually ranked. Coding Scale The coding for this element is influenced by the extent in which the characteristics of the exam communicates high expectations of al candidates and cultivates their morale to take conceptual risks. High Expectations 1: The examination does not induce challenge oriented zeal on the students 2: The examination invokes some challenges for the students 3: The examination poses some challenges for most of the students 4: The exam induces serious challenges for all candidates 5: The examination poses serious challenges for all students and motivates them all to take more risks to demonstrate their intellectual mighty. Task Two: Term Paper Term papers are increasingly the instruments deployed as custom classroom testers of the extent of student’s understanding of particular sections of the teaching materials, and their ability to connect learnt knowledge and skills with outside class contexts. In coding this assessment instrument, the elements of background knowledge, knowledge integration, and connectedness will be explored to reflect their role as quality parameters in classroom assessments. Background Knowledge: Issuing term papers in a classroom, the teacher initially requires giving enough background information that seeks to unveil the background understanding. High background knowledge in a term paper would be apparent if the topic of the term paper catalyzes the students’ desire to connect between their extant knowledge, experiences, and the content, and the skills and capabilities being tested. Background Knowledge Coding Scale The coding is this context anchors on the interrogation of the degree to which the term paper targets the student’s prior knowledge or experiences, which aid the learner to integrate understanding of traditional and new knowledge. 1: The students’ background knowledge is not elicited in any way in the term paper 2: Though students’ background is mentioned, it is not linked to the topic of the term paper 3: The background knowledge of learners is mentioned and is linked with the topic of the assignment. 4: The students’ background knowledge is elicited, and is well connected to the topic of the assignment, and draws into the out of class contexts. 5: The students’ background knowledge is explicitly elicited and meaningful connections with out-of-class experiences substantially incorporated as integral to the term paper. Connectedness: Term papers are often used in classroom contexts to gauge students’ understanding and conceptualization of particular sections or components of the teaching material. High connectedness in this form of task is chronicled through elicitation of meaning from an out-of-school or class perspective. Coding Scales The coding scales in this context delves the extents to which the term paper requires the students to apply knowledge to real life situations, and provides them avenues to extrapolate their classroom knowledge to out-of-school situations. Connectedness 1: The term paper does not draw attention to anything beyond itself. The assignment does not have a rationale that transits the classroom requirements. 2: The term paper attempts to connect learners with outside world, but the effort is weak. 3: The term paper connects the students well with the world beyond classroom, but it does not cultivate the desire to understand the implications of the connections. 4: The task cultivates deeper understanding of the topic and its connections with the out of class world in ways that motivate formation of the rationality behind the implications of the connections. 5: The term paper motivates the learners to understand and explore the links between the classroom knowledge of the subject and the out of school experiences. The assignments encourage the students to conceptualize the dynamics of the topic and draw objectives that include the external audience. Part Three In the examination task, it is conceptually implicit that the explicit component of assessment instruments is crucial in communicating not only the seriousness or weight of the test, but also cultivates necessary preparatory cues on the part of the learners. It is a means for the testing instrument to ensure full concentration and adequate mobilization of learnt knowledge and skills for problem solution. Additionally, the component of an examination attaining high expectations exudes seriousness on the part of the leaner, which harnesses attentiveness and cements the value of an exam as a testing instrument across the education system. Although a term paper as a class based testing tool comprises various quality assessment components, the conceptual implication of the background knowledge and connectedness cannot be overemphasized. Testing for prior knowledge about a topic is critical in that the teacher summons the opportunity to improve, probably through tutorials, any skills or knowledge gap. The term paper contextually aids in developing creativity and innovativeness. Students conceptualize through these elements the practice of integrating learned and traditional knowledge and skills for problem solving. The explained examination and term paper testing criteria bear numerous strengths as aforementioned. Primarily, the criteria help students gauge the extent of preparedness through specific and explicit instructions. However, in the context of an examination, it is difficult to ensure explicit statements address all questions because different topics and contexts are tested in an exam. Testing for background knowledge in via term papers opens up the interactional avenue as the teacher is able to gauge the extant knowledge and experience the student have, and also highlights the understanding level of a taught topic. Both the examination and the term paper test instruments fall within the tenets of contemporary authentic forms of instruction and assessment. This is because in both tests, students are informed about the expectations of the assessor on the quality of their work and its implications in their intellectual endeavors (Darling-Hammond, 1994). Additionally, the assessments bear clear evaluative component that accordingly rewards the student’s efforts. In the term paper context, the students are allowed opportunities to brainstorm in groups before retreating for individual report writing. The high expectation element in the examination situation encourages students to cooperate in groups and visualize different exam scenarios that they delve as they rehearse for the real test. It is important to note that both test instruments offer specific feedbacks to students that they are expected to optimize in improving succeeding assessment requirements. These are crucial attributes of the contemporary authentic instruction and assessment regime. The implications drawn from the assessment tasks are that the exam is substantially conventional and large scale while the term paper is inherently class based. The exam is systemically statutory and thus requirement by the education agencies that cannot be overlooked while the class based term paper is more of custom testing practice that the teachers cannot be penalized by the authorities for not administering. Conclusion This essay revolved around instruction and assessment practices, which are very sensitive attributes of teaching and learning process. Authentic instruction and assessment model sufficed the novel concept that not only targets actual knowledge and skill acquisition through education but also aims at the integration of learning and connectedness of out-of-school intellectuality. Coding of assessment instruments is vital for improved test quality and marking and communicating authentic feedbacks to the learners. References Arnot, M. (2002). Schooling and the reproduction of class and gender relations. In Reproducing Gender: Essays on educational theory and feminist politics. London, UK: Routledge Falmer. Darling-Hammond, L. (1994). Performance-based assessment and equity. Harvard Education Review, 64 (1), 5-30. Newmann, F. M., Secada, W. G., & Wehlage, G. G. (1995). A guide to authentic instruction and assessment: Vision, standards and scoring. Madison WI: Wisconsin Center for Education Research. Segers, M., Dochy, F., & Cascallar, E. (eds). (2003). Optimizing new modes of assessment: In search of qualities and standards. Dordrecht : Kluwer Academic Publishers. Smith, J. K., Smith. L.F., & De Lisi, R. (2001). Natural classroom assessment: Designing seamless instruction and assessment. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin. Read More