Evaluation Strategies for Students - Literature review Example

Evaluation Strategies for Students Name: Institution: DEFINITION A real assessment is defined as an assessment that has something to do with the real world. According to Frey, Schmitt and Allen (2012), real or authentic evaluations should represent performance in the field, use self- assessment and allow the students to present their work to others and defend it. According to the authors, the concept of authentic assessment has been used as a synonym for real assessment because of the complexity of the term ‘authentic’. The assessment should be formative in such that, it backs classroom instruction, gathers evidence from different activities, supports teaching and learning among students, and reflects local controls, standards and values. In this context, “assessment tasks that are interesting, and require complex thought, and require high levels of student participation are authentic” (Frey, Schmitt & Allen, 2012, p.13) hence, they are realistic. REAL EVALUATION STRATEGIES On some occasions, students spend a considerable amount of their time studying for exams especially if they had spent their time ineffectively and inefficiently. This largely triggered by the possibility that students tend to focus mainly on the aspects of study material that are not very important because they do not have the proper study skills for the study material or they prepare for a different type of texting format to what was given. For example, students can prepare inadequately for open-book exam by bringing a wide range of materials they believe are necessary for the exam. In the process of looking for information on the materials, they waste a lot of time trying to find the relevant information or as they attempt to blend the information. Similarly, students may memorize the facts and figures in the study materials which can be an impediment since they cannot apply the key ideas. Therefore, teachers should implement real evaluation strategies to prepare students for exams, motivate them and improve their attitude towards the respective courses. The main evaluation strategies are summative evaluations and formative evaluations. Summative evaluations are assessments that are given occasionally to determine at a specific point in time what students do not know and know. These are largely associated with standardized tests which form an important aspect of classroom and district programs. This strategy is basically an accountability measure and thus, it is used as portion of the grading process. The strategies that fall into this category of evaluations are: state assessments, interim assessments, chapter or end- of-unit tests, and semester or end- of- term exams. The scores of these assessments are used for students in form of report card grades and for accountability measure for schools. The evaluations are spread out and they are executed after instructions once a year, monthly or weekly (Garrison & Ehringhaus, 2004). Accordingly, they serve as tools used in the evaluation of the programs’ effectiveness, school improvement objectives, student placement in given programs or curriculum alignment. Formative evaluations are different from summative evaluations because they are used as part of instruction/ teaching. Garrison and Ehringhaus (2004) pointed out that the strategy involves incorporating assessments into classroom practice to allow the teachers obtain the information they need to adjust teaching and learning as they occur. The teacher is informed about the students’ understanding of the lessons and timely changes can be made to improve teaching and learning. As such, students are better placed to achieve targeted learning goals within a given time frame. Formative evaluation strategies appear in a number of formats such as: Criteria and goal setting: this strategy engages students in the learning process and instruction by creating specific expectations. The teacher gives the students the learning goal and the criteria for achieving it. The teacher can give the students performance rubrics so that the students are aware of the teacher’s expectations on the lesson. The rubrics communicate to the students what is important in the assignment and the quality of work expected from them. This helps the students to know what they are expected to achieve at the end of the lesson. For example, the teacher can work with the students to establish the norm behaviors for their classroom culture and determine the criteria that should be used in determining success. This strategy uses student work, exemplars and classroom tests to highlight what is expected of the students. In turn, the students are able to understand where they are, where they should be, and the effective process of achieving it (Garrison & Ehringhaus, 2004). Observation: this strategy extends beyond the teacher walking around the classroom to see the student’s work. It involves gathering of evidence on the students’ learning to help improve instructional planning. The evidence collected can be recorded and be used as feedback for the students about their progress in learning (Garrison & Ehringhaus, 2004). Furthermore, the teacher has to use the feedback to guide the students’ process of study. Often, students do not know how they can effectively prepare for an exam especially if they are dealing open-ended questions. Feedback serves as guide on what they should study. Therefore, the students will learn to learn the material instead of memorizing it in preparation for exams. Questioning: questions should be included in the lesson plans. Asking questions is serves as a great opportunity for the students to engage in deeper thinking and the teachers are able to gain insight into the depth and level of students’ understanding of the lesson. Such questions engage learners in classroom dialogue that uncovers learning on the one hand, and expands knowledge on the other. An example of how this strategy can be implementing is the use of ‘exit slip’ given to the students at the end of the class period to find out about the students’ understanding of the lesson. It can also involve the use of quick checks during instruction for instance, red/ green cards can be used as part of the questioning strategies to receive immediate information on the students’ learning progress. The other aspect of this strategy is allowing students ask questions. Additionally, the questioning strategy creates a platform on which the teacher can teach the student on test- taking measures. For example, the teacher can remind the students to understand the question before responding to it (Garrison & Ehringhaus, 2004). Peer and self- evaluations: this is important in creating a learning community in the classroom. In particular, the teacher uses this strategy by giving the student a sample of exam questions. This offers the students with an opportunity to answer the questions in a test-like situation. Self-evaluation of their progress grants then a rather accurate preview of how well they are likely to perform. It also allows the student to participate in metacognitive thinking in their learning because they are able to countercheck their learning. In addition, peer evaluation helps students to perceive each other as important resources for understanding and examining the quality of their work against previously outlined criteria (Garrison & Ehringhaus, 2004). Record Keeping: this is helpful in improving the students’ understanding of their learning as indicated by their classroom work. The strategy focuses on keeping continuous records of the students’ work. The process engages the students and more so, it helps them see beyond the grade and to see their progress from where they started and thes engages the students and more so, it helps them see beyond the grade and to see their progress from where they started a progress they are marking in relation to the outlined learning goal (Garrison & Ehringhaus, 2004). LITERATURE REVIEW Evaluation is an essential component of teaching and learning. Evaluation of students is the main task of any school’s administration and the teachers. Evaluation activities influence educational process by guiding what the teachers should do to improve the students’ performance and motivation. Throughout the history of education in America, evaluation of the performance of students has been an aspect of continuing concern to parents, students and educators. Without an effective evaluation strategy, it is impossible for the teachers to know whether the students have learned, how best they can address the needs of their students, or whether teaching has worked effectively. The quality of evaluation in the process of education also has a reflective and well established connection to the performance of the students. Research consistently indicates that regular monitoring and feedback are crucial to the improvement of student learning. Schroeder et al (2007) stated that, evaluations affect students in long, medium and short term ways. Evaluation allows the students to focus on important elements of the discipline, encourages active learning, gives students the opportunity to practice their skills and consolidate learning, and provides knowledge of corrective feedback by helping students as they monitor their individual progress. Evaluation strategies have wide ranging implications for students. The evaluation strategies that teachers employ influence the quality of students’ experiences in learning and this can affect the process of learning. Teachers have to have a clear understanding of the evaluation approaches in order to select those that are appropriate for the students. They should also promote student participation in the evaluation process for example, by specifying the criteria by which the learners’ performances will be based on. Similarly, the evaluation strategy used should connect with the learning standards and objectives because, appropriate implementation of evaluation strategies will lead to improvement in students’ learning, performance and attitudes (Olina & Sullivan, 2002). Gusky (2009) points out that, research has found that evaluation strategies help students feel more prepared. The strategies also help the students provide higher quality of work and have a clearer understanding of what is expected of them hence, they have to be appropriately selected. Classroom evaluation has the potential of causing immense impact on the students’ motivation and performance. In a study of K-12 students in 2007, the students felt motivated and were better positioned to identify their strengths and weaknesses in a given discipline as a result of evaluation strategies such as self-evaluation (Gusky, 2009). Olina and Sullivan (2002) point out that evidence has shown that evaluation can offer students the knowledge of outcomes and corrective feedback, assist student monitor their personal progress, and influence their continuing motivation and their perspectives of their self- efficacy as students. Evaluation of students’ work is the commonly used strategy for classroom evaluation and has been found to have a positive impact on the student’s attitudes and performance. For example, one study found that students in the elementary school showed improved attitudes and performance towards mathematics when their teachers gave them written feedback on their homework a number of times in a week. Similarly, studies have reported that there is a “positive correlation between the amount of teacher feedback on tests, quizzes and homework assignments and student performance in high school biology courses” (Olina & Sullivan, 2002, p.61). In another study of 74 secondary school teachers, results have shown that writing a brief comment on the objective examinations immensely improved the performance of students compared to incidences where students are not given any comment (Olina & Sullivan, 2002). Formative evaluation strategies have a practical impact on the students. In an extensive review on formative evaluations, Paul Black (1998) found that the strategy led to an improvement in students’ achievement. The study revealed that the strategies led to substantial learning gains that allowed the students to integrate the lessons into classroom practice. In another study by the same researcher with colleagues in 2004, the findings showed that formative evaluations led to the improvement of school performance. The researchers noted that improves the students’ learning process by enabling them to learn the material (Gusky, 2009). Also, real evaluation strategies allow the students to transfer what they have learned in the classroom into the real world. In a study presented by Schroeder et al (2007) it is noted that evaluation strategies that supported collaborative learning such as group-evaluation improved student’s understanding. The study found that, if the students are placed in a learning environment in which they are allowed to work collaboratively, it creates an opportunity for them to understand what they are learning and thus, exhibit accelerated performance. The positive impact of the evaluation strategies is noted to have been triggered by the teachers’ knowledge on the strategies which allows them to purposefully choose from among the strategies to accomplish a given goal for the lesson. In the long term, evaluation of students has been found to influence the students’ learning styles and skills. According to Schroeder et al (2007) evaluations influence the ability of a student to retain and apply the materials learned in different ways and contexts. This further improves their learning skills and styles. At the same time, it influences how the students perceive themselves such that, they develop the perception that they are self- efficient as learners. Gusky adds that, from a study by Paul Black in 1998, evaluation improves the students’ performance by improving how the students learn. In the study, the research showed that the self-evaluation led to improved achievements by students who initially had difficulties learning. STUDY QUESTIONS Pertinent research studies have been investigated on the role of evaluation strategies on students’ performance. The central question addressed in this paper is the impact of real evaluation strategies for students. The specific questions are: What evaluation strategies do teachers use in a classroom setting? How does evaluation affect student motivation and attitude? What evaluation strategies can teachers use to improve students’ performance? OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY To identify the different evaluation strategies used in classrooms. To find out the impact of real evaluation strategies on students To examine the effectiveness of evaluation strategies on the student’s performance METHODOLOGY This section of the paper highlights the methodological tools to be used in the ultimate analysis for this study. The methodology to be used in this study is quantitative since it contributes to the establishment of a regression for explanatory and predictive purposes. Evaluation strategies noted in this paper are considered as the variables that correlate with students’ performance and attitudes. The research question guiding this study is: to what extent and in what way is a student’s performance and attitude influenced by evaluation strategies? Researcher –designed questionnaire is the main tool that will be used in this study. The questionnaire will contain a wide range of items that will help in gathering data for the study. To obtain background information of the participants, the questionnaire will have items that ask for information on the quantity of instruction and the classroom environment, as well as the teacher’s experience in using evaluation strategies. The items will also provide information of the type of evaluation strategy the teacher uses and whether the strategy is applied to all units. The other approach is a general interview guide. The participants will be interviewed to obtain their knowledge of, and experience with evaluation strategies. The teacher has to consider typical class periods in deciding how many times they used evaluation strategies. They will select from a range of between zero and five. Dillman (1978) described that this type of item has been designed so that it offers the research participants with a choice which is a representation of the “graduation of a single dimension of some concept. This structure is ideally suited for determining such things as frequency of participation” (p.89). This is vital in determining the extent to which every teacher is different from the other in regard to the use of an evaluation strategy. SAMPLE The neighboring elementary schools will be selected as the research sites for this study. The Standards of Learning achievement has to be considered in selecting the sample for the study. Primarily, the first measure is that the school has to have a high score on average in the district. The other measure is that the school should show a great percentage increase in students’ scores in the four main disciplines (English, science, mathematics and social studies) for the past two years. The third measure to be considered is the schools with the greatest increase in the number of scores over the benchmark of sixty percent. Thirty teachers from three different schools in the district where evaluation strategies are used will be randomly selected. The combination of these measures serve as a filter to ensure that schools with high stakes test results, have implemented evaluation strategies in a way that improved performance, and have worked closely with other educational agencies are worthy of this study. Before proceeding with this study, an exemption from the respective institutional review board has to be obtained. The superintendent of the district will have to give a permit for the study to be conducted in the school. However, the elementary school principal will have to be contacted so as to ask for permission to undertake the study. The principal will also provide access to information about the school and the possibility of conducting the study. The information will indicate the number of teachers using evaluation strategies. Similarly, the participants have to sign a consent form that outlines the main purpose of the study, confidentiality, risks, benefits and permission to use their information for research. References Dillman, D. A. (1978). Mail and Telephone Surveys: The Total Design Method. New York: John Wiley & Sons Publishers. Frey, B. B., Schmitt, V. L. & Allen, J.P. (2012). Defining Authentic Classroom Assessment. Practical Assessment, Research and Evaluation. Vol. 17(2). Pp.1-18 Garrison, C. & Ehringhaus, M. (2004). Formative and Summative Assessments in the Classroom. Retrieved September 8, 2015 from http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/33148188-6FB5 4593-A8DF-8EAB8CA002AA/0/2010_11_Formative_Summative_Assessment.pdf Gusky, T. R. (2009). The Teacher as Assessment Leader. California: Solution Tree Press. Olina, Z. & Sullivan, H. J. (2002). Effects of Classroom Evaluation Strategies on Student Achievement and Attitudes. Educational Technology Research and Development. Vol. 50(3). Pp.61-75 Schroeder, C.M. et al. (2007). A Meta-Analysis of National Research: Effects of Teaching Strategies on Student Achievement in Science in the United States. Journal of Research in Science Teaching. Vol. 44(10). Pp.1436-1460 Read More