Week 7 Response

1. Is there a difference between the terms assessment and evaluation for you? Some authors define a difference.

Assessment and evaluation differ in various ways but are both essential to teaching and learning. Without effective assessment and evaluation it is impossible to know what students have learned, whether learning activities have been effective, or how to best address student learning needs. Assessment is formative and process-oriented. It is ongoing for the purpose of improving teaching and learning. Baehr (2005) defines assessment as looking at how the quality of a performance or outcome could be improved in the future; this includes strengths that should be sustained as well as areas for improvement. Evaluation is summative and product-oriented. It is a final judgment to gauge what has been learned in order to arrive at an overall grade or score.

http://duke.edu/arc/documents/The%20difference%20between%20assessment%20and%20evaluation.pdf

2. Do you feel the push toward teaching to the test and the pull of the less measurable, constructivist outcomes? Do you feel torn between the two?

As a grade 9 math and science teacher I do feel the push of teaching to the test and the pull of less measurable outcomes. While students write their standardized math assessment in grade 8, I still feel the effects of these assessments as I review the results and prepare Supporting Ongoing Mathematics Development documents (SOMDs) for each student who did not meet expectations of these assessments. As their grade 9 teacher, I am responsible developing their skills and understanding based on these results. While I do incorporate a constructivist approach within my courses, I find that our education system is very standards-driven, and has been developed around a linear curriculum. While most teachers are supporting constructive learning in their classrooms, it is probably difficult to escape the pressures of teaching to the test if you teach a course that requires students to write provincial assessments or provincial exams.

3. Is there a difference between the measurement of constructivist and non-constructivist outcomes?

Based on their characteristics, the measurement of constructivist and non-constructivist outcomes will be different. Constructive learning is an active and ongoing process in which experience is converted into knowledge and skills. Measurement of constructivist outcomes should take place throughout the learning process and not just for the purpose of assigning a grade. Non-constructivist outcomes are more likely to measure comprehension and knowledge of a concept using product-based assessments, such as quizzes or tests.

This year I have put more consideration into triangulation of assessment; specifically incorporating new forms of observation and conversation assessments into my math classes. While I have always done quite well on assessing products my students create (projects, presentations,tests, quizzes), I needed to incorporate more methods for observing and discussing what students are learning. My goal was to support more constructive learning in my math classes, and I have found checklists and rubrics for measuring observation and conversation components very helpful.