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Session 3
Alternative Assessment
Traditional Assessments tend to assess
content knowledge.
Traditional Assessments include:
Objective Tests
(True/False, Multiple-Choice, Matching items)
&
Constructed-Response Items
(Short-Answer, Essays)
Alternative Assessments
Require students to demonstrate their
knowledge or skill through problem
solving, critical thinking, decision making.
These assessments are compatible with
contemporary views of learning and
motivation.
Portfolio Assessment
Authentic
Assessment
Performance
Assessment
Authentic Assessment
Evaluates students’ knowledge or skills in a
context that approximates the real world or real
life. The emphasis in on the process as well as
the product.
Examples include ….
Model of a Mayan village with a written description.
Family tree with ancestor anecdotes.
Creating an Italian food menu and a meal.
Formative Assessments
Provide guidance for the students’ learning efforts.
Modifications for students with exceptionalities are
facilitated with this information.
Both teacher and students are involved in formative
assessments.
Considerations & Cautions:
Authenticity is learner specific which precludes
comparison between students. It is difficult to make
reliable judgments about performances across students.
It takes time and practice for students to demonstrate
skills proficiently.
Biases exist with language prerequisites for students with
exceptionalities and ESL.
Portfolios
Systematic and organized collection of a student’s
work that demonstrates skills/accomplishments.
Portfolio evidence includes …
Artifacts (writing samples, journal entries, homework)
Reproductions (projects, posters, interviews)
Attestations (feedback/comments to document progress)
Productions (goal statements, reflections, self-evaluation)
Considerations & Cautions:
Each piece should be included that exemplifies
progress and purpose.
Portfolio assessment should link learning outcomes with
pedagogical strategies with performance standards.
Portfolios can be on paper, audio- or videotape, disk,
CD or website.
Growth-Portfolio:
Measures growth over time to reveal progress
in meeting learning targets (developmental)
Vs.
Best-Work Portfolio:
Showcases outstanding work and often
includes the students’ latest products (selective)
Portfolio Tips:
Involve students in the decisions about what
goes into the portfolio and how it will be evaluated.
Students should reflect and describe why they
selected each portfolio piece which will enhance
their critical thinking and articulation skills.
Student-teacher conferences throughout the year
are essential to review students’ progress.
Portfolio Evaluation:
Evaluation tools include checklists, rating scales and
rubrics.
Individual items in the portfolio must be assessed and the
portfolio as a whole.
Student designed rubrics allow students to decide what
quality work looks like, and they will know in advance what
is expected.
Considerations and Cautions:
Time consuming to coordinate and evaluate.
Complexity and originality make it difficult to evaluate.
Reliability is lower than for traditional tests.
Difficult to gauge the amount of teaching time and support to
give students during assembly.
The Challenge……
In a small group, brainstorm specific examples
of authentic assessments or portfolio
assessments for evaluating subjects/strands of
the provincial report card.
Use the following examples to organize
and share ideas within your group.
Example of Authentic Assessment:
Subject: Social Studies (Grade 2)
Strand: same
Summative Assessment: Poster presentation of family tree
Summative Evaluation: Checklist; peer evaluation; teacher observations
Formative Assessment: Family stories (anecdotal recounts)
Formative Evaluation: Rubric
Diagnostic Assessment: Class discussion about the origins and features
of various families; survey
Example of a Portfolio:
Subject: Math (Grade 7)
Strand: Geometry and Spatial
Summative Assessment: “The Mathematics Masterpiece Portfolio”
Summative Evaluation: Checklist; peer Evaluation; observations
Formative Assessment: Mathematical “Geometric” autobiography;
assignments (with corrections); samples of 3D shapes drawn in art
Formative Evaluation: Rubric; answer key; comments
Diagnostic Assessment: Pre-test matching exercise between shapes
and labels.