Chapter 1 Current Views On Assesment

Chapter 1: Current Views
on Assessment
Rationale
Science for All
Science Inquiry
Changing Assessment Practices
Science for All
The emphasis on science education in previous decades that
resulted in the development of curriculum materials
provided a framework on which the 1990s’ efforts built.
However, the 1990s differed from prior curricular reform
movements in that they were geared toward scientific
literacy for all students (National Research Council, 1999),
not just better science education for future scientists.
Such literacy is critical if the general public is to have a basis
for making informed decisions about issues like nuclear
power, personal health, the environment, reproduction
(Loucks-Horsley, Brooks, Carlson, Kuerbis, Marsh, Padilla,
Pratt, & Smith, 1990), and stem cell research.
Science Inquiry
“Science for all” is not the only theme emerging in
science education.
One can also track the development of an emphasis on
science inquiry. The National Science Teachers
Association (Texley & Wild, 1997, p. 62) notes that the
National Science Education Standards marks a move
“away from presenting information to encouraging
student discovery.” Tobin, Kahle, and Fraser supported
this move away from content presentation to a more
inquiry based approach.
Science Inquiry cont.
The National Standards document also argues that students must do
science (National ResearchCouncil, 1999, p. 2).
“The Standards rest in the premise that science is an active process.

Learning science is something that students do, not something that is
done to them. ‘Hands-on’ activities, while essential, are not enough.
Students must have ‘minds-on’ experiences as well.”
“When engaging in inquiry, students describe objects and events, ask

questions, construct explanations, test those explanations against
current scientific knowledge, and communicate their ideas to others.
They identify their assumptions, use critical and logical thinking, and
consider alternative explanations. In this way, students actively
develop their understanding of science by combining scientific
knowledge with reasoning and thinking skills.”
Science Inquiry cont.
In other words, “minds on” means that both students
and their teachers need to pay attention to the quality
and sophistication of student thinking.
For example, teachers may need to examine the quality of

students’ efforts to draw conclusions from data and
determine what next instructional steps are needed to
improve this particular thinking skill.
Changing Assessment Practices
Because of the changing emphases in science education,
traditional assessment practices must also undergo a
metamorphosis. The impetus for students to do
science fuels an impetus for teachers to find new
methods of assessment; methods that allow them to
track student progress toward the inquiry-based
standards of science education that emphasize the
quality of student thinking and student products.
Introduction
Assessment
Evaluation
Assessment
Assessment simply means a process, strategy, or tool for
collecting information about the learning process of
individuals or groups.
Such assessment has two broad goals:
1) to provide feedback to students about their own
learning, and
2) to monitor the effectiveness of the instruction.
Assessment cont.
A variety of assessments may be used to monitor the
effectiveness of instruction, ranging from the large-
scale achievement tests used to calculate Adequate
Yearly Progress under the No Child Left Behind Act
down to the observation of students’ facial expressions
by a lecturing teacher. Students can also receive
feedback in diverse ways (e.g., comments on a lab
report or scores on a high stakes test).
Assessment cont.
We will concentrate more on assessments that occur on
a day-to-day basis within the science classroom. Such
classroom assessments constitute an ongoing process
in which teachers and students interact to promote
enhanced student learning. This process involves
using a variety of assessment strategies and tools to
collect information about student learning and then
using the data collected to diagnose learning
problems, monitor student progress, or provide
meaningful and timely feedback to students.
Assessment cont.
Formative Assessments
Assessment is formative “when the evidence is actually used to
adapt the teaching to meet student needs” (Black & Wiliam,
1998, p. 140).
Refers to a wide variety of methods that teachers use to conduct in-
process evaluations of student comprehension, learning needs,
and academic progress during a lesson, unit, or course
Summative Assessments
Used to evaluate student learning, skill acquisition, and academic
achievement at the conclusion of a defined instructional period-
typically at the end of a project, unit, course, semester, program,
or school year.
Assessment cont.
Assessment for learning
*coined by Black and Wiliam (1998), characterize this
enhancing of student performance assessment process
as “assessment for learning”
*when “they assess for learning, teachers use classroom
assessment and the continuous flow of information
about student achievement that it provides to advance,
not merely check on, student learning.” Such assessment
for learning is assessment that helps students identify
the strengths and weaknesses of their performance so
that they can improve their achievement.
Assessment cont.
Assessment of learning
*Simply provides a means of rating students, or
comparing them to one another. Assessment of
learning, unlike assessment for learning, does not
focus on feedback for improvement.
Evaluation
Evaluation is a strategy used to collect information
based on evidence to modify the system of learning.
Evaluation includes repeated assessment. It is done by
the teacher, senior teacher and the supervisor at the
end of the term or the whole year. It includes all the
classroom components, course content, learners'
activities and the teacher's strategy.
Evaluation focuses on grades and may reflect
classroom components other than course content and
mastery level.
Assessment vs Evaluation
Assessment vs Evaluation cont.
Classroom Assessment Cycle
This cycle outlines an assessment process that focuses
on improving student performance.
1) Clarifying learning targets
2) Gathering evidence in a variety of ways
3) Analyzing assessment data
4) Modifying instruction
Classroom Assessment Cycle Cont.
Butler, et.al (2005)

Classroom Assessment Cycle cont.
Let us examine a common assessment scenario and
analyze it to see how it conforms to each step in the
Classroom Assessment Cycle.
Classroom Assessment Cycle cont.
Scenario one:
Mr. Ros, a seventh-grade teacher, teaches a unit on soil formation
and then gives a unit test with multiple choice, true/false, and
matching items to assess students’ retention of the
information. Students are told about the test one week in
advance and are instructed not to bring resource materials
with them to the test. Students’ tests are scored and returned
and form the basis of the six weeks’ grade. The teacher moves
on to a new unit.
Question:
Does scenario one conforms to each step in the Classroom
Assessment Cycle?
If yes, cite parts that conforms.
If no, explain why.
Scenario Two provides a classroom exemplar
of this assessment cycle in action.
Scenario two cont.

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Chapter 1: Current Views

“The Standards rest in the premise that science is an active process.

“When engaging in inquiry, students describe objects and events, ask

For example, teachers may need to examine the quality of

Butler, et.al (2005)

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