Alternative assessment of learning

• Intended learning outcomes include explaining alternative assessment and related concepts
• Intended learning outcomes include demonstrating an understanding of the principles in assessing learning using alternative methods.

Assessment

• Assessment is gathering quantitative and/or qualitative data for decision-making

Types of Assessment

• Assessment of Learning: systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of student learning evidence to make informed decisions
• Assessment for Learning: using assessment to identify student needs to modify instruction or learning activities
• Assessment as Learning: using assessment tasks, results, and feedback to help students practice self-regulation and make adjustments to achieve curriculum outcomes.

Traditional Assessment

• Traditional assessment uses strategies or tools to give data on student learning
• Examples of traditional assessment include objective and subjective paper-and-pencil tests
• Traditional assessment is a basis for evaluating and grading students

Alternative Assessment

• Alternative assessment employs strategies or tools to collect data
• Alternative assessment is performance-oriented and product-oriented

Features of Alternative Assessment

• Assessment is based on authentic tasks that show student ability to accomplish communication goals
• Instructors and learners focus on communication, not on right and wrong answers.
• Learners help set criteria for completing communication tasks
• Learners can assess themselves and their peers

Traditional vs Performance Assessment

• Traditional assessment involves selecting a response, while performance assessment involves performing a task.
• Traditional assessment uses a contrived activity, while performance assessment emulates real life.
• Traditional assessment assesses knowledge/comprehension, while performance assessment also emulates real life.
• Traditional assessment is teacher-structured, while performance assessment is student-structured.
• Traditional scoring is easily achieved, while performance scoring is difficult to achieve.
• Traditional assessment gives indirect evidence, while performance assessment gives direct evidence.
• Alternative assessment utilizes nontraditional methods for more authentic learning targets and outcomes
• Alternative assessment leads to more authentic learning

Performance Assessment

• Performance assessment involves assessing student learning by having them perform a task or develop a product
• Performance assessment gives chance for students to apply learning through task performance or product creation
• Performance assessment emphasizes assessing what students know and can do
• Performance Assessments are more authentic when tasks closely resemble real-world experiences

Portfolio Assessment

• Portfolio assessment involves students creating and using portfolios to document progress towards learning targets
• A portfolio is a collection of learning and performance artifacts with personal narratives and reflections
• Portfolios allow students to show accomplishments and give chances to learners and teachers to evaluate progress
• Portfolio assessment allows for a comprehensive and integrative evaluation of learning processes and products/outputs.

Other Alternative Assessments

• Performance rubrics (for psychomotor outcomes)
• Rating scales and checklists (for affective or dispositional outcomes)
• Self-assessment and peer assessment

Models of Alternative Assessment

• Emergent Assessment:
• Based on Michael Scriven’s Goal Free Evaluation Model (1967)
• Determines the "effects" of instruction on students
• Includes intended and unintended learning outcomes
• Examines how and what the program and instruction are doing to address the needs of students
• Includes direct and indirect evidence of student learning collected

Developmental Assessment

• It focuses on determining the extent of competencies from instruction
• It uses pre-test and post-test methodology to collect data

Authentic Assessment

• Requires learners to perform or create a product that is meaningful and based on real-world contexts
• Authentic assessments closely resemble real-world tasks or applications.

Criteria for an Authentic Assessment Task

• Be built around topics of student interest
• Replicate real-world communication contexts and situations
• Involve multistage tasks and real problems requiring creative language use
• Require learners to produce a quality product or performance
• Introduce students to evaluation criteria and standards
• Involve interaction between assessor and person assessed
• Allow for self-evaluation and self-correction

Principles in Assessing Learning Using Alternative Methods:

• Assessment is both process- and product-oriented
• Assessment gives equal importance to student performance or product and the process they engaged in to perform or produce a product
• Assessment should focus on higher-order cognitive outcomes

Cognitive Outcomes

• Assessment is valid and authentic and requires demonstration of higher order cognitive outcomes (creating, analyzing) or skills (creativity, critical thinking)
• Assessment can include a measure of noncognitive learning outcomes
• Traditional assessment focuses on knowledge and cognitive learning outcomes, and psychomotor and affective outcomes
• Assessment should consider the assessment of non-cognitive outcomes
• Assessment should reflect real-life or real-world contexts
• Assessment tasks or activities should be authentic and approximate real-life situations
• Performance assessment is optimal when the task is similar to what is expected in the real world
• Assessment must be comprehensive and holistic
• Assessment should be performed using a variety of strategies and tools for integrative assessment
• Traditional and alternative assessment strategies and tools should be considered
• Nontraditional methods allow for multiple assessors, including self and peer assessment
• Assessment should lead to student learning
• Assessment should be like classroom instruction and align with assessment for learning and assessment as learning