Principles of High Quality Assessment in Learning 2 (Lesson 1)

Learning Targets and Assessment

• Learning targets are the outcomes or objectives of the lesson that the teacher wants students to attain or acquire at the end of the lesson.
• Learning targets should state clearly what students should know and be able to do at the end of the lesson.
• Categories of learning targets include:
  • Knowledge: facts and concepts that students want to know.
  • Reasoning: the ability to use knowledge to reason and solve problems.
  • Skills: the ability to demonstrate achievement-related skills.
  • Products: the ability to create achievement-related products.
  • Affective: attainment of affective traits such as attitudes, values, interest, and self-efficacy.

Writing Learning Objectives

• Lesson objectives should be expressed clearly following the SMART format.
• ABCD of writing learning objectives:
  • Audience: Who will do the performance at the end of the lesson?
  • Behavior: the action, skill, competency, or learning that the audience will accomplish.
  • Condition: under what conditions are needed to justify the behavior?
  • Degree: to what degree or mastery, how will it be done (speed, accuracy, quality, etc.)?

Principles of High Quality Assessment

• Principle 1: Clarity of Learning Targets.
• Principle 2: Appropriate Assessment Methods.
• The principles of high quality assessment empower educators to be more effective by optimizing assessment use to boost student achievement.

Clarity of Learning Targets

• Assessment can be made precise, accurate, and dependable only if what are to be achieved are clearly stated and feasible.
• Clear learning targets serve as a guide in creating assessment tools.