8602 Assigntment

8602 Assignment Autumn 2017

Q. No1 : Explain the nature and scope of measurement, measurement, assessment and evolution. Highlight the important characteristics of classroom assessment.

Measurement, assessment, and evaluation mean very different things, and yet most of my students were unable to adequately explain the differences. So, in keeping with the ADPRIMA approach to explaining things in as straightforward and meaningful a way as possible, here ar e what I think are useful descriptions of these three fundamental terms. These are personal opinions, but they have worked for me for many years. They have oper ational utility, and therefore may also be useful for your purposes. Measurement: refers to the process by which the attributes or dimensions of some physical object are determined. One exception seems to be in the use of the word measure in determining the IQ of a person. The phrase, "this test measures IQ" is c ommonly used. Measuring such things as attitudes or preferences also applies. However, when we m easure, we generally use some standard instrument to determine how big, tall, heavy, voluminous, hot, cold, fast, or straight something actually is. Standard instruments refer to instruments such as rulers, scales, thermometers, pressure gauges, etc. We measure to obtain information about what is. Such information may or may not be useful, depending on the accuracy of the instruments we use, and our skill at using them. There are few such instruments in the social sciences that approach the validity and reliability of say a 12" ruler. We measure how big a classroom is in terms of square feet, we measure the temperature of the room by using a thermometer, and we use Ohm meters to determine the voltage, amperage, and resistance in a circuit. In all of these examples, we are not assessing anything; we are simply collecting information relative to some established rule or standard. Assessment is therefore quite different from measurement, and has uses that suggest very different purposes. When use d in a learning objective, the definition provided on the ADPRIMA for the behavioral verb measure is: To apply a standard scale or measuring device to an object, series of objects, events, or conditions, according to practices accepted by those who are skilled in the use of the device or scale. Assessment is a process by which information is obtained relative to some known objective or goal. Assessment is a broad term that includes te sting. A test is a special form of assessment. Tests are assessments made under contrived circumstances especially so that they may be administered. In other words, all tests are assessments, but not all assessments are tests. We test at the end of a lesson or unit. We assess progress at the end of a school year through te sting, and we assess verbal and quantitative skills through such instruments as the SAT and GRE. Whether implicit or explicit, assessment is most usefully connected to some goal or objective for which the assessment is designed. A test or assessment yields information relative to an objective or goal. In that sense, we test or assess to determine whether or not an objective or goal has been obtained. Assessment of skill attainment is rather straightforward. Either the skill exists at some acceptable level or it doesn’t. Skills are readily demonstrable. Assessment of understanding is much more difficult and complex. Skills can be practiced; understandings cannot. We can assess a person’s knowledge in a var iety of ways, but there is always a leap, an inference that we make about what a person does in relation to what it signifies about what he knows. In t he section on this site on behavioral verbs, to assess means To stipulate the conditions by which the behavior specified in an objective may be ascertained. Such stipulations are usually in the form of written descriptions. Evaluation is perhaps the most complex and least understood of the terms. Inherent in the idea of evaluation is "value." When we evaluate, what we are doing is engaging in some process that is designed to provide information that will help us make a j udgment about a given situation. Generally, any evaluation process requires information about the situation in question. A situation is an umbrella term that takes into account acco unt such ideas as objectives, goals, standards, procedures, and so on. Whe n we evaluate, we are saying that the process will yield information regarding the worthiness,

1


appropriateness, goodness, validity, legality, etc., of something for which a reliable measurement or assessment has been made. For example, I often ask my students if they wanted to determine the temperature of the classroom they would need to get a thermometer and take several readings at different spots, and perhaps average the r eadings. That is simple measuring. The average temperature tells us nothing about whether or not it is appropriate for learning. In order to do that, students would have to be polled in some reliable and valid way. That polling process is what evaluation is all about. A classroom average temperature of 75 degrees is simply information. It is the context of the temperature for a particular purpose that provides the criteria for evaluation. A temperature of 75 degrees may not be very good for some students, while for others, it is ideal for lear ning. We evaluate every day. Teachers, in particular, are constantly evaluating students, and such evaluations are usually done in the context of comparisons between what was intended (learning, progress, behavior) and what was obtained. When used in a learning objective, the definition provided on the ADPRIMA site for the behavioral verb evaluate is: To classify objects, situations, people, conditions, etc., according to defined criteria of quality. Indication of quality must be given in the defined criteria of each class cate gory. Evaluation differs from general classification only in this respect. To sum up, we measure distance, we assess learning, and we evaluate results in terms of some set of criteria. These three terms are certainly connected, but it is useful to think of them as separate but connected ideas and processes. Here is a great link that offers different ideas about these three terms, with well-written explanations. Unfortunately, most information on the Internet concerning this topic amounts to little more than advertisements for services. Important characteristics of classroom assessment .

Assessment for learning is a key element of teaching if you want your students to improve. As we said before Assessment for learning is aimed at helping you with your planning after you have identified your students’ strengths, weaknesses, their needs, t heir motivation and their learning styles. 1: Sharing learning objectives with students

At the beginning of every lesson you should share the teaching-learning objectives with your students so that they know what they are supposed to be able to achieve by the end of the lesson. I like to have general objectives displayed during the whole lesson at the top left corner of my board so that I can refer to them any time during the lesson. However I also have a set of differentiated objectives on what I called a SMART setting slide that is a Self-Target-Setting slide where students choose their targets according to their levels and abilities. These objectives targe ts will then be reviewed at the end of the lesson during the plenary. You will use these objectives for questioning and feedback. For example: “What were the objectives today? Have you reached your target? Which activity has helped you most? 2: Developing students’ awareness about their aims and the standards

Not only is it important to define the objectives of the lesson with your students, it is also crucial to explain to them how they will meet these objectives. Students need to be aware of the type of criteria that will allow them to achieve their targets. If you are expecting your students to write a long piece of extended writing you need to model and demonstrate what you are expecting by showing them an example of this writing. Once they have produced their piece of work you may want to use these as examples and why not as displays to show others the e xpectations. 3: Involve your students in their learning

They need to know that they are responsible for their learning and progress. Consequently they need to be given opportunities to talk about their targe ts, the activities in the lesson and they should be able to express themselves about any point they have found difficult. For this re ason you should always allow 2


five minutes at least at the end of your lesson to review the o bjectives and ask them which activity was helpful for them and which activity they found difficult. We often rush at the end of our lessons but these five minutes thinking time where students reflect on their work is important so t hat they can decide of the next step for their learning. 4: Constructive feedback

Every type of feedback is valuable to motivate our learners to improve. Whether written or oral feedback, these comments will help students acknowledge their strengths and weaknesses and will help them to identify which steps they nee d to take to improve. These feedbacks however need to tell what was done well by the students but it should also explain to them how it could have bee n even better. Feedback have to point out on the positive side of learning to develop students’ self confidence and self esteem as consent negative feedback can be damaging for learning and they can ev en have a bigger impact on the long-term on students’ personality. 5: Reflection for improvement

At the end of unit or term when we give our students some assessment tasks, students need to be clear on what skills are going to be assessed and they need to know the criteria against which they are going to get assessed. After the exam, reflection again is vital to decide on the future steps both for students and teachers. Both need to understand what went well in the teaching-learning process and w hat could be improved and how.

Q No.2 : Explain the bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational objectives and why objectives are important for test development give examples ? Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning learning is a psychological process. Thus, the assessment of lear ning, of necessity, requires the assessment of various psychological processes. In developing assessment tools (tests) it is important that we first have an understanding of these psychological processes and how to go about measuring them. Although there are many psychological models for the process of learning, for this workbook we have chosen Benj amin Bloom’s taxonomy as a useful tool. In Bloom’s taxonomy there are three fundamental learning domains: Cognitive, Psychomotor, and Affective. Affective: learning of beliefs, attitudes, and values. Psychomotor learning of physical movements such as ballet steps, how to pitch a curve ball, how to drill out a cavity in a molar, etc. Cognitive learning of information and the processes of dealing with that information. There are six levels of Cognitive Learning as specified by Bloom:

1. Basic Knowledge 2. Comprehension 3. Application 4. Analysis 5. Synthesis 6. Evaluation

3


Generally it can be said that the first category, Knowledge, is information-oriented as it stresses the ability to recall existing knowledge. The other five categories can be termed “Process o riented” because they entail more sophisticated learner behaviors and competencies that require increasing degrees of understanding. The following are brief definitions of these six levels with a suggestion as to how to assess this level of learning. Basic Knowledge: To recall and memorize - Assess by direct questions. The object is to test the students' ability to recall facts, to identify and repeat the information provided. Comprehension: To translate from one form to another - Assess by having students' 1) restate material in their own words, 2) reorder or extrapolate ideas, predict or e stimate. Assessments must provide evidence that the students have some understanding or comprehension of what they are saying. Application: To apply or use information in a new situation - Assess by presenting students with a unique situation (i.e. one not identical to that used during instruction) and have them apply their knowledge to solve the problem or execute the proper procedure. Analysis: To examine a concept and break it down into its parts - Assess by presenting students with a unique situation of the same type but not identical to that used during instruction, and have them analyze the situation and describe the appropriate procedure or solution to the problem. Synthesis: To put information together in a unique or novel way to solve a problem - Assess by presenting students with a unique situation NOT of the same type used during instruction, and have them solve a problem by selecting and using appropriate information. Evaluation: To make quantitative or qualitative judgments using standards of appraisal - Assess by presenting the students with a situation which includes both a problem and a solution to the problem and have them justify or critique the solution. The Importance of Learning Objectives

Learning objectives are a critical component of instruction. They have two important functions: 1. Provide course developers guidance on selecting suitable: 1. 2. 3.

instructional materials; teaching methods, including learning activities and use of technology; Assessment methods.

2. Help students focus on what they are ex pected to learn, and understand how they will be assessed. This is why we always emphasize that learning objectives should be specific and measurable. The example below demonstrates good alignment of learning objectives, learning activities, and assessments. It shows us how a clearly stated learning o bjective can help an instructor create appropriate learning activities to help students acquire the desired skills and select good assessment tools to evaluate students' achievement. 4


Learning objectives are guides to: 1. 2. 3. 4.

Selection of content Development of an instructional strategy. Development and selection of instructional materials. Construction of tests and other instruments for assessing and then evaluating s tudent learning outcomes. How do you write a Learning Objective? In writing a Learning Objective: 1. Focus on student Performance not teacher performance. 2. Focus on product - not process. 3. Focus on terminal behavior - not subject m atter. 4. Include only one general learning outcome in each o bjective. A learning objective is a statement describing a competency or performance c apability to be acquired by the learner. There are three characteristics essential to insuring clear statements of objectives. Behavior - First, an objective must describe the competency to be learned in performance terms. The choice of a verb is all-important here. S uch frequently used terms as know, understand, grasp, and appreciate do not meet this requirement. If the verb used in st ating an objective identifies an observable student behavior, then the basis for a cle ar statement is established. In addition, the type or level of learning must be identified. See Section II for a description of the types of learning and their levels. Criterion - Second, an objective should make clear how well a learner must perform to be judged adequate. This can be done with a statement indicating a degree of accuracy, a quantity or proportion of correct responses or the like. Conditions - Third, an objective should describe the conditions under which the learner will be expected to perform in the evaluation situation. What tools, references, or other aids will be provided or denied should be made clear. Sometimes, one or even two of these elements will be easily implied by a simple statement. Other times, however, it may be necessary to clearly spec ify in detail each element of the objective. The following is an example of a completed learning objective: Checklist for Writing a Specific Instructional Objective 1. Begin each statement of a specific learning outcome with a verb that specifies definite, observable behavior. (See the Table of Process Oriented Le arner Behaviors below.) 2. Make sure that each statement meets all three of the criteria for a good learning objective: observable behavior, the conditions under which the student will be expected to perform, and the criteria to be used for evaluation of the student's performance. 3. Be sure to include complex objectives (appreciation, problem-solving, etc.) when they are appropriate. Guides or aids to writing learning objectives: Educators and psychologists concerned with learning theory have given considerable thought to t he various types of learning that take place in schools. Probably the most comprehensive and widely known analysis of objectives is the Taxonomy of Educational Objectives by Benjamin Bloom and others. Bloom’s Taxonomy provides a consistent means of developing the single most powerful tool in instruction and the assessment of student learning outcomes - the learning or performance objective. The Taxonomy distinguishes between three major categories of objectives termed the COGNITIVE DOMAIN, the PSYCHOMOTOR DOMAIN, and the AFFECTIVE DOMAIN.

5


It is generally the Cognitive Le arning Domain that is of primary concern in higher education. If we assume that faculty is more concerned w ith process and problem solving activities, then the categories of the Taxonomy are most valuable in suggesting various kinds of behavior to use as objectives. The following list of process-oriented behaviors, which are related to the six categories of the Taxonomy, should serve as a useful guide to faculty pr eparing objectives. For a more complete t able of words for describing learner behaviors see “Instrumentation of Bloom’s and Krathwohl’s Taxonomies for the Writing of Educational Objectives. Q No.3 Compare and contrast the characteristics of criterion and Norm referenced Tests. Also highlight its utilization in teaching learning process.

Criterion Referenced Test A criterion-referenced assessment is one in which students’ are scored based on how well they know a standard or set of standards. In this type of assessment a student is only compared to themselves, it doesn’t matter how other students perform. There are many advantages of criterion referenced tests, particularly for special education. First, students are only tested on their knowledge of specific goals or standards. For example, if you had taught a lesson on adding fractions, you will give the student a test on adding fractions. If he o r she scores 85% that means that that particular student has learned 85% of that goal. If a student does not score particularly well, then the teacher can adjust their instruction accordingly. Another benefit is that if students do not seem to master a particular standard, the teacher will be able to go back and teach that standard again until the student performs better. Let ’s say that we taught a lesson on Fahrenheit and Celsius. A student understands Fahrenheit, as shown on an assessment, but their knowledge of Celsius isn’t so good. The te acher then can go back and teach Celsius again. In special education it is nice because we have the freedom to spend more time o n specific content and not worry so much about meeting the state standards. For special educators we have to focus our teaching based on the students’ IEP’s. Being able to focus our instruction based on the students’ needs is another benefit of criterion-referenced assessment. The students need to make progress toward their annual goals and objectives and the use of this type of assessment allows for that because again their scores are compared only to how they perform. Another good reason to using criterion-referenc ed assessments in special education is that it only tests students on what they can do. Tests like the SAT’s, which are norm-referenced, score students in relation to how they score against other people. For students with special needs, norm -referenced assessments do not tell teachers much about their abilities because the material is higher than their level. Criterion-referenced assessments are needs based, meaning the tests are created with what the students’ needs are. If a student re ally needs to improve their knowledge of proper nouns, then a test will be created on proper nouns. Teachers can also create their own tests, which are criterion-referenced as well. Also, tests that come with textbooks are also criterion-refere nced because they only test on specific areas of knowledge. When discussing the advantages of criterion referenced tests, it is also important to mention that since students are only judged against themselves, they have a better chance of scoring high, w hich will help improve their self-esteem as well. Studies show that students with special needs tend to have lower self-esteem. Any way that we can he lp students feel better about themselves is a gr eat opportunity. One thing to remember is that each student is an individual and is different. By using criterionreferenced assessments in your classroom, you can meet the individual needs of the students and

6


differentiate your assessments with the sole purpose of he lping the students achieve to their fullest potential. Norm Referenced Test Norm-referenced tests are a form of standardized testing that compares "normal" skill levels to those of individual students of the same age. By comparing students to one another, it is possible to determine whether, how, and to what a degree a particular student is ahead of or behind the norm. These tests help to diagnose learning disorders and also help special education teachers and other professionals develop appropriate program planning for students with disabilities.

Norm-referenced tests are developed by creating the test items and then administering the test to a group of students that will be used as the basis of comparison. Statistical methods are used to determine how raw scores will be interpreted and what performance levels are assigned to eac h score. Examples of Norm Tests IQ tests are one well-known form of norm testing. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) and the Stanford Benet-Intelligence Scale, formerly known as the Benet-Simon Test, are examples of individualized intelligence tests. The WISC test includes language-, symbol-, and performance-based questions while the Stanford-Benet test helps to diagnose students with cognitive disabilities. Individualized achievement tests help school personnel measure student's academic abilities. Examples of such tests are the Peabody Individual Achievement Test, the Woodcock Johnson Test of Achievement and the Brigance Comprehensive Inventory of Basic Skills. Collectively, these tests assess skills such as the ability to match pictures and letters and more complicated reading and math skills. Norm-Referenced Versus Criterion-Referenced

There are several advantages to teaching based on criterion-referenced. First and foremost, students learn based on their needs. Teachers can give the students a needs assessment to see what they need to learn and then establish goals and objectives based on what their needs are. Another advantage is that students are only compared to themselves. Their grades are solely dependent based on how they perform against their goals and objectives. Instead of comparing students to other students their same age , they are just compared to their prior performance. Many students with disabilities are not at grade level, so why would it be fair to ask them to perform at the same level as their typical aged pe ers. Studying and practicing their own goals and objectives is another advantage to criterion-referenced instruction. Students do not have to study every single little detail, they only study for goals and objectives that they have not yet mastered. A fourth advantage is that criterion- reference instruction is IEP based. IEP’s are developed based on t he needs of the students with which go als and objectives are formed. These goals and objectives are what the teachers then use to create lesson plans for the students. As goals are mastered, they are changed with the needs of the student. Another advantage is that students are expec ted to achieve realistic goals. The whole concept o f criterion-based instruction centers around what the students nee d. Only achievable goals will be set for the student. When students reach their goals, they feel a sense of accomplishment, which will encourage them to keep trying their best and will eventually, lead to better scores.

7


Tests based on the student’s needs are known as criterion-referenced assessment. These tests are the formed based on the goals and objectives for the students. The students will not have to take the same tests as everyone else in their class. It is almost as if they are taking a test just for them. If they do not do well, then the teaching would begin again. I f students do well on their test, then it is time to work on new goals and objectives. As you can see from all the advantages that are listed, students only progress once they have mastered a concept. They are not just pushed through to get through the content. If they master a concept quickly, they move on, if not, they spend more time on that concept. Although this can be tricky for the teacher in planning a variety of lesson and changing lesson plans based on the student’s needs, the students will get more out of their education since it based solely on what they need. The whole concept of criterion-reference d instruction means that teaching the students comes away from grade-level content to content based on what the students need. Q No.4 Elaborate the different techniques for the measurement of attitude of the l earners by providing examples. Why attitude measurement is important for the teachers in teaching learning process?

Classroom behavior is one of the trickiest issues t eachers face today. Disruptive behavior results in lost curriculum time and creates a classroom environment that is not always conducive to learning. One key to nipping behavioral problems in the bud is to promote positive behavior before problems arise. This takes some planning, but the following article will provide you with practical tips to help you lay a foundation for positive classroom behavior. It probably won't surprise you that classroom control/discipline is rated among the top four challenges teachers face in public schools today. In fact, almost half the teachers polled said that discipline was a serious problem in their schools. Not surprisingly, when the public was polled on the same issues, t hey ranked classroom control/discipline as the number one challenge. Unfortunately, teachers face not only the challenge of managing their students' behavior while teaching the curriculum. They also face many conflicting theories about how to manage it: logical consequences, behavior management and assertive discipline, to name just a few. Of course, there is no one "correct" way to encourage positive classroom behavior. But if you begin with a good foundation, it is possible. Here are a few time-tested suggestions that can help you build that foundation. Think About Your Approach Take some time to think about t he strategies you plan to use to encourage positive classroom behavior. Clarifying your strategies will make it easier for you to lead the class confidently and effectively. Visualize Possible Challenges Imagine possible classroom challenges and review your strategies for dealing with them. Having clear-cut strategies will help keep y ou grounded when these challenges do arise. Make Your Expectations Clear from the Beginning Make sure that students know what you expect of them. The classroom rules you prese nt should be positive, specific and concise. You may wish to post them in t he classroom or distribute them for students to sign. You should also spell out what will happen if students do not mee t expectations.

8


Model Positive Behavior Occasionally, you may have to remind yourself to follow your own rules. For example, if you ask students not to drink beverages in c lass, refrain from keeping a cup of coffee on your desk, even if you do not drink it during class. Encourage, Encourage, Encourage When you praise students who are exc elling, don't forget to encourage those who are trying, but struggling. These students often lack confidence and need more positive reinforcement. Show Respect Showing respect for your students includes listening to their needs and preserving their dignity. It also means living up to their expectations of you, such as greeting them at the beginning of class or returning corrected homework in a timely fashion. Be Consistent Be sure to address student behavior in a consistent manner. Be wary of shifting strategie s when misbehavior occurs. To students, this may show a lack of decisiveness. Find a strategy you like and stick with it. Keep Students Busy and Challenged Busy students are far less likely to exhibit disruptive behavior. Be sure that students are working at appropriate levels; boredom and frustration often lead to students' acting o ut. Listen to Students' Suggestions When building your foundation, you may be able to draw from students' and other teachers' past classroom experiences. Ask students to make suggestions about what should be expected of them and how misbehavior should be addressed. Students are often more r esponsive to rules they helped create. Creating an environment in which students know and follow the rules is challenging, but not impossible. With a little patience and perseve rance, you can lay a foundation for respect and positive behavior in your classroom that lasts all year.

Positive discipline is a more effective way to manage misbehaving students in the classroom, rather than using punishment or rewards. It allows students to le arn and adapt their behaviors to meet expectations in the classroom, while simultaneously teaching them how to make bet ter choices in their path to adulthood. Classroom Discipline

If a student misbehaves in the classroom, a te acher must have a few techniques that they can use to reduce or eliminate the unwanted behavior. From misbehaving in the classroom to not doing the assigned work, there are many ways to deal with unwanted behavior including punishment, discipline, or even using rewards. However, the most effective method for dealing with students that are misbehaving in the classroom is using positive discipline. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, there are many types of positive discipline, and whatever technique is used to prevent or reduce misbehavior will only be effective if: 

  

Both the student and teacher understand what t he problem behavior is and what the expected consequence is for the misbehavior The appropriate consequence is consistently applied every time the m isbehavior occurs The manner you deliver the technique matters (calm ve rsus aggressive) It gives the students a reason for a specific consequence to help them learn

9


In most cases, using punishment or rewards is not needed, as the majority of problems or misbehaviors can be dealt with using positive discipline. Difference between Punishment and Positive Discipline

The meaning of punishment is simple - it's an action o r penalty that is imposed on a student for misbehaving or breaking a rule. However, the impact on students can be very detrimental, from inducing physical or emotional pain to not being effective in reducing future misbehaviors. Punishment is used to control the behavior of students, in two different ways:  

Negative discipline involves verbal disapproval and reprimands Corporal punishment involves severe emotional or physical pain

Alternatively, positive discipline is the practice of training or teaching a student to obey the code of behavior or rules in both the short and long term. Instead of controlling the behavior of students, teachers can use positive discipline to develop a child's behaviors through self-control and making positive choices. According to Teachers Unite, which is a movement of public school teacher s fighting for social justice, punitive punishment toward students — suspensions, aggressive policing and reactive strategies — go against human rights and fail to address the real problem. However, preventative and constructive approaches that use positive discipline create a positive school atmosphere and also teach es students conflict resolution and behavior skills. In the end, positive discipline can help shape a child, by using encouragement rather than meaningless and even painful consequences, like punishment. Positive Discipline Techniques

There are tons of techniques that teachers can use to re inforce good behavior with positive discipline, including: 1. Set the classroom rules at the start of the year 2. Have consistent expectations 3. Set goals at the beginning of class 4. Appropriate behavior should be reinforced 5. Remain neutral during conflicts 6. Search for the root cause of the misbehavior 7. Student dignity matters 8. Create individual plans for students 9. Use Praise 10. Model appropriate behaviors 11. Provide students with different choices 12. Remove objects in the environment that cause distractions 13. Listen to students Using these positive discipline techniques will help teachers maintain a positive atmosphere and support an inclusive learning environment. In fact, when addressing a specific child, it is important for teachers to work closely with the caregivers and the student to develop a positive discipline plan that works. One of the most critical part s of positive discipline is to help students learn the new behaviors that meet expectations in the classroom, home and elsewhere. Using Rewards and Privileges

Another alternative to punishment and positive discipline is the use of rewards and privile ges for good behavior in the classroom. A reward system can be put in place to encourage good behavior in 10


students that are misbehaving, from helping out other students to raising their hand instead of blurting out the answer. On the other hand, a system that uses privileges, such as being able to go to class without an adult, focuses on good behavior over a period of time and accumulating points toward a certain privilege. However, using rewards and privileges in the long term can lead to negative outcomes, like rewarding students just for participating. To avoid a r eliance on a rewards system, positive discipline uses positive and negative consequences to help students learn. Benefits of Positive Discipline

Using positive discipline techniques can help teachers overcome the many challenges in the classroom and help students learn and make better choices in the future. In fact, using positive discipline in the classroom not only increases academic success in the c lassroom but provides many other benefits, including: Students show respect for the teacher Students are on task and engaged Less disciplinary measures are needed Fewer suspension and expulsions Students see rules as fair Attendance improves These are just a few of the benefits that can be seen from using positive discipline techniques in the classroom. On top of this, the benefits also e xtend beyond the classroom, into the home life, sports and social environment of the student, from being more respectful to everyone to understanding the social norms in different situations.      

Q No.5 Compare and contrast the easy and objective type tests in the light of its construction, use and marking. Introduction to Essay Test:

The essay tests are still commonly used tools of evaluation, despite the increasingly wider applicability of the short answer and objective type questions. There are certain outcomes of learning (e.g., organizing, summarizing, integrating ideas and expressing in one’s own way) which cannot be satisfactorily measured thr ough objective type tests. The importance of essay tests lies in the measurement of such instructional outcomes. An essay test may give full freedom to the students to write any number of pages. The required response may vary in length. An essay type question requires the pupil to plan his own answer and to explain it in his own words. The pupil exercises considerable freedom to select, organize and present his ideas. Essay type tests provide a better indication of pupil’s real achievement in learning. The answers provide a clue to nature and quality of the pupil’s thought process. That is, we can assess how the pupil presents his ideas (whether his manner of presentation is coherent, logical and systematic) and how he concludes. In other words, the answer of the pupil reveals th e structure, dynamics and functioning of pupil’s mental life. The essay questions are generally thought to be the traditional type of questions which demand lengthy answers. They are not amenable to objective scoring as they give scope for halo-effect, inter-examiner variability and intra-examiner variability in scoring.

11


Introduction to Objective tests

Objective tests measure both your ability to remember facts and figures and your understanding of course materials. These tests are often designed to make you think independently, so don't count on recognizing the right answer. Instead, prepare yourself for high level critical reasoning and making fine discriminations to determine the best answer. The most common object ive test questions are multiplechoice, true false, and matching items. Doing well o n these questions requires that you not only master the information but also interpret the te st maker’s intentions. Objective tests require a user to choose or provide a response to a question whose correct answer is predetermined. Such a question might require a student to :   

select a solution from a set of choices (MCQ, true-false, matching) identify an object or position (graphical hotspot) or supply brief numeric or text responses (text input)

Because the correct answers to objective test questions are pre-determined, they are well suited to the many forms of CAA that involve automated marking. The electronic marking of the responses is completely non-subjective as no judgment has to be made on the correctness or otherwise of an answer at the time of marking. However, it is worth noting that in terms of in -built bias, an objective test is only as objective as the test's designer makes it. The tutorial below offers an introduction to a selection of question types in popular use with advice on construction and best pr actice. As the question type most commonly associated with CAA is multiple choice, particular emphasis has been given to this and should be viewed first. The principles detailed within that section should however, be of use when considering other types. A Comparison of a Multiple Choice and an Essay Test

Below is a guideline prepared by iwriteessays.com on the difference between an essay exam and a multiple-choice test. Below is a comparison of Essays vs. Multiple-Choice Exams. 1. Preparation Preparing for a multiple-choice test is an easy task that requires the writer to identify important information when he/she see it. An essay exam requires that the writer gather enough knowledge on the subject matter; such the writer can be able to answer to answer any prompt questions with a detailed ex planation of ideas. 2. Speed It is very easy for you to complete a multiple-choice essay in a short time be it you know the answers or not. However, you should not ignore the intensity of your essay exam. The writer should make sure that he organizes his thoughts in order. In addition, you should be aware of your handwriting if you want your teacher to read and understand your essay. It is useless for the write r to write an essay that is not readable.

Smudging If your multiple-choice exam is in the form of a fill-in-the-bubble sheet, it is not advisable to use pencils because they increase the chances of smudging. Smudging is disadvantageous because it complicates the functioning of the electronic-grading-robot.

12


A lucky instance includes that when your t eacher will allow you to use a pen in the essay exam. Pens ensure you produce a clean paper that is appealing to the eye. However it the teacher does not permit the use of a pen, be careful not mess your essay paper through smudging. Creativity An essay exam gives you the chance of presenting your ideas creat ively using language, constructive sentences that express the meaning of your thesis. With a multiple-choice test, you have the limitation of expressing your ideas creatively by sacrificing your scores in order to decorate patterns on your sheet. Hard questions For a multiple-choice test, you c an guess answers if you not have an idea of what the right answer m ight be. On the other hand, for an essay exam, you can construct a sensible and convincing answer even if you do not have an idea of the main topic. Giving Up It is practically hard to give up in a multiple-choice test, since you can decide to assign randomly a choice to every question and chances are minimal that you will get below average mar ks. Giving up in essay exams a hard alternative for any student . The student will be in a tough dilemma as to writing either repetitive phrases or handing in a blank paper

13

8602 Assigntment

Recommend Documents