Student Centered Assessment
Student Centered Assessment
By Richard J. Stiggins
to reason and solve certain kinds of problems. #t!s incumbent upon us to define precisely what we mean by reasoning and problem3solving proficiency. #n order to help students master effective reasoning, we must first ourselves be confident, competent masters of the 4udgment criteria. Skill 'argets. #n most classrooms there are things teachers want their students to be able to do. #nstances for which the measurement of attainment is the student!s ability to demonstrate certain kinds of skills or behaviors, for e$ample, elementary group activities, middle school science lab, high school public speaking or presentations. #n all of these cases, success lies in 5doing it well.6 The assessment challenge lies in being able to define in clear terms using words, e$amples, or both, what it means to do it well. Product 'argets. 7et another way for students to succeed academically is through creating quality products " tangible entities that e$ist independently of the performer but that present evidence in their quality that the student has mastered foundational knowledge, requisite reasoning and problem3solving proficiencies and specific production skills. 8$amples might include a term paper, a school shop pro4ect, and9or science lab reports. +ispositional 'argets. This final category of valued targets is quite broad and comple$ and includes those characteristics that go beyond the academic into the realms of the effective and personal feeling states, such as attitudes toward something, sense of academic self3 confidence or interest in something that motivationally predisposes a person to do or not do something. 8$amples could include the student!s attitude or feelings towards the teacher, the content, the assessment methods, etc. Since these effective and social dimensions of learners are quite comple$, thoughtful assessment is essential.
Assessment ,ptions
Selected *esponse Assessment. This category includes all of the ob4ectively scored paper and pencil test formats. The respondent is asked a series of questions, each of which is accompanied by a range of alternative responses. The respondent!s task is to select either the correct or the best answer. These might include multiple choice, true&false, matching, short answer, fill3in items. -ssay Assessment. #n this case, the respondent is provided with an e$ercise 2or set of e$ercises( that calls for the preparation of an e$tended written answer. Respondents might be asked to answer a question or to provide an e$planation of the solution to a comple$ problem. Performance Assessment. #n this case, the respondent actually carries out a specified activity under the watchful eye of the evaluator who observes performance and makes 4udgment as to the quality of achievement demonstrated. Personal Communication Assessment. 1ne of the most common ways teachers gather information about day3to3day student achievement in the classroom is to talk to them. :e don!t often think of this assessment in the same sense as multiple choice or a performance assessment, but on reflection, it can become clear that certain forms of personal communication definitely do represent assessments of student achievement.