PBL Activity #5: Assessment
There are two broad types of assessment: formative and summative. How do they differ?
From the Intel reading, which classroom is most like yours? Suggest a formative assessment instrument that could be used in the “traditional” classroom.
How do formative and summative differ? One could certainly make the case that formative is much more important. Letting students know how well or poorly they are doing WHILE they’re working on assignments is the vital component to getting quality products at the end of the lesson or unit – that is if they take the opportunity to implement the advice. This is the one great lesson I learned from coaching baseball that I’ve incorporated into my classroom teaching. When coaching, we would practice (and practice) the skills necessary for performing well in the game and if needed I would stop the practice and give on-the-spot advice to “coach-them-up” to help them improve. That same philosophy animates my teaching. When we have a project due at the end of a particular unit of study, I’ll give students the formative assignments (practice) and timely feedback (coaching-them-up) to help them improve their chances of performing well at the end (game-time).
I suggest the following formative assessment instrument that could be used in the “traditional” classroom. Instead of giving a quiz, how about assigning something like the following (you may have to copy and paste the URL):
http://www.auburnschools.org/ahs/cwcallahan/MEH/great_war_song.htm
This is the type of non-traditional, interpretive assignments I require of my students. They still need to know the “terms,” but can individualize their understanding.
Formative assessment incorporates ways of checking on student progress while they are working on a particular project. Formative, as Cory stated, enables us as teachers to catch mistakes and lead or “coach” them to the end result that we want from the project. Summative assessments are “traditional” types of assessments, which can be in the form of tests and/or quizzes and are given at the end of a unit/project. Although timing makes them “traditional” in nature, I have found that you can be creative in delivery, such as using quizzes via Internet or other sources.
Because my classroom is cooperative in nature, formative assessment takes precedence in my classroom. Students are always receiving feedback from me and also their group partners. As we all know that students often learn better from each other, this helps in student understanding of concepts, with of course, me making sure that the advice of others is accurate.
Formative Assessment:
After the students create their scripts for their digital video about simple machines, I read and review their scripts for accuracy and give feedback.
Summative Assessment:
Since my project is a video, I checked RubiStar for a rubric for a digital storytelling project and added in the needed scientific concepts and vocabulary.
Response 1: Difference in formative and summative assessments
Formative assessment is used more during and before instruction. I view this as an excellent tool to use before moving on to a new concept during a unit. If students are not understanding the first concept then I will know this by giving them formative assessments. I think a better name for them would be informative because they are giving the teacher information needed to see if the class is ready to move on to the next concept.
When I think of summative assessments, I think of my own schooling. Teachers would lecture during the week, and on Fridays, we would have a test. All of the lectures were about the test, so the student would take notes to study for the test. The tests were returned on Mondays, and the students would place them in a notebook never to be looked at again. It is a type of assessment that tests the students on an overall unit, meaning the student had no other form of assessment during that unit to make sure they understood a certain concept.
Response 2: Which is like mine?
I have a combination of Joel’s and Martha’s classroom settings. During instruction, I will give mini quizzes or checklists to the students to make sure they have understood certain concepts during our lesson. I give them time to reflect on what we have learned for the day, and they include a reflection in a daily journal. I also have a daily discussion on what we already know as well as what we are going to learn for the day. I also use summative assessments by giving them an end of the unit test that is much like the Alabama High School Graduation Exam.
A suggestion for a formative assessment in a traditional classroom would be giving a checklist at the end of the day to make sure students understood the concepts that were taught. The checklist could include an area where students have to elaborate on the concept as well as apply the concept to real life.
Response 3: How I decided
When making rubrics and checklists, I looked at the objectives from the Alabama High School Graduation Exam as well as techonology objectives. I also asked questions like the following:
1.What do students really need to learn from this lesson?
2. What do students really need from this lesson to apply it to real life?
3. What is the nitty gritty of the graduation exam?
4. What are some concepts that need to be revisited the week before the graduation exam?
Formative assessment is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY! I believe that one cannot move forward after introducing some concept without a means to practicing such; however, this is somewhat difficult in an AP environment. Formative assessment can come in all varieties from something such as what Corey shared or something more traiditonal like a reading comprehension evaluation (assign a reading and ask three quick questions at beginning of class).
Summative, however, still remains very important, especially in PBL as this is the goal one is working towards. It is important to remind students to keep focusing on the end, while still emphasizing absorption of the current.
Overall, my class is much like Martha’s as different skills are continuously brought back up as well as certain concepts.
In regards to the final question, formative assessment can be such things as a carousel (sp?) or reading evaluation.
1. How do formative assessments differ from summative assessments?
This question seems relatively simple at first glance. A formative assessment is one given throughout the unit to make sure the student is building the foundation that he or she needs to complete the final product. A summative assessment is one that comes as the actual final product. After all the scaffolding has been built and the foundation laid, the summative assessment tests student understanding. The not-so-simple part of these two assessments is not when they are used, but by what methods a teacher actually assesses student understanding.
2. Which classroom is most like yours? Suggest a formative assessment to go in a traditional classroom.
That is a great question because it makes me think about and evaluate my classroom. As much as I would like to stay I am more like the 2nd class, it is probably more accurate to say I am like the 1st class. Although there are certain units, lessons, etc. that would be find more in the 2nd classroom, I find myself referring back to the 1st classroom more times than not. However, thinking and evaluating like this helps me continue to strive towards the goal of that 2nd classroom.
An example of a formative assessment that could be used in a “traditional” classroom would be holding a class discussion on John Brown’s raid to relate the content and then allowing the students time to research (somewhat), and collect their own thoughts to answer the simple question: Is John Brown a hero or a villain? This formative assessment could be done within the larger context of a question like: Was slavery or states’ rights the primary cause of the Civil War?
3. How did you determine which elements of the project to highlight when assessing student understanding through the creating your checklists and rubrics?
In regards to my Manifest Destiny PBL unit, there are several concepts that need to be touched on to fairly assess student understanding and performance. First and foremost, a teacher must assess the actual historical content behind a final product. Second, a teacher must evaluate whether a student sees historical significance, i.e. the big picture, why does this matter, consequences, etc. Third, a teacher must also evaluate the actual product in regards to organization, format, and effort, i.e. what does it look like. Lastly, a teacher must also evaluate the student on professionalism . . . did that student work hard, contribute, follow directions, work effectively in a group setting, etc.
How do formative and summative assessments differ?
Formative assessments are given before and/or during a unit. They are used to give feedback to a teacher so instruction can be modified. Also, formative assessments can help students monitor their own understanding and behavior within a group setting.
Summative assessments are given at the end of a unit. They are used to gauge student learning.
Which classroom is most like yours? Suggest a formative assessment instrument that could be used in the “traditional” classroom.
I think my classroom is somewhere in between the classrooms described in the article. The block schedule really limits the time I have to teach the objectives on the COS. The first type of classroom is very time efficient. You just keep chugging along and some students fall by the wayside completely, or just barely hang on. This is not a very student centered classroom at all. I recognize this especially in my chemistry classes and am wracked with guilt sometimes about the fast pace. OK, I don’t actually lose sleep, but it does bother me sometimes.
The second classroom is more like my physics class. Most units are introduced with a class discussion to explore background knowledge, followed by an inquiry activity so students can “discover” the concept before I teach it. I do not use journaling and every unit does not have a project. Performance tasks are usually worksheets the students use to practice the calculations. I also use a set of worksheets that has diagrams and figures for the students to interpret. These help me assess their understanding. Also, the students answer a set of conceptual questions for homework. These are graded and I give extensive feedback. These questions are on the unit test. I would like to incorporate more self-assessments so that my students can reflect on their learning and their group work skills.