Wednesday, April 10, 2013

EDUC 633 Assessment




Learning the key factors for Assessment is very importance to teaching strategies to enhance student’s ability to learn. It is important for teachers to have a clear vision of their roles and responsibilities to provide the best teaching strategies for their students. The instructor’s role is a dynamic one that requires having individuals who are able to create a virtual climate that encourages meaningful individual and collaborative learning. Assessment is an important element in the teaching and learning process that challenges instructors to consider evaluation techniques that meet the learning needs of today’s adult learners.

Importance of Assessment

A holistic view will consider evaluation a vital part of the entire teaching and learning process. Adult learning should be evaluated to help individuals learn of their strengths and academic deficiencies that can be corrected during and after a course or seminar. The student should be given information on the quality of their work to have an accurate view of their learning. Additionally, the student should be given specific suggestions on how to improve their academic performance. Distance education studies reveal concerns that online instructors vary in the quality of their academic feedback to students. Instructors who fail to provide relevant and timely feedback are undermining the teaching and learning process. Students consider teacher assessment procedures as a relational prompt that transcends receiving grades on assignments. The absence of consistent teacher feedback creates doubt in the students’ minds about their academic abilities while their classes seem more impersonal (Muirhead, 2002). The process of assessment involves gathering information from a variety of sources to cultivate a rich and meaningful understanding of student learning. A primary aim of assessment is provide the necessary information to improve future educational experiences. Yet, it is vital that the assessment data be accurate and relevant to effectively make informed decisions about the curriculum. It requires taking the time to ask relevant questions that help evaluate the effectiveness of the teaching strategies and curriculum plans (Huba & Freed, 2000).

Reference

Davies, M., Wavering, M. (1999). Alternative assessment: New directions in teaching and learning. Contemporary Education, 71 (1),39-45.

Huba, M. E. & Freed, J. E. (2000). Learner centered assessment on college campuses: Shifting the focus from teaching to learning. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Muirhead, B. (2002). Relevant assessment strategies for online colleges & universities. USDLA Journal, 16 (1) http://www.usdla.org/html/journal/FEB02_Issue/article04.html.
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3 comments:

jen said...

Hi Christopher,
Great thinking! How might you, as a future instructor, make sure that your students receive timely and relevant feedback?

Eric said...

Hello Christopher:
I truly agree with your blog, that learning is the key factors for assessment, which is very importance to teaching strategies to enhance student’s ability to learn. I also, agree that it is important for teachers to have a clear vision of their roles and responsibilities to provide the best teaching strategies for their students. As stated in order for students to be guided they must know the vision. The vision and assessment is a guide and it sets a foundation for teaching. The bible says, without a vision the people perish. Assessment is used to determine what a student knows or can do, while evaluation is used to determine the worth or value of a course or program. Assessment data effects student advancement, placement, and grades, as well as decisions about instructional strategies and curriculum (Gardner, 1987).
Blessings
Eric
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Reference
Gardner, H. (1987, May). Developing the spectrum of human intelligence. Harvard Educational Review, 76-82.

O Jones said...

Hi Christopher,

I like your blog and agree with your approach to assessments. I must admit I did not see feedback as being part of the “assessment” process. But after reading your blog and understanding how you used feedback as a vital process in the learning loop; I see the relevance. I had an instructor who did not provide feedback to any of the projects that I completed. I received a grade, got docked points, and there were usually vague reasons behind why my answer was not the right answer. The feedback was not there and that made it difficult to assess where I stood in the class and did not prepare me for future assessments; whether they were written, oral or in project form, I was still in the dark of why my understanding was lacking because of the lack of feedback. Feedback is where we gain a better understanding of our deficiencies and we are able to self-correct; thus learning new concepts. Great post!

Have a great week.

Olivia