Abstract
This
paper discusses and demonstrates Program Learning
Outcome 6 “the importance of technology resources to facilitate
effective assessment and evaluation in education”. In demonstrating Program
Learning Outcome 7, it is necessary to “utilize technology to collect
and analyze data, interpret results, and communicate findings”. An explanation of the principles and theory
that apply will be explained and why they were chosen. The discussion includes the design and
implementation challenges experienced during the redesign of a MATLT activity and
how they were overcome.
Both formative and summative
assessments are important to demonstrate the learners’ understanding and growth
as they strive to successfully achieve the learning goals. While current forms of testing were not
designed to gauge how well students apply knowledge to new situations, using
technologies can be a solution to this problem.
Recently, focus became more prevalent on formative assessments to
provide identification of learning gaps and addressing those gaps becomes the
key to successful summative assessments.
The 21st century
will usher in a new epoch of how teachers will assess students. According to Partnership for 21st
Century Skills (n.d.) using digital and web 2.0-based tools provides ways to
collect, analyze, and provide useful feedback to students. “Assessment must be seen both as an
instructional tool for use while learning is occurring (formative), and as an
accountability tool to determine if learning has occurred (summative)”
(Partnership for 21st Century, 2007, p 3). Digital tools allow immediate feedback to be embedded
in the assessment without taking away from teaching time.
There are many commercially
designed learning programs that districts or schools may purchase that have formative
digital assessments embedded in the program.
The program allows the teacher to efficiently manage and organize
information. “Immediate access to this
information increases the potential for ongoing dialogue and personal feedback,
which strengthens the teacher’s effectiveness and is a basis for planning for
any required intervention” (Goins, 2013, para 2). The program provides daily
reports of student progress giving the teacher the ability to address a variety
of learning styles and levels.
The priority is to provide
students with the knowledge and skills to become successful individuals in the
increasingly global, technology-infused 21st century workplace. In
order to meet the demands of today’s world, Partnership for 21st
Century (2007) states that educators must engage students to think critically,
problem solve, and gather information in order to make informed and reasonable
decisions while using technology. In addition, technology enhanced assessments
“enable a balanced portfolio of measures to assess the educational system’s
effectiveness at reaching high levels of student competency in 21st
century skills” (Partnership for 21st Century Skills, n.d., para 4).
It is imperative that schools and
universities attain a high accountability to assure student achieve the
learning goals in core subject knowledge,
learning and thinking skills, technology literacy, and life skills.
Digital technology gives
educators and students a wide variety of opportunities to improve skills and
demonstrate the acquired knowledge of the instructional objectives have been
met. Strategies and assessment tools range
from quizzes, tests, games, surveys, journaling, discussion boards, interactive
models and virtual world simulations to ePortfolios (Bedard-Voorheees, Johnson,
& Dobson, 2011). Students can
collaborate in a wiki or blog to construct questions they would place on a
test. Online conferences can take place
and peer assessment through discussion boards or blogs is possible.
A cumulative collection of
student work in the past was bulky and stored in boxes, making it difficult to
compile individual portfolios to follow students class-to-class or school-to-school.
Digital technologies and web 2.0 allows access and no physical space necessary
for storage. As students become more
familiar with technology skills, their portfolios can grow from year to year
and be accessed by any school they attend without difficulty. Products for creating ePortfolios vary widely
including secure specialized programs. Students could create digital stories,
videos, concept mapping or PowerPoint presentations. These summative assessments could be used
separately or as part of the ePortfolio “to provide useful information about
student achievement by measuring the comprehension, absorption and application
of higher-order concepts” (Bedard-Voorheees, Johnson, & Dobson, 2011, p 4).
The MATLT activity that was
redesigned is a Zunal WebQuest for kindergarten students to
help develop fine motor skills necessary for writing. It utilizes iPad applications and other
activities, including hands-on-experiences to develop handwriting skills. The original design assessment only consisted
of the final product sample and the rubric used to score that product. The redesign of the activity includes using
technology tools to capture and submit pictures or images of work at each
activity as a formative assessment. Links
were added to the WebQuest process page directing the student to submit the
work using Edmodo, a secure educational social
network and collaborate tool. From this
website the teacher can view the work, provide immediate feedback to the
student, and create a portfolio of the student’s progress. Also added was a link to the conclusion page,
directing the student to Survey Monkey to share their feelings about their
experiences during the process.
The challenge encountered was
how to be able to allow the students the ability to submit their work using the
WebQuest. Due to the lack of ability to
submit work and give feedback through the WebQuest, the decision was to assign
the WebQuest through Edmodo solving the problem. The students can also submit work at home
through this website with an access code that will be given to the parent.
In conclusion, “assessment
lies at the heart of the learning experience: how learners are assessed shapes
their understanding of the curriculum and determines their ability to progress.
Technology can support nearly every phase of assessment” (JISC e-Learning
Programme, 2012, para 1). Technology-enhanced
assessment allows direct administration, provides accurate data for management,
automatically marks on-screen tests, supports teachers in directing remediation
skills, and can provide immediate feedback.
Technology can enhance assessments and improve teaching efficiency with
effective feedback.
References
Bedard-Voorhees, A., Johnson, L.M., & Dobson, P. (2011).
Letting them show what they know: Digital assessment
strategies [Book Submission Chapter Final Version]. In S.
Hirtz and K. Kelly (Eds.) Education for a Digital World 2.0, Section F:
eAssessment: Measuring in Ways that Matter. British Columbia: Province of
British Columbia. Retrieved from Ashford online course.
Goins, L. (2013). Assessment
and evaluation. Message posted to Ashford University discussion board. Retrieved from Ashford online course.
Goins, L. (2012). Finger
fun activities. Zunal.com. Retrieved from http://zunal.com/conclusion.php?w=157755
Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (n.d.). 21st century assessment.
Retrieved from http://www.p21.org/overview/skills-framework/27
Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (2007). 21st Century Skills Assessment ePaper.
Retrieved from http://www.p21.org/storage/documents/21st_Century_Skills_Assessment_e-paper.pdf
Technology-enhanced assessment. (2012). JISC e-Learning Programme. Retrieved from http://www.jisc.ac.uk/assessment
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