Content Outline and Assessment Report

Introduction

A content outline and assessment is used to give students a guideline and help them study for their exams. It also helps the teachers to prepare their lesson and exams to be given to students. Students can use a content outline to assess their knowledge and experience in each topic covered. They are also able to identify areas that need further studying before they take their exams.

A content outline includes; the objectives of the study, information to be explained, procedures to be used, and the assessment criteria to be used on students. This paper provides a guideline on how to write a content outline, gives the things that are contained in a content outline and concludes by highlighting the importance of assessments and how to conduct them.

Things to consider when writing a content outline

• What do students need to know?
• Which mechanism will be used to help students get what is required of them?
• How will they be assessed to ensure that they have achieved the goal?

After putting the above questions into consideration, the content outline should contain the following categories.

Goals

The outline should offer a general overview of the contents of the material as well as how the material will be handled for an effective delivery of the information to students, in some times it may offer guideline to tutors on how to approach different issues.

The goals should be written in reference to the National curriculum (Ritzel, 2010). If it is an outline for a specific unit, goals should be specific to that unit and the same should be assessed at the end of the unit.

Objectives

This part concentrates on what students can do to increase their knowledge and skills. The following questions should be put into consideration

• What is the students’ capability?
• Which mechanism will be used to measure students’ performance?
• How will satisfactory attainment of goals be judged?
• How will the students show that they have thoroughly understood what was being taught and that they understand the objectives of the unit?

Prerequisites

Prerequisites allow teachers to determine which activities can be used to ensure that students meet the objectives of the unit being studied. Every teacher should be in a position to assess the students’ state of readiness before introducing a new outline (Ritzel, 2010). He must be able to determine the concepts that will help in the accomplishment of objectives.

A content outline contain the following

Introduction

It highlights how the objectives and goals of a certain unit will be introduced; the method is beneficial as it is able motivate and facilitate students to go through a content and grasp what the writer wanted to say. Additionally, the introduction provides a link between the past activities and the students’ interests. Also, the introduction highlights what is expected out of students

Main Activity

This is the main part of the outline which gives a framework of the expectation that the student should have. It is prepared in such a way that other teachers can be able to understand the flow. The main activity gives all the topics that are to be covered, experiments to be conducted, when assessment tests will be taken, among other things. It also includes examples that will help students understand the topics well.

The following is contained in the main activity:

1. Demonstration- this provides a list of all the steps to be followed in a sequential order.
2. Explanation- this is a sketch of the information that need to be elucidated
3. Discussion this section provides a listing of key questions to direct the discussion
4. Method of instruction- this specifies how the outline will be taught, how students will learn the information, time for each segment, materials to support presentations, key point that need to be emphasized (kellough & Carjuzza, 2010).

Assessment/Evaluation

This is the part of the outline that focuses on whether students have understood the objectives of the study and whether they have achieved what was expected of them. This can not only be verified by gathering evidence from the students. This grading rubric should be based on the objectives of the study (kellough & Carjuzza, 2010).

Towards the end of the study, the teacher can repeat some of the areas he feels may that need further clarification to the student. This can be done using a different approach than the one used earlier. The teacher should prepare quizzes based on different concepts to assess the students’ understanding. When doing the assessment, students should be provided with an opportunity to apply what they will be assessed on.

New materials should not be introduced during this time but rather teachers should focus on what students have already learnt. Additionally, teachers should assess students based on the same level of thinking as during the lesson and should avoid asking questions that are beyond the students’ thinking.

What the students are learning should be put into consideration; for instance are they learning a new skill, a new concept, or a new formula.

References

Ritzel, D. (2010). Lesson Plan Development Some basic concepts. Web.

kellough, R. D. & Carjuzza, J. (2010). Teaching in the Middle and Secondary Schools. Michigan: The University of Michigan.