Forms of assessment
On the basis of my personal experiences in my K-12 schooling, the most effective forms of assessment include self-assessments, class participation, and standard final tests. Firstly, the main reason is that the final exam is critical to measure the comprehension of the provided material as well as retention. Final examinations consist of questions addressing the entirety of the course, which makes it difficult for students to abuse a short-term memory-based preparation, such as ‘cramming,’ and mostly assesses the overall knowledge acquired.
Secondly, I am an active proponent of self-assessments and class participation on top of the standard final tests. It is important to note that class assessments must be conducted in an informal manner in order to be authentically reflective of a student’s view of the lessons. Evidence suggests that self-assessment is important to continuously improve the teaching and learning processes as well as increase the self-esteem of students (Papanthymou & Darra, 2019). It provides an open platform or methods of communicating the problematic areas which need to be identified in order to ensure a smoother learning process. Even the most inattentive students are able to express their reasoning and perspective on why they are unable to pay attention or be engaged in the learning process.
Thirdly, class participation both forces engagement and makes the classroom interactive because it is easy for the learning process to become stagnantly centered around a teacher only. In other words, learning should be dynamic and facilitate the exchange of information, perspectives, and views, for which class participation is an outstanding methodological framework. Therefore, the described assessment approaches will directly influence my use of these methods by making me more focused on engagement, self-evaluation, and standard final testing.
An example of an assessment
Lesson Plan Title: Teaching Major Historical Failures on the Example of Nazi Germany
Informal Assessment: In the case of the informal type of assessment, it will be manifested in the papers of self-assessment that will be given to students at the end of the class. The primary purpose of such papers is to provide an educator with an opportunity for modifications, improvements, and feedback. In addition, students will be able to reflect on how they perceive the course material in terms of difficulty, comprehension, and their approach to learning history. For example, learners will express their feelings and concerns about the complexity of the material and the feelings and concerns about the studying process.
Formal Assessment: Since the lesson is heavily focused on historical data and facts, which are mixed with the tragic events of the past, both factual knowledge and insights, as well as takeaways, need to be measured. The formal evaluation will consist of a final test, a small reflective essay, and grades for class participation. The former is mandatory solely due to the historical elements which need to be known and memorized, such as dates, events, and chronology. The reflective essay will be small without stressful demands, which will provide students with an opportunity for reflection and insight into the knowledge acquired. In other words, they will be able to express what they think and feel about the selected period of history. Graded class participation is important to promote engagement, involvement, and interactivity. For example, questions will be asked to initiate discussions, but students will also be encouraged to ask each of the questions as well.
Reference
Papanthymou, A., & Darra, M. (2019). The contribution of learner self-assessment for improvement of learning and teaching process: A review. Journal of Education and Learning, 8(1), 48-64. Web.