Assessments

Assessment Models
- Criterion-referenced Model
- Norm-referenced Model
Types of Assessments
- Prerequisite Skills Assessments
- Pre-assessments
- Post-assessments
Characteristics of Good Assessment Instruments
- Validity
- Reliability
- Practicality
Formats for Assessment
- Performance
- Observation
- Simulation
- Essays
- Portfolios
- Evaluation of Performance Assessment
- Pencil-and-Paper Assessment forms
- Recall Items
- Recognize Items
- Constructed Answer Items

Assessments must match the learning objectives in action and conditions (Smith & Ragan, 2005).

"The success of developing good assessment instruments heavily depends on the quality of the objective written" (Smith & Ragan, 2005, p. 105).

Assessment Models

Criterion-referenced Model (a.k.a. objective-referenced or domain-referenced)

"Instruments designed to assess competence or identify gaps in learning" (p. 105).

Norm-referenced Model

Instrument designed to rank or compare learners

Types of Assessments

Prerequisite Skills Assessment

Given at the beginning of a course to identify if a learner has the knowledge or skills needed to be able to be able to successfully complete the course.

Pre-Assessment

Given before instruction is applied to determine if the learner already has the knowledge or skill that the instruction is intended to teach.

Post-Assessment

Given after instruction has been applied to determine if the learner has learned the enabling (subordinate) objectives and the terminal objectives the instruction intended to provide.

Characteristics of Good Assessment Instruments

Validity

"An assessment instrument is valid if it actually assesses or measures what it claims to assess or measure" (Smith & Ragan, 2005, p. 108).