Chapter 9 - Instructional Media: Chalkboards to Video - CGISS

psychomotor skills but can also heavily involve
cognitive skills and judgments, such as in counseling
performances.
Purposes of Effective Assessments
• Intended learning outcomes: Measure what students should
know and/or be able to do to show they have mastered the
learning outcomes.
• Knowledge and skills included in the instruction: Measure
the amount and quality of student ability to use information,
examples, practices, and other related activities provided during
instruction.
• Enable generalization: Allow inference from skills and
knowledge tested that students have mastered the full range of
skills and knowledge and the essential or key content points.
Alignment of Course Components
Assessments should align with the course objectives or specified
learning outcomes and the content and activities included in the
class. The appropriate range of content should be assessed, as
well as the key points covered during instructional activities. The
assessment should allow the student to demonstrate his or her
knowledge and skill in the subject area.
Paper/Pencil
or Computer
Examinations
(Tests)
Constructing Tests
Limited-Choice vs. Open-Ended Questions
The term “limited-choice” is used here to describe test questions
that require students to choose one or more given alternatives
(multiple choice, true/false, matching), and “open-ended” is used to
refer to questions that require students to formulate their own
answers (sentence completion, short answer, essay).
Deciding Which Type of Test Questions to Use
Whether it is better to use open-ended or limited-choice test items
depends on the circumstances and on the goals of the test. Each
type of test has its own sets of strengths and weaknesses. The
advantages and disadvantages of the two main categories of test
items are discussed below in terms of the various issues that are
often considered when a test is being developed.
Section: Student Assessment 156 Chapter 12: Testing Issues