Introduction
Effective assessment of higher education institutional effectiveness is still in a stage of relative infancy, and to date has developed as a reactive response to external pressures. Assessment planning and institutional improvement have taken shape as a result of accrediting body influences on member institutions. However, even various accrediting bodies have yet to settle on common criteria and standards other than very general guidelines typically focused on evidence, validity, sustainability, and an improvement process. As a minimum any assessment plans must be able to demonstrate these key elements. Additional external influences have brought in the notion of educational value. What constitutes proof of value is still in a realm of subjectivity without solid definition. We can, however, still develop assessment plans that incorporate valuable tools to assess and improve mission effectiveness.
Evaluation
Assessment Balance
Useful assessment does indeed require a significant amount of thought in planning development, and a balanced approach tends to give more meaningful information. As presently crafted, the proposed assessment plan lacks some balance. It is largely a more traditional approach and could be improved with addition of more recent assessment developments. In overall balance, the one area completely missing at the institutional level is operational effectiveness. This effectiveness can have a significant impact on the ability of the institution to achieve its mission.
While not specifically addressed in a footnote, contextually, it is logical that “SSI” refers to a standardized Social Skills Inventory assessment. This being the case, institutional assessment is overwhelmingly biased with quanti...
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... start, it needs more developmental work in several key areas. Most assessment balance areas could be enhanced. What does need more substance is depth and breadth of an assessment culture along with a clear process of course, program, and institutional improvement. More involvement of external stakeholders would lend credibility to both outcomes development and achievement of outcomes. The plan also needs to incorporate administrative effectiveness in responsibly delivering higher education. The climate today demands proof of mission achievement, effectiveness, and improvement.
Works Cited
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...teacher see what their students know, wonder about and techniques they use to make sense of the world and the classroom. This information can then be used by the teacher to differentiate instruction. The teacher can recover material, present alternative activities that students are more receptive in order to foster student responsiveness and engagement. In Page Keeley’s article An Introduction to Formative Assessment Classroom Techniques (FACTs) she articulates the purpose and power of a classroom that frequently uses formative assessments by saying, “it organizes the entire classroom around learning and informs ways teachers can provide more effective learning experiences based on how their own” (10). Formative assessments foster a supportive classroom community where students and even teacher thoughts are encouraged and in turn shape the future of that classroom.
Formative assessment was first used by Scriven (1967), but studies focused on formative assessment in ESL and EFL classes started in 2000. Among very few studies on formative assessment practices includes the ones of Gattullo (2000) Ruiz‐Primo & Furtak (2007), Pham (2012), Buyukkarci (2014) and Wubshet & Menuta (2015).
Because the focus of this study is related to formative assessment, the researcher will spend more time on this. The term formative assessment is not used consistently in the literature (Bennett, 2011).There are some terms used interchangeably with formative assessment such as Classroom Evaluation (Crooks, 1988), Learning- Oriented Assessment (Pryor & Crossouard, 2008), Alternative Assessment (Berry, 2008), Assessment for Learning (Asghar, 2010) or Classroom-Based Assessment (Turner, 2012). A variety of definitions of the term ‘formative assessment’ have been proposed over the years by many researchers such as Black, Tunstall and Gipps, Black and William or Brown and so
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Referred to as “assessment of learning,” (Chappuis, J., Stiggins, Chappuis, S., & Arter, 2012, pg. 5) components of summative learning include evaluating, measuring, and making judgements about student knowledge, both on individual levels and group levels. Rather than supporting learning by way of formative assessment, summative assessment verifies learning, (Chappuis, J., Stiggins, Chappuis, S., Arter, 2012). Naturally, this is what interests educational stakeholders: administrators, parents, teachers, and those who create educational policies. (Chappuis, J., Stiggins, Chappuis, S., & Arter, 2012, pg. 5). Summative assessment historically and presently presents itself in the form of graded quizzes, tests, graded papers and presentations, district benchmark tests, state standardized tests, and college entrance
There is a wide range of how formative assessment is conducted. The use of questioning is a clear example of using formative assessment; the ...
In the past, assessments were popularly conducted for the purpose of accreditation, but with the growing change in the quality of education, it has become evident that assessments aren’t just products to qualification but as Sieborger (1998) identifies, is that assessment is the process of gathering and interpreting knowledge to make valid and justifiable judgements about the learners performance and the assessors ability to transfer and establish knowledge to the learners.
Classroom assessments can do more than measure learning. How educators access and communicate the results send a clear message to students about what is worth learning, how we expect them to perform as well as how it should be learned. Linking instruction and assessment is critical to effective learning. Educators should provide students with various options for learning that include: different ways to learning (style and time), di...
Cauley, K.H. & McMillan, J.H. (2009). Formative assessment techniques to support student motivation and achievement. Clearing House, 83(1), 1-6.