Deck 9: How Can I Assess Student Learning

Question 1

Formative assessment measures student understanding of performance with the purpose of evaluating students.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

The kind of assessment implied by constructivism flows from the belief that students

A)hold on to the existing knowledge and absorb it after engaging in planned repetition.
B)develop new knowledge and make it their own, through multiple opportunities of guided practice.
C)develop new knowledge first through transmission and recall followed by "meaning making."
D)develop new knowledge and make it their own, through an active process of "meaning making."

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Portfolios can serve as a means for collecting, organizing, and showcasing student work.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Potential portfolio content should reflect the diversity of

A)social studies content.
B)reading , writing, questioning, analyzing experiences that are incorporated into the social studies units.
C)students' views.
D)learning skill sets.

Question 5

The authors of this text believe that standardized testing has a legitimate role within the larger social studies picture and that the full social studies curriculum should be planned around testing.

Question 6

Before giving the essay test, write down what you regard as the best answer to each of your essay questions in order to

A)have a standard for evaluating students' responses.
B)e nsure that anyone can grade the students' exams.
C)e nsure that your questions are clear and concise.
D)have a standard for evaluating the items.

Question 7

The multiple-choice format is probably the most

A)difficult for subjective test items.
B)difficult for objective test items.
C)versatile for objective test items.
D)inflexible for subjective test items.

Question 8

The Council for the Social Studies and leading scholars argue for social studies assessments that are

A)performance based, apply to multiple learning environments and content areas, and are easily scored.
B)standards based, include authentic tasks to be performed out of school, and apply to multiple content areas.
C)offered in multiple formats, apply social studies skills and processes, and integrated across the curriculum
D)well-aligned with social studies goals, more complete in the range of objectives addressed, and include authentic tasks.

Question 9

Student-led conferences provide an opportunity to talk abut what has been learned using the contents of the portfolio as a springboard for discussion.

Question 10

One of the arguments for using performance assessments is that they allow teachers who use multiple materials in teaching to apply these practices to testing.

Question 11

Authentic assessment should always reflect the full range of curricular goals, so multiple- choice, true-false, and essay tests are sometimes appropriate.

Question 12

Students should be given the opportunities to analyze their own work assuming the process is

A)carefully scaffolded and used to inform planning.
B)objective and used to evaluate their learning.
C)subjective and helpful in determining academic achievement.
D)carefully monitored to ensure teacher effectiveness.

Question 13

All formal assessments should have correct answers for the exclusive purpose of assigning grades to students.

Question 14

Summative assessment focuses on evaluating students' understanding and ability to apply the big ideas and skills emphasized within the unit.

Question 15

Essay questions are most useful for assessing

A)higher cognitive processes.
B)students' writing skills.
C)students' creativity in structuring content.
D)students' future success.

Question 16

The most important consideration in selecting both informal and formal assessment tools is that it

A)matches the goal.
B)aligns with the activity.
C)is easy to grade.
D)students will enjoy it.

Question 17

Whatever form of assessment is used, it should focus on goals and the results should be

A)described and recorded in the student's portfolio.
B)recorded and placed in the student's cumulative record folder.
C)used to inform the teacher's planning process.
D)used to evaluate the teacher's effectiveness.

Question 18

It is extremely challenging and non-value added to spend time assessing attitudes, value, and dispositions in social studies.

Question 19

Analytic rubrics for evaluating social studies learning describe the degree of

A)quantity, efficiency, and recall along a continuum.
B)quality, efficacy, and clarity along a continuum.
C)quantity, efficiency, and understanding along a continuum.
D)quality, proficiency, or understanding along a continuum.

Question 20

Preliminary assessment should focus on the goals and be used primarily for evaluating instruction.

Question 21

Explain the ideal connections between assessment and instruction (why should they be aligned?). Include at least four examples to illustrate your key points.

Question 22

Explain why a teacher needs to use a variety of formal and informal assessment methods to monitor student progress. Provide at least four reasons and a specific example for each.

Question 23

Describe at least five kinds of assessment that are typically used for elementary social studies and explain the strengths and potential challenges of each.