Going beyond the test! Using alternative assessments in career education.
Backes, Charles E. ; Brown, Philip M.
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Often in the classroom, teachers test students' basic
knowledge of a subject matter but fail to fully assess their knowledge.
Traditional written exams are ways of assigning grades, determining the
knowledge level of the individual, and determining if the
cognitive-oriented learning objectives or outcomes for the course have
been met. What about the kinesthetic and the affective outcomes? Do
written tests indicate to us what our students can do or how they feel
or value the material? Is it possible to use forms of assessment other
than traditional tests and exams to provide us with a better
understanding of our students' true achievement and understanding
of the material? This article will suggest ways that career and
technical educators can use assessments such as student presentations,
portfolios, writing samples and field experiences to more adequately
assess student learning.
Student Presentations
Student presentations are an excellent way for an instructor to
allow for learning and assessment in all three domains-cognitive,
psychomotor and affective--by providing students with an opportunity to
display and discuss their understanding of different concepts. In
addition, student presentations provide for independent learning,
problem solving and critical thinking. Most educators would agree that
there is tremendous value in having students stand in front of their
peers and give a presentation that includes a question and answer
session from the audience. It is easy to see how a student's
confidence will grow through direct interaction with peers.
Another advantage of using student presentations as a form of
alternative assessment is that the instruction is more student-directed.
An exceptional example of this would be to consider a high school
student, "Emily," who is a junior in high school. Emily is
taking an environmental science class because she is interested in
studying marine science as a college major. She is extremely fascinated
by marine life, specifically sea turtles. Because of her love of marine
life, Emily has become an avid scuba diver who has dove at depths of
more than 130 feet, swam with several sea turtles, and has dove in some
of the world's greatest dive sites from the Florida Keys to Hawaii.
Her instructor, Mr. Jones, has been teaching the environmental science
class for six years and has his own system of assessing and instructing
students. Four traditional tests are used with instruction coming
primarily from lectures or videotapes. Emily and the rest of the class
would likely learn more from having her give a presentation and guided
discussion on the coral reefs of the eastern Caribbean followed by
writing essays or reflection papers based on her experiences rather than
by taking a traditional test on a teacher's lecture.
When used, a major problem that often occurs with student
presentations is that teachers require students to make presentations
but fail to accurately assess the presentations. The following are some
suggestions for using and assessing student presentations:
* Provide clear directions and guidance. Make sure that your
students understand your expectations.
* Set clear time limits for the presentation. If you are going to
use instructional time for student presentations, make sure that you
limit the amount of time for each presentation.
* Require an outline prior to the presentation. Once again, if you
are using instructional time for presentations, you want to make sure
that your students are presenting material that is covered in the
standards for your state.
* Give feedback on the outline. "This looks good" is not
enough feedback on an outline. Use formal and informal questioning to
find out exactly what the student will be sharing with the class and the
main points of the presentation.
* Require interaction with the audience. This is the segment that
helps students to learn to think on their feet and use their
problem-solving skills.
* Have one of your best presenters give his or her presentation at
the end of the class period the day prior to the remainder of the
students' presentations. This will give your students a model of a
presentation which has met or exceeded your standards. The students can
then take that model and mold their presentations to meet the standards.
* Use a rubric or rating sheet for assessment. Rubrics have been
frequently discussed in educational circles, but often educators fail to
use them effectively. A rubric is a scoring guide designed to help the
student understand what is expected by the instructor. The teacher
should communicate expectations to the students and answer any questions
that the student may have concerning the rubric or expectations.
Portfolios
A portfolio is a collection of items, commonly referred to as
"artifacts," that document a professional's career- or
course-related competencies. Artists, photographers and designers all
use portfolios to show off their work. A distinction that needs to be
made is that portfolios are not scrapbooks. What makes a portfolio
different from a scrapbook? In general, a scrapbook is a collection of
favorite pictures, newspaper clippings and other items that remind the
creator and others of what they did at some point in their lives. A
portfolio is made up of artifacts that are carefully selected to
demonstrate a specified competency or ability. They show the user what
the creator can do, rather than what he or she did. Each artifact has a
purpose and is of the highest quality possible. Portfolios should not be
"bursting at the seams" in quantity, but should be
"exploding" with quality!
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Portfolios give a holistic representation of a student's
knowledge, skills and competencies related to a subject. A completed
portfolio allows the instructor and anyone else to view the work and
progress of a student over a certain period of time. An automotive
teacher may choose for students to have a portfolio which they complete
throughout three automotive courses. A healthcare science teacher may
have students complete portfolios that document their abilities gained
during clinical experiences. An agriculture teacher may have livestock
science students use a portfolio to exhibit their competencies raising
and showing competition livestock.
Portfolios come in many different shapes and sizes as well as
different forms. The forms include electronic, paper, or a combination
of paper and electronic. An effective electronic portfolio can be
produced by using Microsoft PowerPoint or a personal Web site to compile
a collection of artifacts for display, presentation and viewing.
Portfolios may be "working portfolios" or "presentation
portfolios" depending on the context in which they are used. A
"working portfolio" would be a portfolio in which the student
compiles a large number of artifacts that fully document activities and
competencies. The student will develop a working portfolio throughout
the course or program and may allow it to be viewed at any time. A
"presentation portfolio" is a completed portfolio, generally
containing a smaller number of artifacts aimed at exhibiting expertise
and skills, which is to be viewed at the end of the project or at some
other predetermined interval.
The following are some suggestions for using and assessing
portfolios:
* Link specific artifacts to the course objectives. This should
provide a linkage to the course goal.
* Provide clear directions and guidance.
* Use a well-planned organizational system.
* Encourage students to include their best work.
* Allow for constant improvement of artifacts.
* Assess individual items in a timely manner.
* Encourage students to include personal reflections.
* Use a rubric or rating sheet or assessment for individual
artifacts and for the overall assessment.
Writing Samples
Writing samples are an effective way to assess the content
knowledge of a student as well as his or her understanding of successful
writing. Reflections, research findings and concept papers are examples
of writing samples which can be used to evaluate student understanding.
By using writing as an assessment tool, the teacher is promoting quality
writing among students. In addition to promoting quality writing,
writing samples allow students to analyze and think critically about a
subject. Being able to articulate analytical thoughts into a research
finding can be a difficult task for middle and high school students, but
it is an important task for students to master. If students are capable
of expressing their thoughts clearly and correctly in a research report,
then they have an understanding of the content. When asked to complete a
writing assignment, a student must be able to organize his or her
thoughts into a coherent and organized paper or reflection. Making
students complete such a task quickly displays their understanding of
the material and encourages them to be able to defend their reasoning
and writing. The following are some suggestions for using and assessing
writing samples:
* Use a variety of samples.
* Use writing samples frequently.
* Provide constructive and useful feedback.
* Comment on errors in grammar, spelling and punctuation.
* Do not try to grade everything!
* Use a rubric to evaluate the writing sample.
* Allow for individuality and personal reflection.
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Field Experiences
Using field experiences as a form of authentic assessment is a
unique opportunity for teachers and students to see the benefits of
career-tech and the learning that takes place daily within classrooms
and labs. Observations, shadowing, service-learning and actual practice
are ways in which students can be assessed outside of their desks and
the four walls of a classroom. Consider the case of "Joey," a
student in a horticulture class. Recently, Joey gave a presentation to a
group of incoming students concerning the benefits of participating in a
service-learning project. He had raised money to build gardens above
ground for handicapped and elderly people in a local nursing home who
were incapable of bending down to work in a garden. The student not only
shared details about how the raised gardens were constructed, but he
also spoke of the pride and satisfaction he felt during the process.
Joey's teacher, who visited him many times during the project, was
able to assess his efforts on the procedures and processes used to build
the gardens; she was also able to assess Joey on the affective
objectives related to work ethics, values and community pride. When
teachers use these types of projects as assessment, they let the
students and their peers know that real-world applications of skills and
displays of citizenship are important.
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The following are some suggestions for using and assessing various
field experiences:
* Match the field experiences to the course goals and objectives.
* Match the placement to the individual student.
* Make contact with the placement supervisor and encourage
interaction between all involved personnel.
* Use journals, reflections and logs to record observations for
record keeping.
* Provide an orientation session prior to sending students on
location. Use check sheets and scoring guides for assessment of
experiences. Keep in mind that most field experiences are graded as
satisfactory or unsatisfactory, if they are graded at all.
Assessing for improvement in student learning is essential in
today's educational world. Reflection on assessment techniques is
vital to improving teaching and learning. Educators should constantly
seek ways to improve the teaching and learning process through the use
of varied assessments, and should recognize the fact that assessments
are rarely flawless in their infancy. Developing a quality assessment is
a process of trying new things, gathering feedback from students and
other teachers, evaluating the quality of produced student work, and
then reflecting upon the process and the success of the assessment.
Ultimately, it is the students who will gain from the assessment
process. B
Charles E. Backes is professor of adult and career education at
Yaldosto State University in Georgia. He can be contacted at
cbackes@valdosta.edu.
Philip M. Brown is assistant principal at Oconee Middle School in
Watkinsville, Georgia. He can be contacted at pmbrown@uga.edu.
