assessing assessment

ASSESSING ASSESSMENT:ASSESSING ASSESSMENT: TEN MYTHS TO TEN MYTHS TO CONSIDER AND CONSIDER AND RECONSIDER.RECONSIDER.

Presented byPresented by

Safir Kassim BSafir Kassim BUniversity of MascaraUniversity of Mascara

Assessment is simply a story of paradoxes, a history of contradictions and a series of

impassable biases. It is a slippery zone

where every assessor "should" be scientifically "objective" but human,

superhumanly «fair" in a world where to err is human.

MYTH 1MYTH 1: ASSESSMENT IS AN : ASSESSMENT IS AN EXACT SCIENCE EXACT SCIENCE

And thus:• Reliable• Valid• Objective• Fair

It’s simply a myth …Why?

• “Assessment is inherently an INEXACT science” (Cohen et al,2005:75)

• “L’évaluation n’est PAS une science exact” (Perrenoud, 2003:128)

• « An assessment is rarely totally valid or totally reliable » (Norton, 2008:6)

MYTH 2: MYTH 2: “ASSESSMENT” CAN BE “ASSESSMENT” CAN BE CLEARLY DEFINEDCLEARLY DEFINED

Let’s consider these definitions:

“any method used to better understand the current knowledge that a student

possesses”.

But :

– What kind of knowledge ?

– Is it knowledge or know-how?

– Knowledge or “know-where”?

– Have we got the tools to “assess” that knowledge?

“ Assesment is the act of evaluating, appraising,

and/or estimating the features, qualities, performances,

and needs of individuals, programs, and institution”

(Board of Edu,April,2004)

But, again: - What kind of performance ?

• Linguistic?• Paralinguistic?• Procedural?• Needs? … (semantic haziness)

We are trying to define the We are trying to define the INDEFINABLEINDEFINABLE

We are trying to “measure” We are trying to “measure” the the UNQUANTIFIABLEUNQUANTIFIABLE

MYTH 3: MYTH 3: TEACHERS SHOULD TEACHERS SHOULD ASSESS THE WAY THEY HAVE ASSESS THE WAY THEY HAVE

BEEN ASSESSED BEEN ASSESSED (since it works…)(since it works…)

This is the SIMPLEST assessment strategy teachers

should

UNLEARN

Middle and secondary school teachers are often

RELUCTANT to read and learn about assessment .

Because :

• Feel psychologically “safer” in their traditional approach

• Are often “lost” in the digital ocean of information

• Don’t know what to read

MYTH 4: MYTH 4: BOOKS ARE BOOKS ARE SUFFICIENT TO LEARN BOUT SUFFICIENT TO LEARN BOUT

ASSESSMENTASSESSMENT

This is not the case in our universities …

Why? :

-Scientifically irrelevant

since

DECONTEXTUALISED

Three major issues are missing:

• e-assessment• 21st century assessment• Balanced assessment

MYTH 5: MYTH 5: TRADITIONAL TRADITIONAL ASSESSMENT SYSTEMS CAN ASSESSMENT SYSTEMS CAN

MEET THE NEEDS OF MEET THE NEEDS OF THE “ THE “DIGITAL DIGITAL

LEARNERSLEARNERS””

We are in a situation We are in a situation where old minds have to where old minds have to

teach young minds…teach young minds…

Teachers and students have to face the

new paradigm shifts in education. I.e.:

20th CENTURY 21st CENTURY

STAKEHOLDERS teacher co-learner

learner e-learner

TOOLS books e-books

assessment e-assessment

PROCESSES disciplinary interdisciplinary

APPROACHES constructivism CONNECTIVISM

MYTH 6: MYTH 6: A ONE-SIZE-FEETS-ALL A ONE-SIZE-FEETS-ALL ASSESSMENT CAN GUARANTEE ASSESSMENT CAN GUARANTEE

EQUITYEQUITY

Are we assessing everybody (assessees)?

“NOOOO”, say experts in assessment.We are assessing a MINORITY

-The reading/writing learners

- The intrapersonal (who prefer working alone)

Why?:

Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligenceS

Fleming’s theory of learners styleS

The pencil-and- paper-based assessment is an

excellent tool

to meet those two types of learners, yet the

worst way to assesss

the rest of the classroom. I.e.: The MAJORITY

Is this fairness?

MYTH 7: “MYTH 7: “GOOGLE GOOGLE GENERATION” NEEDS ROTE GENERATION” NEEDS ROTE

LEARNINGLEARNING

Rote learning can be a good strategy to memorise :

Key datesMnemonicsQuotationsPoetryOral traditional texts

Yet:• Memorising facts is waste of time since

information is readily available within a mere mouse click away

• Rote learning kills creativity• It is lower order thinking vs. higher order thinking• learning today is SOCIAL (connectivism) vs.

individual / intrapersonal ( behaviourism).

MYTH 8: MYTH 8: TEACHERS « MUST » TEACHERS « MUST » USE RED PENS WHEN USE RED PENS WHEN

CORRECTINGCORRECTING

Researchers, psychopedagogues and teachers around the world agree on these:

• Red is an AGGRESSIVE way to say “WRONG !!!”

• It damaged the psyche of students (self-esteem and motivation…)

• Too much red “bleeds off” the paper• Red is a sign of authoritarianism (I am

the judge)

Do you know that :

In Queensland (Australia) teachers are not allowed to write in red pen

ANYMORE because apparently it stresses the kids out and make them depressed

and angry. (?)

The world is changing, what about us?

MYTH 9 : MYTH 9 : FORMATIVE AND FORMATIVE AND SUMMATIVE ASESSMENTS ARE SUMMATIVE ASESSMENTS ARE SUFFICIENT TO SUFFICIENT TO EVALUATE THE LEARNERSEVALUATE THE LEARNERS

Consider these:

TRADITIONAL ASSESMENT 21 st century ASSESMENT

1. The teacher is THE ASSESSOR 1.Learners can assess other

learners (PEER ASSESMENT)

Learners assess THEMSELVES (IPSATIVE ASSESSMENT)

2. Paper-and –pencil assessment 2 a. OPEN-BOOK EXAM (safer) b. Authentic assessment (real )

3. More concerned with “teaching to the test”

3. Teaching to produce “life-long learners”

4. Teach to assess 4. ASSESS TO TEACH AND LEARN

MYTH 10: MYTH 10: MARKS OR GRADES MARKS OR GRADES “MUST” BE DISPLAYED “MUST” BE DISPLAYED

PUBLICLYPUBLICLY

YES, it is:

“TRANSPARENCY “

But:

There is a significant body of evidence that insist on these:

• Teachers should always accentuate the positive. We can lose those suffering from “LOW SELF-ESTEEM”

• Should avoid criticism. Displaying marks publicly is the BEST way

• to DEMOTIVATE a boy or a girl

• For low achievers, publicising marks is simply a PUBLIC HUMILIATION

It is a NON VERBAL VIOLENCE that could be decoded as :

-I am bad at ….

-My progress will be a miracle (05/20)

-I should prepare myself to another PUBLIC HUMILIATION (SELF-PROPHECY)

EXCELLENCE, BADNESS, EXCELLENCE, BADNESS, AND GOODNESS ARE AND GOODNESS ARE

JUST RELATIVE JUST RELATIVE JUDGMENTAL NOTIONS…JUDGMENTAL NOTIONS…

Towards an individualized, humanised, balanced

e-assessment?We hope so…

100 THNKS 4 UR A10SHN 100 THNKS 4 UR A10SHN

Safir kassim BoudjelalSafir kassim BoudjelalUniversity of MascaraUniversity of Mascara

Safireading@yahoo.comSafireading@yahoo.com