Notion Of Evaluation
While assessments are used to determine the effectiveness of teaching and learning, evaluation is specifically to confirm a student's learning for the purpose of grading. Grading is traditionally identified as a letter grade or a percentage score. However, as Walvoord & Johnson (2010) identify grading as "tailoring the tests or assignments to the learning goals of the course, establishing criteria and standards, helping students acquire the knowledge and skills they need, assessing student learning over time, shaping student motivation, planning course content and teaching methods, using in-class and out-of-class time, offering feedback so students can develop as thinkers and writers" (p. 1).
Ideas For Evaluation & Grading
Conferences |
Provide a grade for the reading and writing conferences that happen in class. It can be based on progress rather than actual reading and writing levels. |
Essays |
A summative in-class essay (controlled environment) at the end of the unit is one useful way to evaluate student learning, but take home essays (uncontrolled environment) are also pertinent. A mix of both is ideal. |
Exit Slips |
A brief quiz or question before students end the lesson and move toward a break. It gives the teacher an idea about whether the students have understood the main idea/concept or not. You can count them based on effort for a small portion of the overall grade. |
Homework |
There is a whole lot of debate around homework. However, my experience has shown that a bit of homework is good for students, especially for ESL learners. I suggest giving marks for homework being complete rather than "correct" homework. This will actually encourage students to do the homework. Add in a stamp (e.g. I had a cat stamp pad to stamp on the page) or stickers and students get even more excited. |
Group Work |
You can assign small in-class group work or projects that require time. This is useful for teaching students how to work in teams. What does this look like exactly? In reading, you can assign students to answer questions together or come up with a response to a question in teams. In science, students can build a volcano together. These are just some examples to get started. |
Journals |
Students can maintain a writing journal that the teacher can check from time to time. The journal entries can focus on a question or can be homework students finish up from the writing lesson that day. A math journal is also another way to maintain a journal. Each day, students can be provided a question or two to go back home and reflect upon. |
Participation |
No, this is not about how much a student has confidence in raising his or her hand. Instead, it is all about (1) effort and (2) meaningful answers. |
Presentations |
In conjunction with other speaking and listening strategies, teachers can integrate other content areas around a presentation. Imagine students learning about Important Women in History. Individually or in groups, students can work on a presentation of one important woman (e.g. Hillary Clinton or Princess Diana). The teacher should provide a framework of what is expected from students (e.g. what to present, how to stand in front, the time limit, and so on). |
Projects |
Find a way to add in projects around the theme or unit of study. For example, if students are reading To Kill A Mockingbird they can work on a submitting a Bristol Board project at the end of the unit. You can make them write a summary of the novel, provide a character analysis, and all sorts of other ideas. |
Quizzes |
A brief quiz (whether it is a pop quiz or an informed one) can provide the teacher with a snapshot with what the students are getting and not. Keep it short and use them for content areas where there is a lot of information like math and science. You can also create a system whereby you take the best out of a specific amount (e.g. count the 5 highest out of the 10 quizzes towards the final grade). |
The Bottom Line
The evaluation process is one that is difficult for both the teacher and the students. In general, grades bring a lot of anxiety to the classroom environment. Therefore, there should be a process of a feedback that support students in developing their work. As Jabbarifar (2009) mentions, "[f]eedback and evaluation are inseparably related to both instructional objectives and classroom learning activities and are indispensable elements in the learning process" (p. 8). It is, therefore, useful for teachers to provide feedback when grading students' work. Furthermore, evaluative feedback should be coupled with descriptive feedback. Schinske & Tanner (2014) state that in a study conducted by Butler & Nisan (1986), students receiving descriptive feedback (but not grades) on an initial assignment performed significantly better on follow up quantitative tasks and problem-solving tasks than did students receiving grades or students receiving no feedback" (p. 161). Schinske & Tanner (2014) also discourage norm-reference grading, which are grades based on comparisons because "it can dissociate grades from any meaning in terms of content knowledge and learning" (p. 162). In the end, the evaluation process is also a learning process, and that should be the central focus of grading.
It is necessary to ensure "that any assignments, tests, and exams that you give and grade will facilitate the acquisition of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that you most want students to learn and retain" (Walvoord & Johnson, 2010, p. 9) when creating evaluations. Although the authors wrote this for faculty at the post-secondary level, it is relevant for all educators.
It is necessary to ensure "that any assignments, tests, and exams that you give and grade will facilitate the acquisition of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that you most want students to learn and retain" (Walvoord & Johnson, 2010, p. 9) when creating evaluations. Although the authors wrote this for faculty at the post-secondary level, it is relevant for all educators.
References
- Jabbarifar, T. (2014). The importance of classroom assessment and evaluation in educational system. International Conference of Teaching and Learning in 2009. INTI University College, Malaysia.
- Schinske, J. & Tanner, K. (2014). Teaching more by grading less (or differently). CBE Life Sciences Education, 13, 159-166. San Francisco State University, San Francisco.
- Walvoord, B.E. & Johnson, V. (2010). Effective grading: a tool for learning and assessment in college. John Wiley & Sons. San Francisco, California.
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