Assessments and evaluation
Classroom assessment is formative rather than summative. The purpose of assessment is to check and students understanding, motivating and grading. It helps the teacher to identify the weak areas. The MacFarlane Report (1992) found that assessment is the single most important factor in students’ learning (Falchikov, 1995, p. 160).What and how assessment is carried out has a profound influence, for better or worse, on learning and is a major factor that can encourage either surface or deep learning (George & Cowan, 1999, pp. 98-99). Assessment serves many diverse purposes: motivating students; directing and enhancing learning; providing feedback to students on strengths, weaknesses and how they might improve; providing feedback to the lecturer about student understanding; and checking whether learning outcomes are being achieved (Zou, 2008, pp. 82-83). It is advisable to use different types of assessment during teaching. To write this article It has been observed two lessons, to check the assessment techniques. In the observed lessons it has been used three types of assessment. One is questioning to random students, which was very effective and useful technique of assessing individual students as well as groups. As a second one teacher gave an individual worksheet, which helps the teacher to check how well the students got the concept “reflection”. Teacher also gave a pair work to the students. Through this teacher felt difficult to judge the students understanding.
Normally in Maldivian schools we have been used traditional assessment method which is term tests, unit tests and mock test. However, it changes as increase of trained teachers. So nowadays some other assessment techniques are using in our schools like case studies, project work, group work, procedural , portfolios etc.
It is also important to vary assessment techniques as there are students with different learning styles. If it is inclusive classroom the teacher need to include the SEN students and should give cequal chances to them as normal students.
After assessing a topic or a skill it is really important to report the result to all the stake holders, (learners, parents and managements etc). The feedbacks should be give within the specific time and should be in positive manner. Otherwise the stake holders might take that in a negative manner and be demotivated.
Teacher can give feedbacks through written documents, orally, parent teacher meetingetc. In Maldives we are using grading system to give feedback. Some theorists believe that this approach is not very effective as it creates competition and it demotivate the below average students.
So as teachers we should be careful in assessing and reporting, as it might hinder some of the students motivation.
Classroom assessment is formative rather than summative. The purpose of assessment is to check and students understanding, motivating and grading. It helps the teacher to identify the weak areas. The MacFarlane Report (1992) found that assessment is the single most important factor in students’ learning (Falchikov, 1995, p. 160).What and how assessment is carried out has a profound influence, for better or worse, on learning and is a major factor that can encourage either surface or deep learning (George & Cowan, 1999, pp. 98-99). Assessment serves many diverse purposes: motivating students; directing and enhancing learning; providing feedback to students on strengths, weaknesses and how they might improve; providing feedback to the lecturer about student understanding; and checking whether learning outcomes are being achieved (Zou, 2008, pp. 82-83). It is advisable to use different types of assessment during teaching. To write this article It has been observed two lessons, to check the assessment techniques. In the observed lessons it has been used three types of assessment. One is questioning to random students, which was very effective and useful technique of assessing individual students as well as groups. As a second one teacher gave an individual worksheet, which helps the teacher to check how well the students got the concept “reflection”. Teacher also gave a pair work to the students. Through this teacher felt difficult to judge the students understanding.
Normally in Maldivian schools we have been used traditional assessment method which is term tests, unit tests and mock test. However, it changes as increase of trained teachers. So nowadays some other assessment techniques are using in our schools like case studies, project work, group work, procedural , portfolios etc.
It is also important to vary assessment techniques as there are students with different learning styles. If it is inclusive classroom the teacher need to include the SEN students and should give cequal chances to them as normal students.
After assessing a topic or a skill it is really important to report the result to all the stake holders, (learners, parents and managements etc). The feedbacks should be give within the specific time and should be in positive manner. Otherwise the stake holders might take that in a negative manner and be demotivated.
Teacher can give feedbacks through written documents, orally, parent teacher meetingetc. In Maldives we are using grading system to give feedback. Some theorists believe that this approach is not very effective as it creates competition and it demotivate the below average students.
So as teachers we should be careful in assessing and reporting, as it might hinder some of the students motivation.