Why It Is Important to Change It Up?

Though routine is necessary, checking for understanding the same way each and every time is boring and will not hold student interest. There are simple ways to informally assess learning such as ‘thumbs up and thumbs down’, as well as other types of hand signals and more complex ways to formally assess such as rubrics with writings/projects and scoring formal assessments such as tests. It is important to create a routine and expectation within the classroom environment, but you want to add variety into the ways you check for student understanding to keep students engaged in the learning process.

Ways to Check for Understanding

Technology Helps

A great way to check for understanding is to use different tools (games) online such as Blooket, Kahoot, and Quizlet. These are three of the sites that my students enjoy best, and I have to say, Blooket was the class favorite this year. This helps to check for understanding while mixing in a bit of fun.

I find Blooket great for review at the end of topics or lessons. My class was so into it that I had various students creating Blookets for the class to use. The students would create the Blooket which was tailored to a specific lesson, and I would look it over before we utilized it. This gives students ownership of their learning and the class loved playing games that they created on their own! Blooket can be used at any grade level, as you can create your own and make it as challenging as you wish. If you are in a pinch, there is a database of all games created and you can play ones that were created by other users on topics that you are studying.

Questioning Techniques

Asking critical-thinking and open-ended questions are an easy way to check for understanding. As educators, it is important that we are aware of our questioning techniques. You can ask students how they were able to come up with their answer or show why they feel the solution to the math problem is correct. When you encourage students to think more critically, it helps to create more depth to their understanding without using a ton of extra time (which we all know is so valuable). The more you use higher level questioning techniques, the more it will encourage students to think outside-the-box, or think more critically about their responses. Simple changes to the way you ask students questions can help you to better observe student’s understanding of various topics and skills. More in-depth questioning techniques can be utilized at any grade level.

Socratic Seminar

Socratic seminars can be modified to use at any grade level, but are especially beneficial at upper levels. This is a formal type of discussion where a leader asks open-ended questions based on a text. Critical thinking is encouraged as students must evaluate others’ comments and formulate responses. These student-led discussions build the classroom community, improve communication skills, and provide opportunity for reflection. It is the belief that one question will lead to a variety of responses and discussion, and then more questions will stem from the original question. This is a way to have students take ownership of their learning for teachers to observe learning in action.

Polls

Polls are another simple, informal way to check for understanding. As we have all become Google Classroom experts throughout the past year and a half, polls are available via a few different avenues. You can create a poll on a Google Meet where students can respond in real-time. You can also create questions in Google Classroom with multiple-choice or open-ended responses. You can informally poll students for understanding when determining the direction to go with a lesson for the next day. This is an easy way to assess understanding and most students think responding to a poll is fun! This can be used at any grade level.

Get Up and Move!

Having students give a physical response is another creative way to check for understanding. This is best utilized with younger students, but depending on your classroom make-up, it could be used in upper grade levels also. You can ask students questions and have a directive such as if it is true, jump on one foot, and if it is false, wave your hands in the air. This type of informal assessment is great for your kinesthetic learners and will give the class a few good laughs along the way.

Curtain Call

There are so many creative ways to check for understanding. Though students in each grade level differ in many aspects, one common thread is the need for feedback. Understanding your class dynamic is a big piece to the puzzle. Keeping students engaged and intrigued is a great way to maintain their attention to the lesson. A great lesson is nothing without  students’ understanding of the content. Maintaining creative ways to check for understanding will create a better classroom environment and morale among the students.

As Edward de Bono stated, “There is no doubt that creativity is the most important human resource of all. Without creativity, there would be no progress, and we would be forever repeating the same patterns.” Creativity is the spice of life and the spark that ignites better, more meaningful learning in the classroom!

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But how do educators achieve these types of objectives with assessments? How do they elevate students’ understanding beyond the rote memory and simple multiple-choice questioning patterns? How do they prepare their students to problem-solve, to apply their experiences to obtain answers, and to reflect on their lifelong learning opportunities?

What is Higher-Level Thinking?

Students must move beyond simply recalling information in order to truly understand materials. Higher-level thinking incorporates levels of processing, through analysis, synthesis, systematic evaluation, and finally creating, which incorporates all of these elements into a coherent final product, which reflects several layers of in-depth learning. This process is based on the principles of Bloom’s Taxonomy.

These concepts have also been organized into the Webb’s Depths of Knowledge chart: recall, skill/concept, strategic thinking, and extensive thinking. The challenge is to transition students from the recall thinking into the extensive thinking. Here, students take the content they are studying and transform it into a cohesive project application. They are critically evaluating numerous platforms of information in order to produce a final assessment that shows thorough depth in design and thinking.

One of the newest models promoting higher-level thinking is embedded in the 21st-Century Skills category, wherein critical thinking skills are connected to literacy skills (technology, media, etc.) and life skills (leadership, social, etc.). This not only moves away from the standard rote memory, simple questioning patterns, but also provides hands-on skills pertaining to necessary character traits required to be successful in a selected career.

Aligning Assessments and Higher-Level Thinking

With a stronger understanding regarding the models of higher-level thinking, the significance relies on the design of the assessment. Assessments are meant to measure depth of thinking and experience, not just simply be offered as quizzes or exams simply because they add points to a course. But what does an assessment that incorporates higher-level thinking look like in a classroom? How does a teacher activate this upper-level cognition?

It’s initially important to understand the connections between curriculum and instruction, which correlate directly to the assessments. Secondarily to curriculum, the standards, whether a national common core or a state-mandated set, should focus the curriculum on the skill-based components that need to be learned. Then the instruction directs the curriculum from there.

Finally, the assessment should incorporate those elements into the evaluation of learning. If these elements are appropriately implemented, higher-level thinking can more easily be addressed by teachers, ranging from scaffolded questions, to longer wait times, to reflection writing, to in-depth discussions in small and whole groups. Let’s move to some examples that may help promote deeper understanding.

Assessment Examples

Those students who are studying math theorems must shift from memorizing the formulaic definitions to applying those in a performance task that focuses on multiple mathematical processes. Students might apply a theorem or model, or even several theorems or models, to solve a problem or highlight a situation, such as determining the amounts of garbage produced by one school, one district, one county, etc., and the possibilities in rectifying or reducing those amounts.

Adding why it is an important task for students will open thoughtful pathways, like extensive research into pollution, reducing carbon footprints, and possibly volunteering opportunities in the community. Students will view applicable results stemming from their math lessons while addressing the higher-level thinking through both formative and summative assessments.

In an English course, whether middle school, high school, or college, a DOK level 4 assessed task might take several different texts from varying time periods and align the common themes for the human condition in writing form. There should occur a form of deconstruction of those texts that will allow a teacher to propose to students a chance to model that essay specific to the writer’s style. The ability to encourage metacognitive thought is perfectly connected.

Even students writing journal entries about their own lives in attempts to model specific authors can allow exploration and creativity for application purposes in assessments, as well as highlight the therapeutic nature of writing. And tying in the social studies aspects can provide backgrounds that connect to students’ own personal journeys.

It is imperative to add the why in any of these lessons. Students must be able to link what they are doing with why they are doing it in their assessments. Just taking an exam does not engage them or truly promote the critical thinking skills that will help benefit society.

Think of the times when you have been truly challenged to think about a project, a problem, or a personal trial. Think about the results and the pride you experienced when you not only resolved or completed it, but learned from the experience. That is what we want our students to desire in education.

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Assessment arguably can be described as the most critical feature of effective student instruction. By incorporating formative and summative assessment strategies, educators can identify gaps within students’ understanding of concepts and also determine areas in which students are excelling and may benefit from enrichment activities.

How to Assess Student Learning Remotely

Although it may seem like an oversimplification, remote assessment follows the same best practices as traditional classroom assessment with the physical proximity of instructors and students removed.

Within a remote learning environment, educators should adhere to the traditional pattern which includes pre-testing students’ knowledge of new concepts in order to identify their levels of prior knowledge to subsequently drive the instructional process; incorporating formative assessments in the form of mini-quizzes, classroom exit tickets, homework, etc. in order to determine concept and process proficiency; and finally, utilizing summative assessment strategies including unit tests and/or project-based authentic assessments to determine mastery.

Choose Tools that Serve Your Purpose

The tools available for remote student assessment are limitless, so identifying applications that best serve each assessment purpose is critical. For example a diagnostic pre-test in a remote environment may be accomplished through the use of an interactive educational gaming app such as Kahoot! or a simple fillable survey form developed within an online learning platform such as Google Classroom. In this manner, educators can gain a rapid understanding of students’ familiarity with upcoming instructional concepts. An added benefit of these applications is that the results are tabulated instantly, thus eliminating the need for educators to tabulate them manually.

In order to formatively assess students’ understanding of concepts and processes, posting questions within a classroom stream on an online learning platform is effective. Through these avenues, students can respond in writing electronically through attached documents or even complete math or science problems on paper and then simply upload digital photos of their written work. In this manner, instructors can gain an understanding of individual students’ abilities both with regard to knowledge and process.

Summative assessment can adopt a variety of forms including traditional tests delivered via fillable electronic forms that incorporate multiple choice, short answer, and extended response questions, as well as authentic, project-based assessments that demonstrate students’ levels of understanding related to an entire unit or series of lessons. The possibilities for authentic summative assessment are limitless and may rely upon internet research, development of presentations, video or photo-based productions, and electronically-submitted research papers, among countless other methods.

While choosing appropriate remote assessment tools may appear challenging, educators must remember that they are not isolated. As in traditional learning environments, teachers should network with other instructors both within their organizations and via the multitude of available online educational forums in order to collaborate and broaden their knowledge bases while celebrating their successes.

Collect Data Consistently

Data collection and interpretation are especially critical within remote learning environments, as the ability for first-person observance of student performance is limited. Therefore, educators must maintain ongoing data related to every student within their charges. Performance data gathered through the previously discussed methods informs the next steps in the learning process for each student and therefore must be updated and revisited every time a new diagnostic, formative, or summative assessment strategy has been employed.

Routinely Check for Understanding

In order to monitor students’ progress toward content mastery, instructors must regularly check for understanding in a manner similar to traditional face-to-face learning environments. These checks can be as simple as a “Question of the Day” to which students respond electronically or a teacher-developed online discussion board in which students can post their questions related to specific tasks and assignments. These tools, combined with routine assessment, promote the creation of a virtual classroom community in which students are encouraged to collaborate with the instructor and their peers, which assists in alleviating feelings of isolation that may occur as a result of learning remotely.

Remember to Provide Feedback

Assessment for student learning without appropriate feedback is useless. As a result, educators in an online learning environment must provide timely and productive comments electronically in order to promote student understanding by dispelling misconceptions within the learning process. Additionally, positive feedback should be shared routinely in order to encourage students and assist in keeping them focused and intrinsically motivated to succeed.

Plan One-on-One Time

Although elearning environments can be both efficient and effective, countless educators likely would argue that the best component of teaching is the human interaction that occurs. While teachers and students are not physically together within an online setting, the regular use of video conferencing platforms such as Zoom or Google Meet provides opportunities for teachers and students to interact in real time. An important practice in addition to scheduling “live” class sessions is for instructors to establish virtual office hours during which they are available to video conference with students in order to answer questions and provide verbal feedback. This strategy greatly assists in transforming remote classroom environments into true virtual learning communities.

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When applied properly, student assessment serves as one of the most powerful tools at a teacher’s disposal. The first step to effective assessment is knowing the different types of assessments, and when each assessment is the optimal choice.

Different Types of Assessments 

When categorizing assessments, you may naturally think of words like “test,” “essay,” or “oral presentation.” While these are effective assessment tools, in order to classify assessment types we must determine the purpose of an assessment. Upon knowing the purpose and intended use of an assessment, it will be easier to choose from the types of assessment below.

Diagnostic Assessments

These assessments are administered at the beginning of a term or unit in order to establish a baseline for a student’s ability. Also known as pretests, diagnostic assessments give the teacher a picture of the students’ prior knowledge, thus providing a foundation for instructional planning. Due to the nature of these assessments, they should not negatively impact a student’s grade. It’s no secret that students often neglect to take assessments that don’t impact their grade seriously, thus offering other performance or growth incentives can help yield more reliable data.

Formative Assessments

Formative assessments provide information about students’ progress toward mastery throughout instruction. Formative assessments are typically quick and can be administered in conjunction with a range of concepts. Think-pair-share, exit tickets, and class-wide polls are examples of formative assessments that are flexible, quick, and informative. The purpose of formative assessments is to gather student performance data that can be useful as you advance toward a summative assessment.

Summative Assessments

The opposite of their formative counterparts, summative assessments are typically administered when students have had the time and support needed to achieve mastery. Summative assessments often occur at the end of a unit or term, and typically carry significant weight grade-wise. During a summative assessment, students are expected to independently apply the concepts learned during instruction.

Ipsative Assessments

Ipsative assessments track student growth. The purpose of this type of assessment is to compare a student’s performance to his/her past performance. The goal is for the student to improve as opposed to pursuing a certain grade or comparing students to one another.

Norm-Referenced Assessments 

Unlike ipsative assessments, norm-referenced assessments compare student performance. In order to administer this type of assessment, you must first establish an average norm. This norm could be the average of past student performance on the assessment. When administering a norm-referenced assessment, the teacher can see how a student performs in relation to other students. 

Criterion-Referenced Assessments

Criterion-referenced assessments measure student performance according to a set standard. Mastery is determined based upon whether students meet the standard. Curriculum should be aligned to the criterion-referenced assessment in order to yield positive results. These assessments are typically summative and include a plethora of concepts.

Alternative Assessments 

Alternative assessments seek to evaluate students’ performance ability as opposed to knowledge. These assessments often call for students to perform certain tasks that do not include traditional tests. Examples are oral presentations or portfolios. Alternative assessments provide an opportunity for students to apply learned concepts, and when used correctly can enhance career readiness.

How to Use Assessments in Your Classroom 

Administering assessments in the classroom is necessary, but the use of assessments does not end there. For assessments to be useful, one must also understand how to use the resulting data and what steps to take based upon assessment results. Below are some tips that will help you get the most out of your classroom assessments.

Don’t Over-Assess Your Students

Most teachers indubitably agree that too much assessment does not foster a healthy classroom environment. When assessments are overused, they lose their potency and become a nuisance to students. In order to ensure that you are only assessing students as much as necessary, take time to evaluate what your ultimate learning goals are. Plan assessments that build up to those goals consistently, not frequently.

Provide Timely and Actionable Feedback 

For assessments to be useful, students must understand their performance. Too often, students take assessments and see a resulting numerical value that doesn’t explain their performance. You should provide feedback to your students following assessments that is both actionable and timely. Timely feedback is given when the feedback is still applicable. Actionable feedback gives students tools to improve on areas of weakness. 

Use Assessment Data to Drive Instruction

Your assessment data should always drive your instruction. Once you know how your students have mastered a concept, this should influence your instruction going forward. This requires flexibility and causes your instruction to meet the specific needs of your students.

Remediate and Reassess 

When assessment data highlights deficits, take action to remedy those deficits. Also, an assessment does not have to be the end all and be all. After remediation, you should make plans to reassess deficits as time permits.

The Benefits of Assessment

When assessments are varied and selected intentionally, they serve an important purpose in the classroom. Through the use of these classroom assessment techniques, teachers can gain insight into their students’ abilities and challenges. The data that effective assessments provide serves as a roadmap for instructional planning and helps teachers to tailor their lessons to the diverse needs of their students. Although the prevalence of standardized testing can make assessment seem like an undue burden, teachers can reclaim the true power of assessment through knowledge and proper planning.

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