Educational psychologyLesson 1 of 1 in the course Motivation and assessment

Educational Assessment: Purposes, Types, and Quality

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

Educational assessment is more than testing: it is a systematic way to gather and use evidence about learning. This lesson introduces assessment, its purposes, and the way it operates as a continuous process.

Educational assessment is the systematic process of documenting and using empirical data about learners’ knowledge, skills, attitudes, aptitudes, and beliefs. Educators use this information to refine programs and improve student learning.

All flashcards

Educational assessment
The systematic documentation and use of evidence about learners’ knowledge, skills, attitudes, aptitudes, and beliefs to improve learning and educational programs.
Assessment versus testing
A test is one method of gathering evidence; assessment can also use observations, discussions, portfolios, projects, and self-assessment.
Assessment cycle
Establish outcomes, provide learning opportunities, gather and interpret evidence, compare it with expectations, and use findings to guide improvement.
Granularity
The level or unit being assessed, such as an individual learner, class, course, institution, or educational system.
Assessment purpose
Theoretical frameworks and beliefs about the mind, knowledge, and learning can shape what evidence is valued and how it is interpreted.

Quiz questions

  1. Which type of assessment generally takes place at the end of a course or project to summarize achievement?Answer: Summative assessment
  2. Which assessment asks learners to create, produce, or do something to demonstrate knowledge and skill?Answer: Performance-based assessment
  3. Which basis of comparison measures a learner against their own earlier performance?Answer: Ipsative assessment
  4. What distinguishes an external assessment from an internal assessment?Answer: It is set by a governing body and marked by people outside the school.
  5. What is a defining feature of an objective assessment item?Answer: It is designed to have one correct answer.

Based on the Wikipedia article Educational assessment, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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