Where Great Teaching Begins: Planning for Student Thinking and Learning by Anne R. Reeves

Author:Anne R. Reeves [Reeves, Anne R.]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Education
ISBN: 9781416614241
Publisher: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development
Published: 2011-11-15T05:00:00+00:00

Find and Close Gaps Between the Objective and Its Assessment

Gaps between objectives and assessments occur when the instructional designer thinks in general rather than specific terms about assessment tasks. Just as fine-tuning objectives requires thinking specifically (even when the content knowledge is broad), so fine-tuning assessments requires ensuring that associated activities line up with specific objectives rather than just the larger body of content knowledge. Gaps can also occur when "inherited" or habitual learning activities and assessments don't mesh cleanly with standards—a situation that faces experienced teachers, as well as beginners.

Consider this state benchmark for 5th graders in Oregon: "Students will identify the primary functions of federal, state, and local governments" (Oregon Department of Education, 2001). Long-standing tradition within many Oregon elementary schools links this standard with a particular learning activity—a field trip to the state capitol. (Note, also, that a field trip like this can be an example of beginning your instructional design process with a specific activity in mind. See Chapter 6.) When it comes to assessing what students learned from the field trip, however, the instructional designer can find it challenging to align assessment tasks closely with the benchmark. Take a look at the following assessment options. Which would provide evidence of students' progress toward achievement of the "state government" part of the standard?

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