A Variety of Assessments -- Brief Notes

A Variety of Assessments -- from Assessment for Linguistically Diverse Students: Instructional Guide (BEEDE), pages 4:9 -- 4:33

1. Minute Paper – sometimes used as exit slips

2. Categorizing Grid -- Do Word Sorts fit into this category?

3. Misconception/Preconception Check -- (Example of questions for my sentence unit: How do I know when I have a complete sentence/How do I recognize a complete sentence? How do I know when and how to capitalize and end punctuate a sentence? How do I know when to put a comma in a sentence?)

4. Student-Generated Test Questions --
Provide information on
a. what students consider the most important or memorable,
b. what they understand as fair and useful questions,
c. how well they can answer the questions they have posed.

5. RSQC2 -- This could be used after reading a selection, or to review what was done in a previous class. Allow about 8 to 12 minutes for this assessment activity.
R = recall
S = summarize -- in one sentence
Q = write down one or two unanswered questions
C = connect -- what was learned in the previous class to overall goals of the course
C = comment -- evaluate with a statement such as "I enjoyed the most. . . or . . . the least."

6. Rotating Trio Exchange -- Using questions with no right or wrong answers.
Put students in threes, assign each a number. Students discuss a question. Numbers rotate. Students again discuss in new sets of three, etc.

7. Total Physical Response -- Elementary (or truly novice language learners)

8. Physical Self-Assessment -- (Can also be used a a "physical continuum" or as "corners") --
Students self-assess, and physically move to show their attitude or level of understanding.

9. Reciprocal Teaching: Reading Strategies at Work --
Teacher prepares reading passages -- unfamiliar but interesting to the students -- overheads and individual copies for students --
Student purposes for reading:
a) summarize
b) ask questions to clarify
c) predict
= Teacher models
= Student volunteers model
= Practice
= Students work in small groups, reading and using the three strategies

10. Stop/Draw/Retell -- elementary
= Students fold a piece of paper to divide it into eight sections.
= After each section of a pre-divided story, the students draw a picture (visualizing the story) on one section of the pre-divided page.
= Students use their drawings to retell the story.

11. Self-Assessment: Keeping a Language Learning Log --
= Discuss the meaning of self-assessment.
= Explain what a learning log is.
= All write during the specified time.
= At the end of the week, students evaluate their progress of the week.

You can give three types of feedback -- Cheerleading (celebrate success), Instructional (suggest strategies or materials), and Reality-Check (setting realistic expectations)

12. How Many Words Is a Picture Really Worth? (to assess lexical strengths and weaknesses) -- like Pictionary
= Students draw "study" words from a hat or box.
= A designated "drawer" tries to get the other students on his or her team to guess the word by drawing on the board for no more than one minute.(May not use numbers, letters, or vocal clues.) Another student writes all answers on the board.
= Discuss the options and categorize them.

13. Pair Work Face-to-Face
(Students can show ability to use descriptive adjectives and phrases.)
-- Have students number off and break into pairs of odd and even numbers.
-- Odd desks set up so backs are to blackboard. Even face partners.
-- Teacher writes a word on the board -- Even students must describe the word to their partner without using gestures. (You could also limit words they can use.)
-- Students switch seats after several words.

14. Instant Assessment --
-- Each student recieves a set of responder cards -- letters A, B, C, D for multiple choice, T or F for true/false questions, or numerical ratings 1-5 [or you could have the students write answers on paper or small whiteboads].
-- Teacher prepares statements to which students can respond.
-- Can ask a few students to share reasons for their choices.

15. Numbered Heads Together -
l Students are divided into groups of four.
l Students number off 1-4.
l The teacher asks a question, and students discuss within teacher set time limit.
l Group makes sure every member knows the answer.
l Teacher calls a number. For whatever number she calls, the students of that number give the answer.
l Teacher could ask another number group to elaborate on the answer.

16. Team Quiz –
Select a topic that can be presented in three segments.
Divide students into three teams.
Explain procedure.
Presentation, Part 1 -- (Limit presentation to 10 minutes or less.)
For 5 minutes have team A prepare a short answer quiz.
Teams B and C should use this time to review their notes.
Team A quizzes Team B. If Team B can’t get the answer, Team C gets a shot. Next question goes to Team C.
Presentation, Part 2 -- (Limit presentation to 10 minutes or less.)
Team B becomes quizmaster.
Presentation, Part 3 -- (Limit presentation to 10 minutes or less.)
Team C becomes quizmaster.

17. Rally Toss – quick review of simple factual material –
students divide into pairs or small groups
each pair or group has a ball
sit facing each other
first tosses ball and asks question – second answers as catches ball
second tosses and asks – continues on
(must generate questions and answers on the spot) (could use for antonyms, synonyms, prefixes, suffixes, homophones, etc.)

18. Carousel Brainstorming –
-- Divide class into numbered teams (up to four)
-- Give each a different colored marker.
-- large sheets of paper posted around the room – number to correspond with the number of groups
-- Groups start with their corresponding number – answer the question on the paper
-- Each group has students with these duties: reader, recorder, checker, reporter
-- Allow three to four minutes to respond
-- Move through activity until each group has had an opportunity to respond.
__ When have responded to the last paper – stop, let reporter present ideas from paper to the entire class.
-- (allow words or pictures)

19. Background Knowledge Probe --
short, simple questionnaires
used at the beginning of class, or a unit, etc.
teacher identifies something they already know about the subject – lead into less familiar areas where they might have misconceptions or knowledge-gaps
Open-ended questions on blackboard or hand out short questionnaire --

20. Focused Listing – single important term, name, or concept (The teacher can do this first, then decide if the term or concept is important enough to have the students do the same activity for it.)
1. At the top of a page, write the word or phrase for an important term or concept.
2. Set a time limit, or a limit on the number of items you will write, or both.
3. Adhering to the limit or limits, make a list of important words or phrases that are related to or part of the heading.
4. Look over the list quickly, adding any words or phrases you've left out.

21. Empty Outlines --
Teacher work:
1) Create an outline of a lecture, presentation, discussion, or reading.
2) Decide if you want students to supply main topics, main subtopics, or supporting details.
3) The students are to complete the form from memory. (No more than ten items.)
4) Tell the students how much time they have and what kinds of responses are required:
words, short phrases, or brief sentences.
5) Announce the purpose of the assessment, and the time when students will receive feedback on their responses.

22. One-Sentence Summary --
Teacher work:
1) Select an important topic or work that students have recently studied.
2) For that topic or work, answer the questions:
"Who did/does what to whom? When? Where? How? Why?"
3) Turn your answers into a grammatical sentence that follows the WDWWWWHW pattern. Note how long this second step takes.
4) Allow your student up to twice as much time as it took you to carry out the task, and give them clear directions on the One-Sentence Summary technique before you announce the topic to be summarized.

23. Word Journal -- [The directions for this given in the BEEDE materials need to be revised.]
1) Select a short text students will be assigned to read.
2) Decide which aspect of the text you want students to focus on: main theme, central conflict or problem, or core metaphor.
3) Summarize the short text in a single word. Then write a paragraph or two explaining why you chose that particular word to summarize the text.
4) Prepare directions for the students, and try following your own directions.
5) If you find the process thought-provoking, prepare the assignment for your class.
6) Tell the students that the choice of a specific word is less important than the quality of the explanation for that choice. Give them some ideas about what their explanations should contain, and inform them that the words they select must be connected to their interpretations of the text.

24. Assessment Collage --
1) Gather magazines, scissors, marking pens, and glue or tape.
2) Ask students to create a collage that communicates their understanding relative to a recently completed unit or chapter.
3) Instruct students to write an explanation on the back of their collage that clearly describes the various elements of the collage and how they relate to course content.
4) Have students give short individual presentations to their classmates explaining their collage and how it represents their learning. Or you could create a gallery of the collages for the students to tour.
-- Or you could have students create team collages.

25. Learning Tournament --
1) Divide students into equal-sized teams of 2-8 members.
2) Provide teams with material to study together.
3) Develop easy-to score questions (Multiple choice, true-false, etc) that test comprehension and/or recall of the materials.
4) "Round One": Give a portion of the questions to the students. Each student must answer the questions individually.
5) Provide answers to the round one questions and ask students to count number answered correctly. Have them pool their scores to obtain a team score. Announce team scores.
6) Teams study again for the second round. Ask more questions as "Round Two." Teams again pool scores and add to round one score.
7) Have as many rounds as you wish with a team study session between each. (Time needed: twenty minutes or more.)

-- You could penalize wrong answers by assigning -2 or -3.
-- The tournament could also be based on the performance of skills.