Professional Documents
Culture Documents
IN THE CLASSROOM
CLASSROOM
Course Instructor
Course Information
Course Description
The course is an introduction to the nature of authentic and performance assessment practices in the
constructivist classroom; use of instruments, such a rubrics, portfolios and individual and group
assessment-related projects. More specifically the course will emphasize the importance of authentic
assessment of student learning within the educational classroom context. We will examine such topics as
the historical roots of assessment, uses of evaluation tests, ethical considerations, and technical and
methodological principles involved in developing and evaluating assessment materials.
Course Purpose
An introductory course focusing on the presentation of basic assessment concepts including the
construction of measures of cognitive achievement and ability typical of educational settings. Topics
include test planning, item writing, test tryout, item analysis, reliability, validity, criterion-referencing,
norm-referencing, item banking, test equating, and item bias. Students write items, critique items written
by others, construct tests, try out and revise tests, and develop test manuals to document the process of
test development and the quality of their tests.
Nitko, A. J. & Brookhart, S. M. (2007). Educational assessment of students (5th ed.) Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Prentice Hall/Merrill Education.
Marzano, R. J., Pickering, D., & McTighe, J. (1993). Assessing student outcomes: Performance
assessment using the dimensions of a learning model. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision
and Curriculum Development.
Optional research documents will be made available throughout the semester, accordingly.
Student Learning Outcomes
The course’s objectives will require the student to acquired and build upon several skill that will enable
the individual to ascertain a degree of mastery and competence by the end of the instructional period. To
that end, the course will emphasize the evaluation of mastered material by delineating targeted outcomes
of performance and their respective assessment. The following table provides a list of the most relevant
student learning outcomes for the course.
By the end of course, the student will be able To evaluate these outcomes, the faculty member
to: will use the following assessment procedures:
Chapter exercises: These exercises will be in the form of discussion application and short-answer
questions will be assigned periodically from each chapter as assignment exercises and for class
discussion.
Exams: There will be four major in-class unit exams. These exams will be based on assigned
textbook readings and class discussions/activities. (10 points = per exam; 40 possible exam
points)
Individual course project: Each person will be involved in developing or crafting an assessment
tool. You may choose which type of assessment you would like to work on during the semester.
See handouts # 1 and # 2.
This assignment is designed to foster your learning about concepts learned in the class and your
experiences as a classroom teacher by having you think practically and use the concepts of
assessment and to help you focus on an area of research that could lead to actual data collection
and/or a master’s thesis. I advise you to follow the deadlines (to be given later)
Student who wishes to make fifteen minute oral presentation regarding their individual project
may do so for extra credit.
Class Evaluation
100%
Grade Assignment
The instructional methods pertinent to the efficient delivery of the material will focus on the following
didactical processes and procedures:
1. Introduction and Exposition of new material via instructor-led presentation using chapter
syntheses of significant chapter content using MS Powerpoint presentations.
2. Instructor-led illustration of chapter material using educational and data-driven problems
from textbook exercises or other relevant sources.
3. Student-led solution of similar chapter material exercises or problems with opportunities to
work individually and/or collaborate in groups.
4. Student-led question and answer sessions
5. Instructor-led summary and discussion of presented chapter material or evaluation of material
taught.
Course Expectations
Class participation. You are expected to attend class and participate in discussions and activities.
Although there are no points derived from class participation, it may become important in assigning
borderline grades. (Not to exceed 1percentage point)
Workload Policy. The class is a 3 credit course. This indicates that there should be at least a 3 contact
hours per week with a minimum of 6 additional hours of work outside of class per week for the student to
receive an average grade in the course. Assignments in some chapters in the textbook may be easily
finished within couple hours; however, the material in the later chapters does increases in difficulty and
the time burden in tackling some of the assigned exercises increases accordingly. Please, make
appropriate adjustments!
Course Preparation. Student is expected to come prepared before each class meeting. The student is
expected to 1) read the assigned chapter content and material and 2) complete any class or homework
assignments, if any.
Attendance. Due to the nature of the course and amount of material to be covered, attendance in this
class is mandatory, and will greatly influence your overall grade performance in the course. Please,
inform the instructor of your impending absence in advance. Class attendance plays an important role in
expressing your commitment and professionalism and it is a critical factor in your successful completion
of the course.
Students are expected to assist in maintaining a classroom environment that is conducive to learning. In
order to assure that all students have an opportunity to gain the most from time spent in class, unless
otherwise approved by the instructor; students are prohibited from using cellular phones or beepers,
eating or drinking in class, making offensive remarks, internet surfing (those with laptops), reading
newspapers, sleeping or engaging in any other form of distraction. Ad hominem remarks or disparaging
comments about gender, ethnicity, religion, and etcetera will not be tolerated. Inappropriate behavior in
the classroom shall result in, minimally, a request to leave the class.
The university is committed to the principle that in no aspect of its programs shall there be differences
in the treatment of persons because of race, creed, national origin, age, sex, or disability, and that equal
opportunity and access to facilities shall be available to all. If you require special accommodations in
order to participate; please contact me, as soon as possible for necessary accommodations. The student
should present appropriate verification from UTEP Office of Compliance. No requirement exists that
accommodation be made prior to completion of this approved university process.
Honor Code
For those courses where student is assigned to generate reports, literature reviews, and research projects, I
take our standards of professional ethics seriously, as I expect all members of the academic community to
do. Any form of cheating or plagiarism will result in the receipt of a failing grade for this course. Any
paper or class assignment you submit for this class must not have been submitted for any other class.
Resubmission of any paper in this class will result in an "F" grade for that paper. No written work may be
submitted for academic credit more than once. If you have any questions about how this may apply to a
paper you are considering for this class, please ask. You may work in teams but the work that is turned in
for credit is entirely the fruit of yours effort and time expenditure.
Cell phones, Wireless Laptops and PDAs
Please turn off cell phones and beepers so as not to disturb others during class time. Please, advise
instructor when personal circumstances require any different communication access. Laptops may be
used to capture lecture notes and materials but not to access the internet sites and ports not linked to the
course lecture.
Final Word
1) Please be courteous to your classmates and instructor. See “civility in the classroom below”
2) I reserve the right to change procedures, readings and topics as necessary, with ample warning.
3) If you must miss more than three class meetings, I advise that you take the course at some other
time.
4) Class attendance is expected and strongly encouraged. Contact instructor if you have to be
absent so that material, assignments and exams missed by student are to be made up in timely
manner.
Tentative Class Schedule. Fall Semester 2008
APA, AERA, NCME (1999). Standards for educational and psychological tests. Washington, DC:
American Psychological Association.
Bejar, I. I., Embretson, S., & Mayer, R. E. (1987). Cognitive psychology and the SAT: A review of
some implications. Princeton, NJ: ETS
Bloom, B. S., Hastings, J. T., & Madaus, G. F. (1971). Handbook on formative and summative
evaluation of student learning. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Bloom, B. S., Madaus, G. F., & Hastings, J. T. (1981). Evaluation to improve learning. New York:
McGraw-Hill.
Dunbar, S. B., Koretz, D. M., & Hoover, H. D. (1991). Quality control in the development and use of
performance assessments. Applied Measurements in Education, 4(4), 289-304.
Gagne, R. M., Briggs, L. J., & Wager, W. W. (1988). Principles of instructional design (3rd ed.). new
York: (Chapter 7, Defining Performance Objectives and Chapter 13, Assessing Student
Performance)
Haladyna, T. M., & Downing,S. M. (1989). A taxonomy of multiple-choice item-writing rules. Applied
Measurement in Education, 2, 37-50.
Harnisch, D. L. (1983). Item response patterns: Applications for educational practice. Journal of
Educational Measurement, 20, 191-206.
Joint Committee on Testing Practices. (1988). Code of fair testing practices in education. Washington,
DC: National Council on Measurement in Education.
Kolen, M. J. (1988). Traditional equating methodology. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice,
6(4), 29-37. 7(3), 29-36.
Lane, S. (1993). The conceptual framework for the development of a mathematics performance
assessment. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, 12(2), 16-23.
Linn, R. L., Baker, E. L., & Dunbar, S. B. (1991). Complex performance-based assessments:
Expectations and validation criteria. Educational Researcher, 20(8), 15-21.
Messick, S. (1989). Meaning and values in test validation. Educational Researcher, 18(2), 5-11.
Millman, J., & Greene, J. (1989). Test specification and development of tests of achievement and ability.
In R. L. Linn (Ed.)., Educational Measurement (3rd ed.). New York: Macmillan.
Millman, J., & Arter, J. A. (1984). Issues in item banking. Journal of Educational Measurement, 21(4),
315-330.
Nitko, A. J. (1995). A model for curriculum-based national examinations for decisions about minimum
learning competence, certification, and selection of students. In A. J. Nitko, Beyond Catchwords:
Congruence and Articulation in Curriculum, Distribution, and Assessment. Jakarta: Madecor
Career Systems in association with Pusat Pengembangan Agribisnis.
Quellmalz, E. S. (1991). Developing criteria for performance assessments: The missing link. Applied
Measurement in Education, 4(4), 319-331.
Scheuneman, J. D., & Bleistein, C. A. (1989). A consumer’s guide to statistics for identifying
differential item functioning. Applied Measurement in Education, 2, 255-275.
Shavelson, R. J., & Bater, G. P. (1991). Performance assessment in science. Applied Measurement in
Education, 4(4), 319-331.
Stiggins, R. J., Griswold, M. M., Wikelund, K. R. (1989). Measuring thinking skills through classroom
assessment. Journal of Educational Measurement, 26, 233-246.
Wright, B. D., & Bell, S. R. (1984). Item banks: What, why, how. Journal of Educational Measurement,
21(4), 331-345.
Anastasi, A. (1988). Psychological Testing (6th ed.). New York: Macmillian Publishing Co.
Allen, M. J., & Yen, W. M. (1979). Introduction to measurement theory. Monterey: Brooks/Cole.
Angoff, W. H. (1964). Technical problems of obtaining equivalent scores on tests. Educational and
Psychological Measurement. 1, 11-13.
Berk, R. a. (Ed.). (1982). Handbook of methods for detecting test bias. Baltimore. John Hopkins
University.
Boring, E. G. (1950, June 6). Intelligence as tests test it. The New Republic, pp. 35-37.
Campbell, D. T., & Fiske, D. W. (1959). Convergent and discriminant validation by the multitrait-
multimethod matrix. Psychological Bulletin, 56, 81-105.
Cohen, R. J., Montague, P., Nathanson, L. S., & Swerdlik, M. E. (1988). Psychological testing: An
introduction to tests & measurement. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing Co.
Cohen, R. J. & Swerdlik, M. E. (1999). Psychological Testing and Assessment(4th Ed.), Mountain View,
CA: Mayfield Publishing Company.
Cronbach, L. J. & Gleser, G. C. (1965). Psychological test and personnel decisions (2nd ed.). Urbana:
University of Illinois.
Ebel, R. L. (1973). Evaluation and educational objectives. Journal of Educational Measurement, 10, 273-
279.
Gorsuch, R. L. (1997). Exploratory factor analysis: Its role in item analysis. Journal of Personality
Assessment. 68, 532-560.
Kaufman, A.S., & Kaufman, N. L. (1990). Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (K_BIT): Manual. Circle
Pines, MN: American Guidance Service.
Lord, F.M., & Novick, M. R. (1968). Statistical theories of mental test scores. Menlo Park, CA: Addison-
Wesley.
Pedhazur, E. J., & Schmelkin, L. P. (1991). Measurement, Design, and Analysis: An Integrated
Approach. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers: Hillsdale, New Jersey.
Wainer, H., & Braun, H. I. (Eds.). (1988). Test validity. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates,
Publishers.
Graduate-Level Performance Assessment Project
Tasks to be developed You need to craft one of each type of the following structured, on-demand tasks and scoring
rubrics for each of them.
• A group task the scoring of which focuses on assessing two or more group collaboration/cooperation
learning targets.
Procedure Each performance task should be crafted following the process shown in Figure 12.2 of the textbook.
The portfolio should be crafted following the six steps described in the textbook.
The final project write-up The final project should be typed and should be consistent with the following outline.
II. Population
A. Describe the characteristics of the persons for whom the set of tasks is developed.
B. Describe the learning conditions (e.g., instruction, prerequisite knowledge, type of course, etc.) that the
population for which the set of tasks is proposed should have experienced.
III. The tasks (Insofar as possible, present each task on a separate page in a manner similar to the presentation of
the “Decision-Making Task” in Chapter 11 of the Nitko & Brookhart text.)
A. Task title
B. Task itself
C. Content standard(s)
D. Complex reasoning standard(s)
E. Information processing standard(s)
F. Effective communication standard(s)
G. Habits of mind standard(s) -- optional
H. Collaborative/cooperative standard(s) -- optional
I. Estimate of the time needed to complete the task
IV. The scoring rubrics (Insofar as possible, keep the scoring rubrics for each task on one page and insert that
page immediately following the task to which it applies.)
A. Scoring rubrics for each standard specified in III above
V. The portfolio
A. Description of the portfolio
B. Instructions/directions to students
C. Scoring rubrics for the portfolio
VIII. Summary statement—Describe what you have learned, problems encountered, insights obtained, etc. (Note:
this section should not exceed one typed page.)