Social Assumptions of Types of Assessments / Consequences to Learners / Alternative Assessment - Portfolios

The social assumptions of a norm referenced test is for the purpose of comparison against other students at a single point in time. It provides a limited snapshot of what the learner knows. It requires lower level thinking skills such as recall.

The social assumption of a criterion reference is that we may achieve a goal or standard at a different time than classmates, but the aim is for each student to reach the goal. It is not a comparison.

A self-referenced assessment is not a comparison to others. The learner is asking, “What is my progress?” The comparison here is in relation to a goal or to their former progress.

The consequence of a norm referenced test is that you will feel good or bad about your performance depending on where you ended up on the bell curve.

The consequences of the criterion reference is that a learner either reaches the goal or does not. It may take longer for a learner to reach a goal.

A self-referenced assessment is only as good as the learners ability to assess themselves. It may or may not be realistic.

An alternative assessment that I have used is a student portfolio. Students choose artifacts, reflect on the assignment and why they chose the piece and what they learned. Portfolios are time-consuming for both student and teacher. The following is an analysis of portfolios.

Portfolios provide students with many ways in which to demonstrate their learning

They require higher levels of cognition than multiple choice questions

Teachers get a more complete picture of what students know and provide evidence

Students take ownership of their learning and gain confidence in their learning

Increased student engagement and retention of knowledge

They require more effort and time on the part of the learner and the teacher

They are more difficult to grade than pen and paper assessments

Here is an explanation and example of student portfolios in the elementary classroom:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFxTwePIML4