Education 3280
Religious Education in
Primary & Elementary Grades
SUMMER SESSION 1997
EDUCATION 3280
EDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENT
"A study of the broad spectrum of educational assessment focusing specifically on the development of objectives, the construction and use of formal teacher-made tests, the use of informal assessment techniques, the interpretation and application of assessment data, continuous evaluation, criterion-referenced measurement, and emerging trends in assessment." (MUN Calendar 1996-97, p. 237.)
PRE-REQUISITES: None.
INSTRUCTOR:
Noël Shuell, B.A., M.Ed., M.A., Ph.D., Associate Professor, Faculty of Education.
Office: E-3056. Mail: Box 60, Room E-1008.
Phone: (709) 737-7634 Fax: (709) 737-2345.
E-mail: nshuell@plato.ucs.mun.ca
BASIC QUESTION in this course: What are the principal methods and instruments that teachers use in order to obtain information about learners that will help them make sound educational decisions?
TOPICS OF THIS COURSE, which help to answer the question above, are the principal aspects of educational assessment, namely,
COURSE OBJECTIVES: By the end of this course, you should be able to--
- understand the importance of developing assessment practices that are based on a sound philosophy of education.
- understand the relationship among educational objectives, instruction, and assessment.
- understand when and how to use different types of measurement methods in classroom assessment.
- write instructional objectives and determine appropriate strategies to measure the achievement of these objectives.
- write acceptable test items.
- develop tests and other assessment instruments using appropriate design methods.
- understand and compute descriptive statistics for test data.
- understand the advantages and disadvantages of different grading, reporting, and placement systems.
- apply the concepts of reliability and validity in constructing and selecting assessment instruments.
- interpret data related to standardized assessment programs.
- understand the ethical issues related to evaluating students.
TEXTBOOKS:
(1) David A. Payne, Measuring and Evaluating Educational Outcomes (New York: Merrill, 1992).
(2) Frank J. Sparzo, Preparing Better Teacher-Made Tests: A Practical Guide, Fastback #311 (Bloomington, Indiana: Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation, 1990).
Books 1 & 2 are available in the Bookstore. Readings from other sources may also be recommended. Also check the Reserve Shelf in QE2 Library for Ed3280.
Your Final Grade in this course will be based on the following:
| 10% | Preparation for, attendance at, & participation in all the class meetings of the course, including the completion of occasional worksheets, preparation of short oral explanations, and so on. | |
| 10% | Preparation, administration, and scoring of a 5-minute written quiz for each of ten classes. | |
| 20% | Midterm Exam (1 hour). | |
| 40% | Final Exam (2 hours, scheduled during Final Exam period). | |
| 20% | ONE of the following course projects: | |
| 20% | Written application exercises related to TEN of the fourteen Case Studies prensented in the Payne, chaps. 4*, 5*, 7, 8, 9, 10*, 11*, 12, 13, 15, 17, 18*, 19*, &20. (* Required case studies) (Individual pr Pair) | |
| 20% | Term Paper on an important topic in educational accessment. (Individual) | |
| 20% | Development and written presentation of a 40-minute classroom test. (Individual or Pair) | |
| 20% | Written analysis of a standardized test. (Individual or Pair). | |
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Fastbacks. Bloomington, Indiana: Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation.
291 Antes, Richard L. Preparing Students for Taking Tests (1989). 311 Sparzo, Frank. Preparing Better Teacher-Made Tests: A Practical Guide (1990). 341 Grady, Emily. The Portfolio Approach to Assessment (1992). 364 Kranz, Bella. Identifying Talents Among Multicultural Children (1994). 377 Walberg, Herbert J.; Haertel, Geneva D.; & Gerlach-Downie, Suzanne. Assessment Reform: Challenges and Opportunities. (1994)
Ebel, Robert L.; & Frisbie, D. A. 1991. Essentials of Educational Measurement. 5th edition. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.
Hopkins, K. D.; Stanley, J. C.; & Hopkins, B. R. 1990. Educational and Psychological Measurement and Evaluation. 7th edition. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.
Newfoundland & Labrador. 1990. The Evaluation of Students in the Classroom: A Handbook and Policy Guide. St. John's, Newfoundland: Department of Education, Division of Evaluation.
Oosterhof, Albert. 1994. Classroom Applications of Educational Measurement. 2nd
edition. New York: Merrill.
1996. Developing and
Using Classroom Assessments. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Merrill/Prentice Hall.
Payne, David A. 1992. Measuring and Evaluating Educational Outcomes. New York: Merrill.
Standards for Educational & Psychological Tests. 1985. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.
Tuckman, B. W. 1988. Testing for Teachers. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
GENERAL BIBLIOGRAPHY
NOTES:
• SL: Shuell library.
• Hardcover books, unless specified otherwise.
Fastbacks. Bloomington, Indiana: Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation.
291 Antes, Richard L. Preparing Students for Taking Tests (1989). 311 Sparzo, Frank. Preparing Better Teacher-Made Tests: A Practical Guide (1990). 341 Grady, Emily. The Portfolio Approach to Assessment (1992). 364 Kranz, Bella. Identifying Talents Among Multicultural Children (1994). 377 Walberg, Herbert J.; Haertel, Geneva D.; & Gerlach-Downie, Suzanne. Assessment Reform: Challenges and Opportunities. (1994)
Ebel, Robert L.; & Frisbie, D. A. 1991. Essentials of Educational Measurement. 5th edition. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.
Hopkins, K. D.; Stanley, J. C.; & Hopkins, B. R. 1990. Educational and Psychological Measurement and Evaluation. 7th edition. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.
Newfoundland & Labrador. 1990. The Evaluation of Students in the Classroom: A Handbook and Policy Guide. St. John's, Newfoundland: Department of Education, Division of Evaluation.
Oosterhof, Albert. 1994. Classroom Applications of Educational Measurement. 2nd edition. New York: Merrill.
1996. Developing and Using Classroom Assessments. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Merrill/Prentice Hall.
Payne, David A. 1992. Measuring and Evaluating Educational Outcomes. New York: Merrill.
Standards for Educational & Psychological Tests. 1985. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.
Tuckman, B. W. 1988. Testing for Teachers. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE TERM PAPER?
In most cases, the term paper project offers you an opportunity to explore a topic which is directly related to the course more deeply than is done in the schedule of readings.
Sometimes, the term paper offers you an opportunity to survey a topic which is directly related to the course but which is not included in the schedule of readings. If you select such a topic, your term paper sould still concentrate on the aspects of the topic that are directly related to educational assessment.
HOW WILL THE TERM PAPER BE EVALUATED?
Analysis & Presentation of the Topic
Analysis & Presentation of the Principal Sources
Quality of the Principal Sources
Integration of Ed3280 Textbook with Other Sources
Writer's Reflective Discussion of Topic
Organization of the Paper
Use of Stylistic Conventions for Papers in Education
Quality of Compostion
Other Features of the Paper
WHAT ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF TOPICS FOR TERM PAPERS?
AFFECTIVE LEARNING:
Assessing the affective domain.
Measuring affective outcomes.
STANDARDIZED TESTS:
Ethical concerns and criticisms relating to standardized tests.
Nature and uses of standardized testing.
Standardized testing, and educational reform in Newfoundland/Labrador.
MISCELLANEOUS:
Educational assessment for the information age.
Formative evaluation in the classroom.
How to test.
Improving the teaching profession.
Performance-based assessment.
Portfolio assessment.
Practical problems in educational measurement.
Prior learning assessment.
Techniques for applying statistics to educational assessment in post-secondary technology
programs.
Techniques for evaluating adult learners in the sciences.
Test anxiety: its effects on test performance, and strategies for coping.