Using+Technology+for+Assessment

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Technology is a prominent force in the world and classroom today and provides teachers with new assessment opportunities. In the following pages you will learn the requirements for using technology in the classroom, the benefits, challenges, types of technology, and how technology is used for assessment.

1. Technology in the Classroom
Technology is an integral part of our lives, and therefore must be used in the classroom. There are few theories that center around the use of technology specifically for assessment. The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Program of Studies shows the General and Specific Outcomes that all teachers are required to meet. By using technology as a tool for assessment, teachers can find new ways to meet these requirements. These new and innovative ways to assess students are engaging and allow for students to both use technology they are comfortable with, and to learn about new technologies available to them. Below are the three main categories in the ICT Program of Studies and the General Outcomes in each:

1.1 - Communicating, Inquiring, Decision Making and Problem Solving

 * Students will access, use and communicate information from a variety of technologies.
 * Students will seek alternative viewpoints, using information technologies.
 * Students will critically assess information accessed through the use of a variety of technologies.
 * Students will use organizational processes and tools to manage inquiry.
 * Students will use technology to aid collaboration during inquiry.
 * Students will use technology to investigate and/or solve problems.
 * Students will use electronic research techniques to construct personal knowledge and meaning.

1.2 - Foundational Operations, Knowledge and Concepts

 * Students will demonstrate an understanding of the nature of tehcnology.
 * Students will understand the role of tehcnology as it applies to self, work and society.
 * Students will demonstrate a moral and ethical approach to the use of tehcnology.
 * Students will become discerning customers of mass media and electronic information.
 * Students will practice the concepts of ergonomics and safety when using technology.
 * Students will demonstrate a basic understanding of the operating skills required in a variety of tehcnologies.

1.3 - Processes for Productivity

 * Students will compose, revise and edit text.
 * Students will organize and manipulate data.
 * Students will communicate through multimedia.
 * Students will integrate various applications.
 * Students will navigate and create hyperlinked resources.
 * Students will use communication technology to interact with others.

2. Pros [[image:classroom-assessment-theory-into-practice/world.jpg width="291" height="202" align="right"]]

 * Saves Time
 * Teachers can get instant feedback on what students do/don't know
 * Students and parents can see their grades faster
 * Randomization
 * Can use a question bank to help prevent cheating
 * Can provide feedback on interim steps on problems
 * Hints can be available
 * Saves Space
 * Teachers don't have to keep all the papers/projects - stored in computer
 * Accessible
 * Students can submit assignments/receive grades even if unable to attend class
 * Allows for multiple learning styles
 * Students can easily submit many forms of assignments/projects
 * Eco-friendly
 * Modern
 * Helps students develop skills relevant for 21st century learners

3. Cons
The following is a list of drawbacks of commercially available assessment packages and tools.
 * Difficult to customize for local and specific needs
 * Summative assessment often limited to multiple choice tests or basic text box responses
 * Awkward, if any for scientific or mathematical responses

Other ethical and legal problems involve simple copying of assignment information, downloading existing work and projects from the internet, and other forms of plagiarism.

There really are only a handful of problems associated with using technology for assessment, as compared to the many positive enhancements it can bring into a learning environment.

It is easy for teachers to get lazy in continually reusing old lessons, questions from test banks, and material prepared by others which could be a detriment for the teacher (in the long term) by not challenging the mind, and for the student if the teacher isn't adequately prepared or doesn't fully understand the nature of the lesson or the test question.

4. Formative/Summative Assessment
Assessment is an ongoing topic of discussion amongst teachers as they discuss what the best methods and strategies are for supporting their students and gathering quality evidence of their students learning. In recent years, technology has become a leading force in the classroom that has provided new ways to assess students. Despite the advancement of technology and assessment there are still two types of assessment:

4.1 Formative assessment

 * Is “formal and informal processes teachers and student use to gather evidence for the purpose of improving learning” (Chappius, 2012, p. 24)

4.2 Summative assessment

 * Is “assessment information used to provide evidence of student achievement for the purpose of making a judgment about student competence or program effectiveness” (Chappius, 2012, p. 24)

5. Types of Technology for Assessment


Through the use of technology there are many ways to incorporate formative and summative assessment that demonstrate students learning.

5.1 Multiple choice tests

 * “allow more than one attempt at each question;
 * to supply hints to the user;
 * to be purely for self-assessment, or also for summative assessment;.” (The UK Universities’ Staff Development Unit and the Universities of Kent and Leeds, 1993, p. 10)

5.2 Writing essays
> __//Examples//__
 * Supports students who struggle writing by hand
 * Supports students with a learning disability such as dyslexia because the computer can help catch certain errors
 * Supports individuals who need help with grammar and spelling
 * Googledocs- Allows students to edit documents online and share with other students or teachers.

5.3 Presentations/Power point
> __//Examples//__
 * Power points are an excellent way for student to become familiar with technology and demonstrate their understanding about a topic
 * Students can also add a voice over which enhances the component of comprehension
 * Summative assessment – Demonstrates the students overall understanding on a subject
 * Brainshark - Students can upload a PowerPoint presentation and include narration. Also allows students to embed presentations onto a website.
 * Prezi - An online presentation tool

5.4 Video
> __//Examples//__
 * Allows students a creative way to express their ideas and knowledge about a topic
 * Summative Assessment – Students may have to research a topic then create a video about the topic. The video is a form of summative assessment because it shows the students overall understanding of the topic
 * Youtube - allows students to post videos and view others' videos
 * TeacherTube - allows students to post videos and view others' videos

5.5 Website
> __//Examples//__
 * Formative – As the website is created, teachers can see if students understand the subject material along with how to create a website. This provides teachers with the opportunity to provide constructive feedback
 * Summative – Once the website is complete there is a permanent record of the students’ work that teachers can refer to as they make their overall assessment of the students’ learning
 * Weebly
 * Wikispaces
 * Kafafa
 * GoogleSites
 * Webnode

5.6 Blog
> __//Examples//__
 * Blogs provide students with the opportunity to read each other’s reflections and comments. This helps them think of new ideas or see a problem from a new angle.
 * Formative – Is a great way to have students reflect about their experience and what they learned or struggled with
 * Blogger
 * Edublogs
 * Kidblog

5.7 Clickers/Surveys
> __//Examples//__
 * Through smart board and other computer based programs teachers can develop quick surveys that helps teachers understand the students comprehension in the middle of a lesson
 * Students can use clickers that will lock in their answer and demonstrate if they understand the information the teacher is conveying.
 * iclicker

5.8 Other
There are numerous other types of technology that can be incorporated into the classroom. Below we have included a number of websites that can be extremely useful in the classroom > __//Examples//__
 * Surveymonkey - This site allows teachers or students to create a survey that can then be emailed to whomever they wish to take the survey.
 * Polleverywhere - This site allows a real time responses from the class. Students can either text answers in or go online to submit answers which appear anonymously.
 * TodaysMeet - This site allows real time responses from the class.
 * Bubbl.us - This site allows students or teachers to brainstorm and create mind maps online.

6. Contributors
[|Amanda MacDonald] [|Rita-Marie Leask] [|Kayla Giebelhaus] [|Christine Wallace] [|Dwayne Schnell]

7. References
Images: Eye World Image. Retrieved from http://www.dpcdsb.org/DYOUV/Departments/Technology/

Word Collage Image. Retrieved from http://expertsinliteracy.pbworks.com/w/page/29280368/Different%20Types%20of%20Technology%20for%20the%20Classroom