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Recent Trends in Assessment in Higher Education

Upali M Sedere, PhD (Iowa)Rector, SIBA Campus, Pallekele, Kundasale, Sri

Lanlkaupalisedere@gmail.com

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1. RECENT DEVELOPMENT AS THE BACKGROUND

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Recent Trends in Higher Education

1. The 21st Century Learning Framework2. The Knowledge Economy3. Technological Advancements4. Andragogy Against Pedagogy5. Outcomes Based Education6. Authentic Instruction and

Assessment

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Critical thinkingCreativity Communication

Collaboration

Standards and

Assessment

21st Century Learning Framework

Learning Environment

Instructional System

4Cs

IT & MS

LS &CS

• HUMAN RESOURCE

• CONTENT

• TEACHER CENTERED

• EXAM –GRADE ORIENTED

• HUMAN CAPITAL

• PROCESS• LEARNING

• SMART TEACHR

• LEARNING OUTCOMES --- SKILLED PROFILE

CONVENTIONAL THE RECENT

KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY AND LEARNING

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UNDERSTANDING BY DESIGN (UbD)

BY Mctighe And Wiggins (1999)• Key Questions: What should Learner

know, understand, and be able to do?• What is the ultimate transfer we seek as

a result? • A Three-stage Design Process –Desired Results, – Evidence, And – Learning Plan

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Conventional Assessment Vs the Recent Developments

The Conventional• Tests/ Examination

– Closed Book– Fixed Time– Confidential

• Standardized Tests

• Ranks, Grades and Normal Curve Distribution

The Recent• Assessment - Not

Examinations– Open-book– Learning Outcomes– Transparent

• Criteria • Standards• Authentic• Performance

Pedagogy Teaching Lesson Plans by

Teacher Notes Taking Classroom

Learning Memorization Explicit

Knowledge

Andragogy Self Learning Goal Setting Authentic

Learning Creation of

Knowledge Implicit

Knowledge8

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Guiding Principles of Assessment

• Assessment Must Reflect The Most Important Aspects Of Expected Learning Outcomes -- Maybe Content, Processes, Skills, Products etc.

• Instructional Practices And Assessment Need to Be Integrated

• Multiple Measures of Assessment Are More Reliable and Valid

• Assessment Supports Every Learner to Acquire the Expected Outcomes

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UbD Curricular Practices and Assessments (Mctighe And Wiggins (1999)

Traditional Quizzes And Tests

PerformanceTask and AuthenticProjects

Worth Being Familiar With

Important to know and do

Enduring Understanding

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Why The Conventional Assessment System is

Challenge

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Inadequacy of Tests and Examinations• Assessment has led to two major theoretical

considerations. • The conceptions of validity and appropriateness

of assessment tasks as indicators of intended learning outcomes,

• Conceptions of validity• Emphasizing interpretations of quality and

judgements of standards • Psychometric approaches based on true score

theory is challenged

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Cognitive Abilities• All Assessments Were Mainly

Assessing• Lower Oder Thinking (LOT)– Knowledge– Understanding

• Higher Order Thinking (HOT)– Apply– Analyze– Evaluate– Create

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Hard Skills Cognitive OutcomesDeepening of Human Capital

• Critical Thinking

• Divergent Thinking

• Lateral Thinking

HOT Abilities

Application Skill Analytical Skills Evaluative Skills Creativity

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Educational Outcomes

Meta-cognitive abilities Multiple Intelligence Emotional Intelligence Soft Skills

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Explicit Vs Implicit Knowledge

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SOFT SKILLS HARD SKILLS To be good at

hard skills usually takes smarts or IQ (also known as your left brain-the logical center)

To be good at soft skills usually takes Emotional Intelligence or EQ

(Emotional Quotient) (also known as your right brain- the emotional center).

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Five Dimensions of Emotional Intelligence

Self-Awareness of Emotions Self Management of Emotions

Self Motivation Empathy Social Skills

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ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT METHODS

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Determine Acceptable Evidence

Continuum Of Assessment

Informal Oral Questioning to Performance

• Performance Evaluation• Authentic Evaluation• Portfolio Evaluation

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Performance Assessment Projects Based Assessment Problem Based Assessment Product Assessment Process Assessment Presentations Interviews Demonstrations

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Authentic Assessment Application to Real World

Situations• Practice Teaching

/Apprenticeship• Case Studies• Internships• Service Projects

• John Muller http://jfmueller.faculty.noctrl.edu/toolbox/whatisit.htm• Grant Wiggins 23

Portfolio Assessment Process Type of Portfolio Assessment

• Ensure the Learning Process Takes Place and the Learner Motivation is maintained and expected process of learning is followed

Product Type of Portfolio Assessment• Best Work of the Learner is Assessed,

Organizational capacity, Time Management, Degree of Compliance etc.

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e-PAGE EVALUATION Student’s degree of motivation Student’s Progress Student’s Continued Learning Compliance to Expected Learning

Outcomes Self Learning Ability Reflection on Learning Peer Learning, Use of Library, Internet

etc. Reliability Check 25

Other Assessment Techniques Written Assignments Debates Questioning and Answering by Students Vocabulary Enhancement Sessions End Session Rating of Learners Classroom Scanning Instant SMS Quizzes Chat Boxes

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Instrumentation of Assessment Rubric Scoring Guides and

Standards Check Lists with Main

Assessment Traits Progress Indicators and Graphical

Illustration Self Assessment , Peer

Assessment as Evidence 27

Written Tests and Examinations The Transitional Issues

Using Examination with less weightage

Focus of Tests (MCQ, Structured, Essays etc.)

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Thank You

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