Evaluation is part of my teaching career. I used to teach ESOL at a college and the first thing I would do with our new students is the diagnostic test to see where they are at. The diagnostic test is then used to make decision about the course, content, skills and resources.
Before we get to the end of the course we would do formative assessment in the form of homework, group work, discussions and teacher observations etc to see how well the students understand the subject and make changes if necessary. Summative assessment comes in the form of NCEA exam where they get the final result as achieved or not achieved.
We also do teacher evaluation by distributing questionnaires to the students to find out how effective the teacher had been and this information is then used to select the ‘The best teacher of the Year’ award .
I also used a reflective journal as part of self evaluation. For me evaluation involves self reflection, student feedback and peer feedback that can be used in decision making.
Hey Mareena,
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with you, being a learner myself i believe its easy to check learners progress and understanding through formative assessments as they help learners practice and learn.
I work @ MIT Freeb and we have recently introduced diagnostic test, not all participate as its not complusory but for those who do,it helps us understand their strong and lesser stronger areas.
Reflective journal idea sounds good.
Cheers
Meena
Mareena
ReplyDeleteYou describe one of the most important indicators of learning - the assessment process. The effectiveness of the teachers is also an important part of this, and the way in which they engage in reflective practice through self-reflection and gathering feedback is a very important part of evaluating performance. You have illustrated how the terms evaluation and assessment are one and the same.
What is being evaluated or assessed and why drives the approach which is taken. In eLearning there has been a strong focus on evaluating the look and feel of materials, and the instructions for learning as well as the strategies.
This is because the online environment can be so confusing. I guess if you just handed students a text book and said read and that was all the "teaching" they got, retention would become an issue. We have become aware that the success of students depends strongly on the environment and their experience and there are many factors which can impact on this.
Have you any expedience in evaluating online materials which you use for your students. Also how do you know whether the diagnostic test you use is effective?
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI would not able to move forward if I could not use some element of reflective practice in my work. I used to keep my reflections private, now I share them and get great constructive feedback from peers. I am not a scaredy-cat any more!
Great to see you here!
Kind regards,
Kevin
Hi Meena
ReplyDeleteNice to see you again. I remember your name from the previous course. I too am working at MIT but we are based in South campus. We often come to North campus to do workshops and should catch up with you one day…
Yes, keeping a reflective journal is interesting. When I was working for my full registration as a teacher I had a time slot to organise my reflective journal as I was sharing it with my mentor teacher. I struggle to keep that practice going as I am too busy. Although I don’t put my thoughts on paper on a regular basis I still reflect on my practice doing household chores and think about what went well , what didn’t and why… Reflection leads to self evaluation I believe.
Hi Kevin
ReplyDeleteI understand what you are saying … At the beginning I wasn’t happy to share my reflection with anyone else. But when I started doing it (not with a positive thought) I saw the value of getting others feedback… it was a learning curve for me.
Yes it is challenging to expose your thoughts on an open format. Hence I did not put my name on my first blog. Now after several years of blogging, I feel more comfortable expressing my views on the open web, and look forward to having people comment on my reflections. Some people get really carried away and add their blogs to Google Analytics (http://www.google.com/analytics/) so they can gauge the number of hits they get. I have to admit, it is fun.
ReplyDeleteIt also takes a while to learn how to write effectively on a blog without "dobbing" people in and offending colleagues. Have you had a look at the section in the Blogging handbook called: Writing effectively for a blog.
Hi Bronwyn
ReplyDeleteSorry I am late to respond. I have used lots of online materials to reinforce what I teach but haven’t used them for evaluative purpose. And how do I know whether the diagnostic test I use is effective? Good question…
To be on the safer side, I always use the standard tests that have been established (after thorough research & tests?) and proven to be effective. “Probe’ and ‘asTTle ’tests are just a few examples of such tools to assess reading and writing skills. I love asTTle as we can customise it to individual users and their particular needs.
Thanks
Mareena
Hi Bronwyn
ReplyDeleteYes I did read the section: Writing effectively for a blog. As mentioned there, blogging would be easier for extroverts but would be an agonising process for introverts. I do blog on my facebook but only my family and close friends have access to what I write…
Cheers
Mareena