When trying to asess a students learning onw may choose to use formative or summative assessments. FOrmative assessments are given frequently and provide information about a students learning, as well as where they need assistance. For this reason, formative assessments should take palce frequently, and should provide a lot of feedback to the student. SUmmative assessments on the other hand,should occur less frequently, and should reflect the totality of learning. If a students has had frequent formative assessments, with thoughtful, constructive feedback, the student should be well prepared for a summative assessment.
In my 8th grade computer skills class, my students are building robots, This is an easy call since they are easly engaged and love this project from the vasics of building the robot, to the ends, whereby they learn to program the robot to performa avariety of tasks. In addistion to the fun of building the robot, however, they are being taught some basic aspects of robotics, such as the vocabulary for the parts of the robot, input and output devices, and the purpose and soncstruction of flow charts. These are the kinds of skills that are the subject of ISTE Standard 1 Empowered Learnier, objective 1d:
In order to asess students on basic input and outputs in a system (BIOS) in general, and the input out put devices on our specific model of a robot, I used a variety of assessment tools.
Entrance Ticket
Initially, I used a formative assessment similar to an Entrance Ticket. Assuming that students have some familiartiy tow input out devices already, they were asked a simple question - to name an input or output device that they knew of, and place the name of the item on an sticky note. The stickies were then posted on a large notepad at the the beginning of class, before we began the lesson.
Once we began the lesson, I explained what input output devices are, discussing these devices in the context of computers, their purpose and how they fit into an information system. We then discussed the various responses that were provided on the index cards.
Explain What Matters
Another way to measure student's understanding of basic input output systems and the devicese used on computers and on their robots was to have them describe these devices and their purposes to someone else.
In the Explain What Matters assessment, students are challended to explain the most critical characteristics or functions of an input or output device, to audience of their choosing , such as an alien just landing on earth, a favorite musician, or a small child or, even more challenging to digital natives, their grandparent! THe trick is to do it in in two or fewer sentences,
Venn Diagram
As students learn to make distinctions among the different types of devices, their functions, and their roles in the system, they will come to see that there are some types of input out put devices that are both input and output, and some that they have named that do not fit into either category. A third method of assessing their understanding of these degrees and variations is to have them create venn diagroms - one circle designated for input sevices, and the other for output devices - those in the center will be of both input and output. ANything else will rest outside the bounds of the two circles.
At each point along the way, these formative assessments will reveal the varying degrees of understanding that the students' have. These formative asessments will provide opportunites for feedback either from myself or their peers as they refine their understanding of the key concepts of a system, and its component parts of inputs and outputs.
Summative Assessment
In addition to these tools, the terms, devices, and definitions have all been entered into an online Quizlet that provides another avenue for students, particularly those with language or lower readiness levels, the opportunity to review in a variety of ways including with games.
After a period of time, and when it seems that all students have been addressed and have had time to absorb and work with the terms, a summative assessment will be provided to measure their learning about a BIOS.
