Learning
Outcomes: Test and Essay Items
Classroom tests
should be closely matched to curriculum objectives and content. Teachers have the option to either design the
test themselves or obtain it from a textbook or other commercial source. Regardless of how the teacher designs the
test or where the test is obtained, its main purpose is to be used to measure
the student’s ability to benefit from instruction. According to Wortham (2008), classroom tests
measure student accomplishment and learning needs in relation to specific
classroom objectives. Wortham also state
that classroom tests “can be used for placement diagnosis, formative testing
and summative testing” (p. 186). Thus,
it is essential to initially determine the purpose of the test and then decide
on a test design which will support specific learning outcomes.
Wortham suggests following the following steps
based on Bloom’s model of mastery of learning, in order to design a test to
measure student learning accurately.
This process includes the following steps: determining instructional
objectives, constructing a table of specifications, designing formative and
summative evaluations, designing learning experiences, and designing
correctives and enrichment activities.
Once the teacher has decided on the test design, the teacher should
develop the items that describe the objectives to be tested. One the format has been determined, the teacher
should decide on the amount of test items that should be included in the
test. Lastly, the teacher needs to
assemble the test items into a form that will enable the teacher to assess how
well the student is learning the information.
An additional method of assessing how well the student is learning the
information is by designing essay items.
Kubiszyn and Borich (2010) state that essay items requires the student
to organize, integrate, and synthesize knowledge, using more than recall
information presented in the lesson unit.
Essay items aim to assess the student’s complex cognitive skills.
Test
and Essay Items: Unit on Coins
Unit Title: Test on Coins
Subject: Math
Grade level: First Grade
Materials: Test form clearly
designed to have students identify coins (quarter, dime, nickel, and penny),
pencil.
Introduction: This test will assess
students on the unit of coins. Students
will identify each coin by sight and identify the value of each coin. The student will also be expected to know
where to place the cent (¢) sign. The
teacher will give each student a printed paper with the instructions written on
them and with the pictures of the coins.
On the paper there will be four boxes; on each box there will be a
picture of a coin (quarter, dime, nickel and penny). There will be a blank line underneath each
picture and the student will be asked to write the value of the coin with the
cent (¢) sign in the proper place.
Next, there will be four coins pictured again, but this time they will
be printed from top to bottom with a word bank with the names of the coins next
to them; the student will be asked to draw a line and match the coin to its
name. For the last part of the test the
student will be asked to draw the coins themselves, write the value inside
their drawing of the coin and write out the name underneath each coin. An example will be provided for each of the
three test items.
Test items and learning outcomes:
- Identify the coin and write value of coin.
- Match each picture of a coin, to its printed name correctly.
- Draw each coin, identify value and print name of coin correctly.
Essay Item:
Have the student write out a
sentence explaining the thought process involved when they were asked to
complete the last test item. Student
will employ information learned throughout the unit on coins and will be able
to demonstrate their mastery of these specific skills and which support these
specific learning outcomes. Student will
be graded on their ability to organize, integrate and synthesize knowledge and
their use of complex cognitive skills.
This essay will demonstrate each child’s unique method of applying prior
knowledge and will also demonstrate how students construct new knowledge.
References
Kubiszyn,
T. & Borich, G. (2010). Educational testing & measurement: Classroom
application and practice (9th ed.). John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken , NJ
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