Module 1 Extension Activity

Read about Mr. Knotts first exam experience and identify some areas for improvement
for him this year. What advice would you give him to improve his overall assessment
experience?
Then read the comments and suggestions offered by Mr Sanchez on the next page.
Mr. Knotts first exam experience
Mr. Knott, now in his second year of teaching, found his first year quite challenging.
Last year, he taught in a different school where assessment did not receive much
attention. In college, Mr. Knott took a testing course, but he still felt out of his depth
with assessment. He worried that if he admitted that he didnt understand things like
specifications, he would get a poor evaluation. He avoided assigning portfolios and
projects since he didnt see the point of multiple measures assessment. He based
students grades solely on the midterm and final exams.
As the date of the midterm exam approached, Mr. Knott still hadnt checked where he
should be in the syllabus because he advocated a just-in-time approach. He wanted to
see what he actually had covered by the midterm exam date. A few days before the test
date, Mr. Knott put together a midterm exam consisting of a reading from a well-known
TOEFL practice book, a written expression section from a grammar book that he used
in college, and a listening from a recent unit in the students textbook. He left out writing
because he thought that the written expression section would suffice.. He didnt want to
leak details of the test, so he didnt supply students with information about the exam.
Students were surprised by several new formats they had never encountered before.
Mr. Knott made all formats objective to make grading easier. He had students swap
papers in classes to grade some sections, and his wife helped him grade the rest. He did
not use an answer key. Instead, when many students had difficulty with an item, he gave
everyone full credit.
The scores were high, so Mr. Knott concluded that the test was good. He didnt do any
analysis or reflect on how the test could give him feedback on his teaching. He was too
busy to give students feedback or make notes about the exam. Besides, why would he
want to change something that worked so well?

One of Mr. Knotts new colleagues had these comments and suggestions:
Mr. Sanchezs comments and suggestions
I was a new teacher not so long ago and I remember being overwhelmed by all the things
I was supposed to know about but really didnt. Mr. Knott is a talented teacher and open
to constructive feedback, so I hope these suggestions are helpful to him:
Comments
He didnt understand specifications

Suggestions
Specifications are really important in our
assessment program, so attend a workshop
and get some experience using them.
He didnt see the point of multiple
Again, in our program we use many types
measures assessment and based grades only of assessment, not just tests and quizzes.
on 2 exams.
Feel free to ask your colleagues to show
you examples of alternative assessment that
work for them.
He didnt plan ahead or keep up with the
This is a disservice to students because
syllabus.
some will miss out on important material.
In our lesson plans we have to show that
were on target. We schedule a whole
range of regular assessments so our
students get regular formative feedback.
He used material intended for different
Without following specifications or
purposes and different course outcomes.
mapping the actual course material, it is
unlikely that these materials were relevant.
He used a listening that students had
He didnt really test listening as a skill.
already heard and processed.
Instead he tested students memories.
He left out assessment of writing.
In our program, the development of writing
skills is very important. However, we
assess it in many ways, so he needs to
consult the writing specifications for
details.
He failed to provide information to
In our department, transparency is very
students who were subsequently surprised
important, so we inform students about
by a new format.
what to expect. We always introduce new
formats in a teaching context before using
them in exams.
He didnt prepare an answer key in
No wonder some items didnt work!
advance.
Students and his wife graded the exam.
There are some real security and reliability

He didnt conduct analysis because of high

scores.
He didnt give students feedback.

He didnt have time for reflection, nor did

he make any notes about the experience.

issues here, made worse by the absence of

an answer key.
The scores were inflated because of
grading procedures. The students
difficulty with certain items indicated a real
need for analysis.
Assessment is part of the teaching/learning
cycle and students should learn from each
assessment experience. They need
feedback presented to them in a useable
form.
Fortunately, Mr. Knott seems to realize that
this was not the way assessment should be
developed. In our department, we set a
time to talk about what weve learned from
major assessments. I hope Mr. Knott will
attend.