Technology and Student Assessment

Technology and Student Assessment

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When it comes to teaching, thinking about assessment is not far behind. Assessment has always been a part of the teaching process, how else does a teacher know if their students have learned the material they are trying to share? As technology is becoming more and more an integral part of today’s education process, how we think about teaching and assessment is also evolving.

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Gone are the days of pencil and paper state testing, everything is done on a computer now. Students need to learn all over again how to take and score well on high stakes testing using a computer. Doing well in a traditional testing is situation is important but it is not always a reliable indicator of how a student will perform once they enter the work force and should not be the only measure of a student’s achievement.

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Assessing whether a student has learned the necessary subject material can be accomplished in a variety of ways. One of the most authentic ways students can demonstrate their learning is through the completion of performance based tasks or simulations. This type of assessment requires students to demonstrate their understanding of the learning by applying it to solve a problem in a realistic setting. What better way to test if a student has learned than by watching them use the knowledge to solve potential problems they may encounter that require the use of the information they just learned? Although not a traditional testing situation, this demonstration of student understanding would provide a clearer insight for the teacher into the level of understanding a student has mastered.

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As our schools are evolving to adapt to the rapid changes occurring around us so too must our ideas about assessment evolve. There is no one right way to assess student knowledge. Teachers, schools, districts, and parents need to be open to the idea that demonstrating understanding of learned material can take many forms. 

Technology Infused Classroom

Technology Infused Classroom

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Today’s 21^st Century classroom looks quite a bit different from classrooms of the past or even classrooms of 15 to 20 years ago. When I first began teaching a teacher was lucky to have even one desktop computer in her classroom. If students were to use a computer we went to the computer lab and loaded drill and practice games for the students to practice their math facts or brought a short paragraph to type into a word processing program. When a student walks into my independent study room today they see four desktop computers in the center of the room and a box of 10 chrome books mounted to the wall. There is an Elmo available for use when teaching whole group lessons, two printers, and a copier.

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This next school year our site will be launching its first online education program. That classroom will contain 15 desktop computers located around the periphery of the room. The center of the room will contain six to eight tables with a rolling cart that will contain another 15 laptops for students to use during instruction or group work. There will be an Elmo in the room for use during direct instruction or student presentations and a printer available for student and teacher use. The room will also contain a teacher desk with a desktop computer and a storage cabinet for supplies.

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The majority of student learning will occur through online lessons and student instruction will occur most often in small flexible groups based on need. Students will need to become proficient at searching the Internet for information on topics of study. They will need to develop skills that will allow them to evaluate and analyze information for reliability and accuracy. For all intent and purposes they need to become actively involved in constructing their learning, no longer can they passively sit and listen to a teacher lecture. Students themselves will only need to come to school once or twice a week for direct instruction and participation in PE and extracurricular activities. Every year more of our students are turning to online only learning academies they can access strictly from home. This blended approach offers students an opportunity that combines the best of classroom and online learning.

 

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Each year we progress into the 21^st century computers and technology are playing an even bigger role in the classroom and how instruction is delivered. No longer do we see a stack of student books on each individual desk within a classroom. The classroom environment has changed and will need to continue to change to meet the demands of a rapidly advancing technological society.