Classroom Assessment Practices/tools - Research Paper Example

room Assessment Practices/tools Affiliation room Assessment Practices/tools Assessment practices that take place inlearning institutions particularly the classrooms do not just involve giving students tests. It entails getting to know what the learners captured in a class. There are myriad methods or techniques of doing this. These tools of assessment ensure that there is a drastic change in the nature of involvement of student-teacher relationship. Assessment is a process that requires both the teachers and the students to collect ongoing evidence of learning, coming up with instructional decisions and adding to the teachers and students’ learning process (Banks, 2005).

Most researchers refer to assessment as not just a test but also a means to advance student learning. Since the classroom is the main location of student learning, it is important that the teachers comprehend the role of effective classroom assessment. Not all the assessment practices used by teachers are effective, some may cause harm to the student’s learning process. Teachers spend part of the in time in assessment-related activities (McCombs & Miller, 2007). This paper will discuss three of such assessment tools that have either positive or negative impact on the learning process.

The tools include scoring rubrics, portfolios, and weekly reports.Scoring rubrics is one of the most effective tools for student assessment. Rubrics provide avenues of describing the criteria for evaluation based on the desired performance or outcomes for the students (Banks, 2005). They are mainly used in grading oral presentations and written assignments. The rubrics contain point values and scoring criteria that are linked together. In a classroom context, they provide a platform for comparison of how a student is expected to perform.

The instructors use rubrics to give points to students’ tests and assignments. It is one of the most effective practices utilized by teachers to gauge whether a student is progressing in performance.Another common assessment tool used by teachers in classrooms is a weekly report. They are papers that the students are expected to compile every week that discuss what was covered within that week, what part was unclear, any questions that are available and lastly the student is expected to write down a few questions he or she would give the students if they were in a position of a professor (McCombs & Miller, 2007).

It is effective methods since it provides feedback regarding what the student have learnt and helps the instructor note any difficulties that were experienced. In addition, the teacher is able to capture the reasoning capacity of the student and the writing skills (Marzano, 2006).Portfolios are yet a standard assessment practice that several teachers will use to assess their students. A portfolio entails a collection of evidence that a student is expected to prepare and later evaluated by one of the faculty members (Marzano, 2006).

This is done to demonstrate comprehension, synthesis, mastery, and application of sets of concepts discussed in class. Students present their portfolios either in the form of a series of short papers, a three-ring binder, or a multimedia tour. Students are expected to take time to organize, describe, and synthesize their achievements and describe what they have learned. A weekly report and a portfolio have some similar characteristics, but the portfolio is more complicated and detailed. It is an example of an in-depth and long duration assessment (Banks, 2005).

Portfolios are regarded as ineffective for measuring the level of a student’s factual knowledge. A number of academic researchers have also claimed that work done beyond the classroom context such as portfolios, are subject to incidences of academic dishonesty.ReferencesBanks, S. R. (2005). Classroom assessment: Issues and practices. Boston: Pearson/A and BMarzano, R. J., & Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. (2006). Classroom assessment & grading that work. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum DevelopmentMcCombs, B. L., & Miller, L. (2007). Learner-centered classroom practices and assessments: Maximizing student motivation, learning, and achievement.

Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.