Assessment Workshop @ Int'l Islamic School

Assessment Int'l Islamic School

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Learning2 0 assessment

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Assessment (Principles & Planning)

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21st Century Assessment?

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Wikipedia : The Debate Continues...

I presented the following chart - which I constructed from David Weinberger's Everything is Miscellaneous - in a discussion about the institutional respectability (or lack of) for Wikipedia. It compares the online (copy-left) encyclopedia with Britannica, symbol of academic kosher-ness.

For those of us unwilling to include citations or references from Wikipedia or grant it 'academic' status, we should at least ask ourselves:

• What's wrong with Wikipedia being authored by anonymous folks? Why can't we let the knowledge stand on its own?
  
  
• Why don't we give more credit to Wikipedia for at least being forthright about possible non-neutrality of articles? How many citable books do NOT include this (yet expect us to take 'their side' of the debate?)
  
  
• Why don't we credit Wikipedia for providing a discussion area where the issues can be thrashed out? And isn't the on-going, non-definitive (emergent?) nature of the articles a plus? Aren't these (again) yet another improvement over the standard 'acceptable' texts which are (wrongly) 'definitive' and can only point to more references (if at all) for the historical discussion?
  
  
• Why don't we commend the collaborative nature of the articles in Wikipedia? Why are we more impressed with articles which were written by just ONE person?

Finally, on a practical note, when mistakes are made, they are almost instantaneously corrected in Wikipedia - can't say the same for the rest.

So, what's "academically inappropriate" about Wikipedia again? Thoughts welcomed.

Microsoft, Intel, and Cisco Vow to Change Global Assessments

eSchool news reports:

"Microsoft, Intel, and Cisco--three technology giants that last year vowed to increase their efforts aimed at global education reform--have banded together to develop the next generation of assessments: tests that measure 21st-century skills and provide a global framework for excellence.

At the Learning and Technology Forum in London earlier this month, the three companies unveiled plans to underwrite a multi-sector research project to develop new approaches, methods, and technologies for measuring the success of 21st-century teaching and learning efforts in classrooms around the world."

Read the full report.

Bloom's Digital Taxonomy

Bloom's taxonomy is a recognised framework for ordering the complexity of thinking skills. It's used all over the world in educational planning and assessments.

Check out the new Bloom's digital taxonomy which has an updated taxonomy (see pic). The revised taxonomy includes:

• collaboration
• Web 2.0

Notice also that 'Creating' is now considered a higher-order thinking skill than 'Evaluating'. 'Synthesizing' has also been removed.

Download the pdf. version and share it with your students and colleagues.

Global, Rubric, Criterion-Referenced Assessment

Educational institutions today are leaning further towards 'authentic' assessment. These usually take the form of more global 'impressionistic' marking with the help of rubrics, more formative and criterion-referenced assessments, etc. (download a short presentation here).

What are some issues or obstacles attempts at implementing 21st-century assessments would face? How 'authentic' are your (or your organisation's) present assessment methods? Do you even agree with the term?

How to Apply the 6 Hats to Your Studies (Pt. I)

First, review your understanding of the hats by:

• Looking through the slide presentation again
• Looking at the previous blog-post
• Googling on the six hats
• Asking your friends about what they remember and know about the hats

Secondly, try to list down THREE 'new' ways of thinking that you've learnt from the 6 hats. How has it changed your 'normal' methods of thinking? If you can answer this, you're well on your way towards applying the hats effectively in your studies.

Thirdly, view this comparison between traditional testing and 6 hats testing. Notice the difference in the nature of the questions asked. Then start thinking about your study and assessment methods right now.

(More coming up)

21st Century Assessment