Assessment Resource Kit

The Assessment Resource Kit series of resources were developed to support teacher understanding of educational measurement, learning progress and assessment methods including portfolio assessment, projects, products and performances.

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Developmental assessment: Assessment Resource Kit

Geoff N. Masters and Margaret Forster

Developmental assessment is the process of monitoring a student's progress through an area of learning so that decisions can be made about the best ways to facilitate further learning. Developmental assessment uses a progress map or continuum that describes the nature of development or progress or growth in an area of learning and so provides a frame of reference for monitoring individual development. Progress is monitored in much the same way as a child's physical growth is monitored: from time to time an estimate is made of a student's location on a developmental continuum, and changes in location provide measures of growth over time. This issue of the Assessment Resource Kit (ARK) magazine series contains six articles: 1. What is Developmental Assessment? 2. Progress Maps; 3. Assessment methods; 4. Judging and recording; 5. Estimating attainment; 6. Reporting.
Educational measurement: Assessment Resource Kit.

Geoff N. Masters

Educational measurement is the process of estimating students' locations (abilities) on a measurement variable from their responses to a set of items. Educational measurement is one in a series of magazines in the ACER Assessment Resource Kit (ARK). It contains five chapters: 1. What is 'measurement'?; 2. Aspiring to measure; 3. A model for measuring; 4. Mapping variables; 5. Reporting measures.
Paper and pen: Assessment Resource Kit

Margaret Forster and Geoff N. Masters

A common method of assessment is to present students with a series of questions or prompts and to use students' written responses as evidence of their levels of knowledge, competence, understanding or attitude. We refer to assessments of this kind as 'paper and pen ' assessments. This issue on paper and pen assessment in the Assessment Resource Kit (ARK) magazine series contains five articles: 1. What is paper and pen assessment? 2. A variety of answer formats; 3. Teacher designed paper and pen assessments; 4. Professionally developed tests; 5. Designing paper and pen assessments.
Performances: Assessment Resource Kit

Margaret Forster and Geoff N. Masters

The assessment of some kinds of learning requires the observation of student performances. Examples include playing a musical instrument, dancing, using scientific apparatus, operating equipment, performing gymnastics routines, diving, problem-solving in a group, applying ball-handling skills, and participating in small group discussions. 'Performance assessment' is the assessment of students as they engage in an activity. It is the on-the-spot evaluation of performance, behaviour or interaction. This issue on the assessment of performances in the Assessment Resource Kit (ARK) magazine series contains five articles: 1. What is performance assessment? 2. Informal classroom observations; 3. Classroom performance assessment 'events'; 4. When comparability matters; 5. Designing performance assessments.
Portfolios: Assessment Resource Kit

Margaret Forster and Geoff N. Masters

Portfolios are sources of evidence for judgements of student achievement in a range of contexts, from classroom monitoring of student performance to high-stakes summative assessment. All portfolios, whatever their purpose, contain 'pieces of evidence'. The more relevant the evidence, the more useful it is for inferring a student's level of achievement in a learning area. This issue on portfolios in the Assessment Resource Kit (ARK) magazine series contains five articles: 1. Different portfolios for different purposes; 2. Working portfolios; 3. Documentary portfolios; 4. Show portfolios; 5. Designing portfolio assessments.
Products: Assessment Resource Kit

Margaret Forster and Geoff N. Masters

Products are items which students make, usually in technology and the visual arts. Examples include items of food and clothing, pieces of artwork (drawings, paintings, sculptures) and articles made of wood, metal, plastics and ceramics. Product assessment is the assessment of students' mastery of the processes and tools required to make products (for example, design and production processes) and the assessment of the practical and/ or aesthetic qualities of the items students make. This is a guide to assessing student products in the technology and visual arts curriculum. It is an issue in the Assessment Resource Kit (ARK) magazine series and contains five articles: 1. What is product assessment? 2. Assembling evidence; 3. Judging and recording evidence; 4. Estimating attainment and reporting; 5. Designing product assessments.
Progress maps: Assessment Resource Kit

Geoff N. Masters and Margaret Forster

A progress map describes the nature of development in an area of learning and so provides a frame of reference for monitoring individual growth. An essential feature of a progress map is that it describes and illustrates developing competence. This issue in the Assessment Resource Kit (ARK) magazine series discusses how to construct a progress map and check against student achievement for revision of progress, elaborating, and refining descriptions of typical progress through an area of learning, and setting benchmarks. It comprises five articles on different aspects progress maps: 1. What is a progress map; 2. Drafting a progress map; 3. Revising a progress map; 4. Enriching a progress map; 5. Setting benchmarks.
Projects: Assessment Resource Kit

Margaret Forster and Geoff N. Masters

Projects are extended pieces of work completed over a period of time. They are investigations which involve the collection, organisation, evaluation, and presentation of material or data. Projects are usually completed by individuals or small groups of students with the teacher acting as supervisor. This issue of the Assessment Resource Kit (ARK) magazine series is intended to give teachers a deeper understanding of how to assess student projects. Topics covered in the five articles include: what is project assessment, ways of assessing the process of project work, ways of assessing the end products of project work, comparing student projects and finally designing student assessments.
Workshop manual: Implementing developmental assessment.

Margaret Forster and Geoff N. Masters

This workshop manual has been developed as a resource for curriculum coordinators in schools, staff in curriculum and assessment support roles in regional and central offices, and others interested in the professional development of teachers in the areas of assessment and reporting. The manual provides resources for a single workshop Implementing developmental assessment. It is part of the Assessment Resource Kit (ARK), a series of magazines on assessment and reporting issues and methods. Workshop contents: Implementing developmental assessment: workshop overview. Section 1: Progress maps Section 2: Assessment methods Section 3: Judging and recording Section 4: Estimating attainment Section 5: Reporting.