Educational Psychology Essay Assignment Ch1

Educational Psychology Essay assignment Ch15

*Please answer the questions on a separate piece of paper. You do not need to copy the questions. I encourage you to do this on a word processor and print multiple copies or photocopy your answers so that you have them to review for the test (especially for the last chapter before the exam).

*You may NOT work in groups on homework assignments (you must have your own answer)

Short Essay Questions (answer all essay questions in complete sentences. Define all psychological terms that you use. Use at least 6 sentences per question)

1. Describe the four RSVP characteristics of good classroom assessment. For each characteristic present two concrete examples of assessment practices: one that is likely to have the particular characteristic you are describing and one that is unlikely to have it.

1. As a chemistry teacher, you want your students to know the periodic table so well that they can automatically tell you the element referred to if you give them the acronym, or vice versa (ie know that Helium= He and He=Helium). Describe the kind of assessment instrument you should develop to assess students’ achievement of your objective, including a discussion of whether your assessment should:

1. Focus on lower-level or higher-level thinking skills
2. Be paper-pencil or performance-based
3. Assess recall or recognition

In each case, justify your choice

Objectives for Chapter 15

By the end of the chapter, students should be able to:

1.Explain how classroom assessments are useful, but inevitably imperfect, tools that can help teachers in classroom decision making.

2.Describe a variety of assessment techniques, and select appropriate techniques for different situations.

3.Develop assessment techniques that reflect important instructional objectives and promote effective learning and achievement.

4.Define the four "RSVP" characteristics of good assessment: reliability, standardization, validity, and practicality.

5.Describe the advantages and potential weaknesses of informal assessment during classroom instruction.

6.Explain how to design and use formal paper-pencil and performance instruments in ways that maximize their RSVP characteristics.

7.Describe several ways in which a teacher might appropriately include students in the assessment process.

8.Describe several assessment practices that encourage children to take the kinds of risks that are apt to enhance their learning and development over the long run.

9.Conduct an item analysis to identify poor test items.

10.Explain how teachers can accommodate the characteristics and abilities of a diverse group of students in their classroom assessment practices.

Vocabulary: test-retest, interrater and internal reliability, confidence interval, content & predictive validity, halo effect, holistic scoring