Creating a Framework for Effective Assessments

Continually creating effective assessments throughout the course of the school year can be difficult to maintain. To help achieve this, I created an infographic that focuses on five key goals that I believe are paramount when thinking about assessment. These goals not only ensure that my assessments serve their intended purpose but also help in creating a learning environment where students are engaged and challenged.

One of the foundational principles of effective assessment is alignment. Assessments should directly measure the learning objectives of the course or lesson. As Shepard (2000) argues, “assessment can be used as a part of instruction to support and enhance learning” (p. 4). When assessments are aligned with clear learning objectives, they help ensure that what is being measured truly reflects what students are expected to learn. This connection between objectives and assessments makes tracking progress and identifying areas where students may need additional support more manageable.

To further assist with alignment, validity is crucial to make sure that an assessment accurately measures what it is intended to. This applies to both the concept and context in which the assessment takes place. “Assessment, if not done with equity in mind, privileges and validates certain types of learning and evidence of learning over others, can hinder the validation of multiple means of demonstration, and can reinforce within students the false notion that they do not belong in higher education” (Montenegro & Jankowski, 2017, p. 5). For an assessment to be valid, it must consider the diverse backgrounds and experiences of students, so that it accurately reflects their understanding and abilities. This means that assessments must also be accessible. 

Accessibility is about making assessments fair and equitable, so that all students can succeed regardless of their abilities or backgrounds. Shepard (2000) highlights the importance of “gathering data to include observations, clinical reviews, reflective journals, projects, demonstrations, collections of student work, and students’ self-evaluations” (p. 6). By providing students with multiple ways to demonstrate their learning, we remove barriers that might prevent certain students from performing well. 

A strong assessment also needs to show relevance to the students that it is created for. When assessments are connected to real-life situations or future applications, students are more likely to see the value in what they are learning and attach meaning to it. As Montenegro and Jankowski (2017) address, “once we understand who our students are we can begin to tailor assessment processes and materials to have the greatest impact for their learning” (p. 10). By designing assessments that are relevant to students’ lives, we can help bridge the gap between knowing the material and applying it. This relevance can motivate students to engage more with the material and help them develop skills that can be used outside of the classroom.

Finally, assessments should encourage critical thinking to deepen students’ levels of understanding. Shepard (2000) asserts that assessment “must be changed to better represent important thinking and problem solving skills in each of the disciplines” (p. 7). Critical thinking assessments challenge students to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information, leading to a better overall understanding of the subject matter.

Using this infographic allows us to better incorporate these goals and provides a framework for creating assessments that are intentional, aligned, meaningful, and manageable. As educators, our goal should be to design assessments that not only evaluate what students know but also inspire them to think critically, connect their learning to the real world, and grow as learners.

References:

Banko, N. (2024). Assessment goals. https://manage.wix.com/dashboard/c55ea761-d92d-4385-aa64-7404b37387c7/blog/d8017986-9938-4f83-9924-4c01b523bb7a/edit

Montenegro, E., & Jankowski, N. A. (2017). Equity and assessment: Moving towards culturally responsive assessment. (Occasional Paper No. 29). University of Illinois and Indiana University, National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA).

Shepard, L. A. (2000). The role of assessment in a learning culture. Educational Researcher, 29(7), 4-14.

Wix. Learning pods [Photograph]. Wix. https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_5832eed02a9a43f6a75eba854c34432a~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_1110,h_740,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/11062b_5832eed02a9a43f6a75eba854c34432a~mv2.jpg