ASSESSMENT IN A CONSTRUCTIVIST, TECHNOLOGY-SUPPORTED LEARNING
SUMMARY:
Constructivists view assessment as a process that involves both the instructor and the student. Educators who prefer to use constructivist methods and principles in evaluating student work have several different avenues to choose from that can help enhance the learning experience of students. Similarities between constructivist and traditional methods of assessment do exist. Even though constructivists continue to research and experiment with more interactive, experience based assessments, the more traditional methods still prevail and are being used in classrooms as the predominant means of assessment.
Principles of Assessment in a Constructivist Classroom
- One principle of assessment in a constructivist classroom is not to isolate evaluation as a single exercise. Constructivists often see learning as a cyclical process. Since the shape of a circle has no beginning and no end, then the mark of where to assess could become blurry.
Constructivists do not see assessment as an ending activity, but rather an ongoing process that helps the student continue to learn.
They isolated “Five Es" of constructivism:
- Engage,
- Explore,
- Explain
- Elaborate,
- and Evaluate.
Not only is assessment its own category (evaluate), but it is also interwoven throughout each of the other stages of the learning process.
- Another principle of constructivist assessment: not having the instructor as the only source of assessment. Many constructivists encourage self-reflection as a means of assessment, or encourage students to exchange evaluations of each other’s work.
When assessing, no matter who the evaluator is, many constructivists encourage an assessment of how the learner is thinking rather than just the outcome. In assessing, a constructivist's goal is to help the learner acquire knowledge, not make the learning process laborious and undesirable. Therefore, it is important to have a non-critical attitude as one evaluates in a constructivist format.
Principle Tools and Methods Used in Constructivist Assessment
Teachers can initiate a wide variety of verbal discussions such as:
- interviews,
- debates,
- knowledge telling,
- co-investigations, or
- dramatizations.
- In constructivist evaluation is a physical assessment of the whole child.
- KWL Charts (and other such baseline assessments),
- Mind mapping,
- portfolios,
- checklists,
- investigative projects
- paper and pencil tests,
- performance tasks
- blogging,
- podcasting
- audio sharing,
- social networking,
- video sharing,
- wiki creation,
- web authoring
- and mashups.
REFLECTION:
Constructivism promotes social and communication skills by creating a classroom environment that emphasizes collaboration and exchange of ideas. Students must learn how to articulate their ideas clearly as well as to collaborate on tasks effectively by sharing in group projects. Students must therefore exchange ideas and so must learn to "negotiate" with others and to evaluate their contributions in a socially acceptable manner. This is essential to success in the real world, since they will always be exposed to a variety of experiences in which they will have to cooperate and navigate among the ideas of others.
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