Diagnostic Assessment Quiz • How effectively do you use assessment to support student learning? • How well do you understand important concepts related to assessment? This quiz is designed as a quick and easy way to help you identify gaps you may have in your knowledge base, raise your awareness of how you currently use assessment, and identify areas for growth. 1. Of the examples below, which of the following most closely aligns with the goals of diagnostic assessment: a. A quiz with items or questions that provide the instructor a window into a student's prior knowledge before the learning activity or lesson. b. A quiz that follows a learning activity or lesson to provide the instructor a window into what the student has learned from a particular lesson. c. A quiz that measures students’ growth over a period of time. d. A quiz in a multiple choice format. Best answer is: A A diagnostic assessment provides a window into what a student knows and can help a teacher to plan instruction that takes into account a student’s knowledge base and skills set. Choice B would best align with formative assessment—to measure learning gains after a particular instructional experience-‐-‐an opportunity to gauge the effectiveness of a particular lesson. Choice C would best align with summative assessment, which measures learning gains at the end of a specified period of time, i.e., an assessment at the end of a unit or quarter. The format of the assessment would not be a factor in the objective of the assessment. 2. A teacher might employ which of the following in a diagnostic assessment to find out about students’ strategy use? a. concept maps and KWL charts b. drawings and maps c. skills checks d. all of the above Best answer is: D A diagnostic assessment can take many forms. The goal of such an assessment is to learn what students know prior to instruction.
3. To provide an effective instructional experience for students, teachers should share with students the goals or objectives for the instruction. This should: a. Ideally take place at the beginning of the unit b. Ideally take place midway through the unit c. Ideally take place at the end of the unit d. Not be disclosed in the interest of increasing the reliability of the assessment. Best answer is: A Teachers should share goals for instruction with students at the beginning of the instructional unit. This best practice can help students to direct focus and provides a foundation on which to develop schemas for concepts. 4. Which of the following is true of diagnostic assessment? a. It provides information that helps teachers determine students’ grades b. A multiple choice format is most effective when creating diagnostic assessment tools c. The goals or objectives for instruction should be considered when developing the assessment d. All of the above Best answer is: C It is important to know what the goals for instruction are so that the assessment can measure which related skills students have and which ones they will need to develop. Diagnostic assessments are ungraded. A multiple choice format is not necessarily the most effective format for the assessment. 5. Of the examples below, which of the following most closely aligns with the goals of formative assessment: a. A quiz that provides the instructor a window into a student's prior knowledge before the learning activity or lesson. b. A quiz that follows a learning activity or lesson to provide the instructor a window into what the student has learned from that lesson. c. A quiz that provides a window into a student's capabilities or innate ability to learn. d. A quiz in a multiple choice format. Best answer is B. Formative assessments allow teachers and students to see their progress following a lesson—they are ongoing assessments that help teachers assess the effectiveness of a lesson, and where students need help or are achieving learning goals. Choice A and
Choice C best align with a diagnostic assessment. The format of the assessment would not factor in with the goals of formative assessment. 6. Of the examples below, which of the following is an example of specific, descriptive feedback? a. Very fine work on this. You’ve done an excellent job and exceeded expectations. b. This paper has earned the score of 78%. This qualifies you to move onto the next level and work in a new textbook. c. You have made some errors in the assignment. I recommend proofreading your work with a partner. d. You have included a lot of valuable information about the development of ancient Egyptian culture, but you did not mention anything about the impact of religion on the cultural practices. You need to add a few paragraphs explaining the role of religion in ancient Egyptian culture. Best answer is D. Choice D includes specific ways the student can improve the project—what specifically is missing, what was a strength. The other choices do not make mention of specific ways to improve the project or what was a strength in the project. 7. The benefits of formative assessment include all of the following EXCEPT: a. Guides teachers in deciding what they “need to do tomorrow” in terms of instruction b. Provides various scores for teachers to average into a grade c. Gives teachers the opportunity to make immediate adjustments in their instruction d. Provides feedback to help students adjust and improve their performance Best answer is: B. Formative assessments provide teachers and students with important information about student performance that can be used to improve teaching and learning. However, while formative assessments may be formal or informal, they are usually not graded. 8. What is the purpose of formative assessments? a. Determine student competency b. Rate the teacher c. Assess the school administration d. Evaluate the effectiveness of instruction
Best answer is D. Formative assessments are not used to evaluate a student, teacher or school administrator. They are used to provide useful information about student learning in order to adjust instruction to better meet the current needs of the learner. 9. There are different types of formative assessment. Which of the following cannot be used as a formative assessment? a. Portfolio b. Essay c. Anecdotal Record d. State Assessments Best answer is D. State assessments do not provide information to help teachers adjust instruction while it is occurring. An important reason to use formative assessment is to provide students with timely feedback and strategies to promote their learning. State assessments do not provide timely feedback or a possibility for adjusting instruction “in the moment”. 10. Which of the following goals might best be met through summative assessment? a. A teacher wishes to evaluate students' knowledge at the end of a math unit. b. A teacher wishes to place students into math groups based on readiness levels related to a particular math concept. c. A teacher is seeking the most reliable test available. d. A teacher is seeking feedback on students’ understanding of a concept so that she can adjust her instruction accordingly. Best answer is: A. Summative assessment typically occurs at the end of a unit or time period. The goal in Choice B would best be satisfied with a diagnostic assessment. Any test can be reliable or lack reliability so Choice C would not be appropriate as the best response. The goal in Choice D would best be satisfied with a formative assessment. 11. Which of the following is not supported by researchers examining the impact of evaluative feedback? a. Students who earn low grades are more likely to see themselves as failures b. Students who perceive themselves to be threatened are more likely to disengage from learning c. Struggling students who receive grades lower than they expected tend to work harder to improve the grade
d. Learning tends to increase when evaluative feedback is decreased and replaced by specific, descriptive feedback. Best answer is: C. Poor grades can demoralize students and undermine motivation. 12. Which of the following statements is not true? Effective preparation for summative assessment: a. Students take a multiple choice test at the end of the term. In the interest of students reviewing all of their notes and text, the teacher has not revealed much about the questions. b. Students are asked to analyze some letters written by historical figures, soldiers, and other people who lived during the Civil War. They create a concept map which highlights key issues related to the cause of the war, and key factors contributing to the outcome. They summarize their findings in a 2 page blog posting and respond to two other classmates’ blogs. c. Students are given some rocks and must determine whether the rock is sedimentary, metamorphic, or igneous, based on their previous readings, class work, and homework. They create an exhibit for a museum and include blurbs describing the attributes of the rocks, how they can be identified, where the rocks are typically found. d. During a unit on basketball, students in a physical education class play a game of basketball. Best answer is: A. Effective assessment practices align with students knowing what they are responsible for knowing. They are authentic activities that allow for further learning to take place. A basketball game is authentic—a multiple choice test doesn’t reflect authentic, real world activities. 13. Effective summative assessment a) Is aligned with learning goals b) Is authentic c) Offers students options d) Is evaluated against clearly stated criteria a. Choice a, b, c b. Choice a, b, d c. Choice b, c, d d. All of the above Best answer is: D.
Effective summative assessment includes all of the above attributes.
