Learning Analysis in Instructional Design

Assessment is an important piece of modern education.  A few days ago, as part of the end of the trimester, I administered a district common assessment (DCA) to all of my students, followed by a final course exam.  In a few weeks, we'll be following a special schedule so students can participate in the Minnesota Common Assessments (MCA).  Teachers, administrators, parents, district staff, and policy makers all debate what role these kinds of tests should play in determining student grades or advancement, teacher salaries and employment status, and school ratings.

Assessment was also the instructional design phase I reached on my project this week.  The proper use of assessment was a recurring theme of the readings.  When used as intended, a well-designed assessment is an important tool, making it possible to either determine students' level of mastery over content or to rank students according to their ability in a certain arena.  All too often, assessment results are applied far too broadly in attempts to measure things, such as teacher performance, that they were never intended to. 

The lessons of assessment from this week can also apply on a much smaller scale.  I am involved in some curriculum changes in my district's 9th grade science sequence intended to increase the role of engineering in our courses and find myself viewing much of what I'm learning through the lens of this process.  Several of the readings, including the chapter from Smith & Ragan, discussed the idea that the closer an assessment is to a real-world challenge, known as an authentic assessment, the more accurately it measures student mastery. Historically, in my 9th grade physical science classes, I've assessed students using traditional tests that are about half multiple choice and half short answer or calculations.  The new focus on engineering within the curriculum provides an opportunity to dramatically change the way I assess students, moving away from paper and pencil assessments toward challenges in which students must apply their knowledge to solve problems based on real-world challenges.