It's unfortunate, but many teachers do not make use of informal evaluation methods to give students feedback, as well as using them as a measure of their own effectiveness. Informal methods involve the direct interaction of the teacher with the students, sometimes during classtime, but also at prearranged times for an informal session, such as a conference with a student. Let's examine a few informal techniques you can use in the science classroom to assess student learning.
Observing Students.
David Berliner (1987) points out that it is not always obvious from student nonverbal behavior (frowns, puzzled looks, shaking head) whether the student does or does not understand. However, observation of social behavior is an effective tool to determine the level of involvement of students in groups. Since it is important to involve students in small group activities, paying attention to their behavior, verbal as well as nonverbal, is a helpful way to gain insight into their learning. One useful device is to create an observation form that efficiently enables the teacher to watch student behavior during cooperative learning activities, and to record instances of social/interpersonal skills that are being encouraged. For example, the interpersonal skills such as "active listening," "staying on task,' "asking questions," and "everyone contributing," can be observed by using an observation chart as shown below. The teacher records the names of the students in each group, spends a few minutes watching each group individually, and then records instances of the interpersonal skill. Later the teacher returns to the group, and provides specific feedback to the group of their interpersonal skill development.
Interpersonal
Skill Group
1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Active
Listening . . . . Staying on
Task . . . . Asking
Questions . . . . Contributing
Ideas . . .
Observing student behavior and interaction can be enhanced by using questioning strategies, and listening carefully to student questions. Let's look at these two informal methods of assessing learning.
Asking Questions.
In a previous chapter (8), we introduced and examined questioning as a teaching strategy. Asking classroom questions can also be employed to informally assess student learning. Let's examine how.
One of the most powerful uses of classroom questions as an assessment tool is when students are engaged in cooperative learning activities, and/or laboratory activities. The role of the teacher during small group and laboratory activities takes on a monitoring function. During this time, the teacher can visit individual groups to explore the content and methods that students are using in their investigations and small group work.
The following techniques are useful in helping you assess student understanding:
• Use a variety of questions. Try to strike a balance between low order (recall) and high order (application, synthesis, evaluation) questions. The use of higher order questions has been shown to be motivational, where as low order questioning is useful for a probing strategy.• Use wait time. Recall from Chapter 8 that Mary Budd Rowe found that most teachers wait less than a second after asking a question. Science teachers who practice waiting at least three seconds can create a classroom atmosphere beneficial to student cognitive, as well as affective learning. Rowe found that the length of student response increases, failures to respond decrease, confidence increases, speculative responses increases, student questions increases, and variety of student responses increases.
• Ask probing questions. If a student, after the teacher asks a question and waits at least three seconds, gives an incorrect answer, then the teacher should probe the student answer with other questions. Probing provides a second opportunity for the student, and gives the student a chance to express his or her understanding. Berliner explains that probing to help students clarify and improve answers is more effective than probing to get an answer in increasing student achievement.
• Redirecting. If you are working with a cooperative group, redirecting the same question is a useful assessment tool for the group. Suppose you ask one student in the group a question, and this student is unable to answer or gives an incorrect answer. You then could redirect by asking an other student in the group the same question.
Student Questions.
You will have many experiences saying to your students, "Any questions?" This is usually followed by silence. For student questions to be useful tools for assessing student learning, an environment must exist whereby students will be willing to ask questions.
The kinds of questions that students ask can inform teachers directly about student understanding of what has been taught. In general students do not ask very many questions, unless the teacher encourages this to happen in the classroom. One of the skills that should be taught in small group learning is "asking questions." Asking questions is not only a way to learn, but a tool for the teacher to gauge student understanding. Some researchers have found that the level (using Bloom's taxonomy) of student questions can be increased by creating a more favorable or positive climate throughout the use of positive reinforcement.
One technique science teachers can use to increase the chance that students will ask questions is to use a lot of silence. The use of wait time to induce students to ask questions can work if you are willing to "wait out the silence." Eventually, after some period of uncomfortableness, the students might ask a question. Listening to kinds and levels of questioning is another informal assessment tool.
Conferencing.
Meeting with students individually or in small teams is a powerful informal method of assessment. I have found, as have many other teachers, that the student who appears shy and reticent in class, is open and talkative in a private meeting, and is willing to answer questions, and share information. One of the things students appreciate about conferences is how special they feel that they have your undivided time, even for a brief period of time.
Conferences should be used to built rapport between the teacher and the student. Its a wonderful time to strengthen a bond between you and the student, and at the same time to "clear the air" over a problem that might persist if not attended to.
Conferences can be used as a time to review a student's portfolio (see ahead). The portfolio can become the "agenda" for the conference, and an opportunity for the teacher to ask questions, and a chance for the student to do the same.