Assessment Article Response: Assessment Formative and Summative Some Theoretical Reflections by Maddalena Taras

While the general focus of this article is on formative and summative assessment, I found the thoughts on assessment in general to be far more interesting. The article begins by clarifying and defining assessment. My definition of assessment is some type of measurement of a specific skill or knowledge. The definition I used was vague and not very detailed. Taras defined assessment as a judgment using a comparative or numerical rating based on data-gathering instruments, weighted goals, selection of goals, and justification of the judgment. This means that students will know exactly how they will be assessed (the parameters and value of each assignment). As a student, nothing is more frustrating than putting a lot of effort into an assignment and then receiving a bad grade because it wasn’t what the teacher was looking for. Giving students the rubric or criteria in which they will be scored, will result in more accurate assessments. It’s also interesting to note that teachers act as judges. While teachers strive to be fair and impartial, there are a variety of factors that influence how teachers grade assignments including implicit and explicit parameters. Implicit parameters are implied based on the norm of the classroom. For example, a teacher assigns an essay to the class but doesn’t include a parameter for spelling on the rubric. However, throughout the year the teacher lectures students on the importance of spelling when writing an essay. The implicit parameter is that each student use correct spelling. If the teacher had included spelling on the rubric, then spelling would be an explicit parameter. An argument can be made for either parameter, but it is up to the individual teacher to make the final judgment. Taras goes on to say that assessment, while necessary, can be detrimental to students. Society is quick to make judgments but often fail to reflect and question. Teachers can fail a student without taking in the psychological impact this will have on the student for the rest of his/her life. The byproduct of student assessment is teacher assessment. If the majority of the class is performing poorly, the teacher should be reflecting on how they can improve as an instructor. I believe that teachers and students have a shared responsibility for the outcome of education. When a student is performing well, it’s easy for teachers to take the credit for student success. But when a student does poorly, it’s the student’s fault. I am beginning to understand that teaching is more of a partnership. Teachers and students need to work together to be successful.