OTHER METHODS
Assessments are supposed to inform teachers of the learning progress and difficulties of their students so that appropriate decisions regarding further material can be made.
"One of the defining characteristics of OBE is that judgements about the success of the system, the school and the student should be based on the student outcomes achieved." (Willis and Kissane: 1995: 31). "[T]ypical classroom based assessments assess the enacted curriculum. The intention is to find out how well students have learned and what was taught. .. Rarely if ever, is the achievement of goals directly assessed. In an outcome- based approach ... the question to be asked is not how well did the students learn what was taught. .. [but] have they achieved the
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olltcomes?" (ibid: 31-32). How well we are able to answer this question "depends on the quality of information we have on students' achievements of outcomes. It is now generally understood that the quality of assessment practices is integral to determining the success of OBE." (ibid: 32)
The following are characteristics and relevant advantages and disadvantages of behavioural assessment, mastery learning, curriculum-based measurement and performance assessment.
2.12.1. BEHAVIOURAL ASSESSMENT
This relies on direct observation and recording of target be.baviour, using repeated observations in the setting where the behaviour occurs. Environmental factors (i.e. situations in which the behaviour occurs) and their effect on behaviour are examined. This method is feasible to administer, score and interpret and it communicates clearly what the learning content is. However, this method focuses on discrete tasks that do not necessarily add up to important outcomes. It is further limited to observable behaviour and therefore limits the teacher's instructional options. (Fuchs: 1995: 1)
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2.12.2. MASTERY LEARNING
The curriculum is broken down into a set of sub-skills which are then placed in a hierarchy of instructional objectives. Mastery of each sub-skill is necessary to move up the hierarchy of skills and more difficult steps. Testing is done until students demonstrate mastery.
This method communicates clearly to teachers what is important to teach and learn. However, users do not know exactly what is bein ass~~ed.andhow to interpret the resulting infonnation and
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,how to use the measures effectively.- -It also dictates a specific approach to instruction, leaving the teachers few instructional choices. The focus of measurement changes each time a student achieves mastery of a step in the curriculum and the steps may be of unequal difficulty. Therefore, progress cannot be judged over time. The focus is on discrete behaviour in both assessment and instruction. Since different students need to be measured simultaneously on different steps of the curriculum, mastery learning systems can become
unm~nagef!ble_forte?chers. (Towers: 1992: 298)
In spite of this, mastery learning does have its advantages.
Towers (1992: 297) quotes Guskey and Gates (1986) who, after research, concluded that "group-based applications of mastery learning have consistently positive effects on a broad range of student learning outcomes, including student achievement,
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retention of learned material, involvement in learning activities and student affect."
"There is belief that everyone can succeed under mastery learning, leading to the self-fulfilling prophecy phenomenon."
(Towers: 1992: 296)
2.12.3. CURRICULUM-BASED MEASUREMENT
The focus of Curriculum-Based Measurement to evaluate growth is long-term. Broad outcomes are established, for example, competently performing mathematics at the end of the third grade. Student proficiency is measured.
A few of the advantages of this system are:
1. It provides standardised measurement techniques, making it reliable and valid.
2. It provides detailed information on students' performance in specific skills.
3. A broad scale of instructional options can be used and the teacher can use widely varying methods with the same pupil to see which method is more beneficial.
4. Students can set personal learning goals because they know how they are evaluated.
5. Assessment demands in the classroom are manageable.
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The long time periods to evaluate growth is a drawback of this particular system. The connection between assessment results and instructional decisions is not as clear as with behavioural assessments or mastery learning. Further, it relies too much on written tests. Current discussions about outcomes stress the utility of multi-dimensional measures that can cut across curriculum areas. (Fuchs: 1995)
2.12.4. PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENTS
Performance assessment is the direct and systematic observation of actual learner performances (demonstration of competence). It displays the following characteristics:
I. Learners are asked to perform, produce or create something.
2. They tap higher-order thinking processes and problem- solving skills.
3. They are graded or scored with the use of assessment criteria as the basis for human judgement.
4. They provide opportunities for learners to present and explain their work.
5. They involve learners in their own assessment.
The difference between traditional forms of assessment and outcomes-based assessment is that with OBE, the criteria are spelt out before assessment takes place. Since candidates know what criteria will be used to assess their performance, they can
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be assured of fair and equitable judgements and they can take responsibility for demonstrating high quality performances.
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