Technology and Assessments

Stephanie Thornton
EDU 225
December 20, 2015
B.Clark

Part 1: Assessment Technology . https://b.socrative.com/teacher/#select-quiz

On Socrative.com the link will take you to an eight question Math quiz on Place Value
and Expanded Form following Common Core 2nd grade standards. This quiz is a formative
assessment that will provide data to the instructor on what areas require more instruction. After
acquiring the data on the students the instructor can differentiate the lesson by dividing the
students into groups based upon understanding. Then those students that need more time on the
lesson can work together with the teacher in an intervention group reviewing and re-teaching the
questions missed. That quiz or a different one can also then be given again in the form of a
rocket race game.
(I was unable to figure out how to post a rubric or answer form so my quiz is set up to
give immediate feedback and the correct answer once it is taken.).
Part 2: Blog Post
Introduction :

This paper discusses the uses of online assessment tools for the purpose of recording
data. These tools are beneficial to the teacher as they can use the information to help identify
areas of student weaknesses and strengths. The information also benefits the teacher so they can
see areas of instruction they need to improve on. Assessments are an important piece of any
educational restructuring and are essential to the teaching and learning development.
(Ravitz, J., 2002) By providing feedback to the student in a timely manner it impacts the learner
positively and in a direct way. (Ravitz, J, 2002)Using technology based assessments, educators
are better able to record and graph data to utilize as formative and summative assessments in the
classroom.
Technology to Facilitate Ongoing Efforts to Assess Student Learning (150-200 words)

Teachers can utilize technology to facilitate the ongoing efforts to assess student learning
by giving formative assessments throughout lessons to monitor student understanding. When
monitoring the understanding of the students the teachers are able to group students by areas of
understanding that will support their growth in the areas they may be having difficulty in. The
use of technology facilitates assessments by providing accurate data with the ability organize and
graph the results. Technology based assessments connect instruction to both formative and
summative assessments. They can be used to develop IEP goals and curriculum for students with
learning disabilities. (Salend, S.J., 2009) The use of digital diaries is also a helpful tool in
assessing students social, academic and thinking skills. The use of software to evaluate student
learning is becoming more widely used due to its accuracy. The different types of software
available gives the instructor options on how to use it for assessments and recording the data.
Flubaroo -Teachers could use Flubaroo to assess student learning by recording and
graphing the data retrieved from the assessments and grades entered. The site provides
information using the total amount correct then organizes it according to the students that scored
less than 70 percent by highlighting them in red. The teacher is able to email the grades and
results as well. As a teacher he or she could use this tool in the classroom for evaluating a
students understanding when developing their lesson plans. The teacher could use this data to
build small intervention groups to focus more on the areas of weakness for extra instructional
support.
Clickers -Clickers also known as CRS (Classroom Response Systems) are technology
based active responding systems which help make a classroom more interactive and motivated.
(Salend, S.J., 2009) Teachers are able to monitor and assess student responses by giving quizzes
and polls and having the students respond with the use of the clickers. (Beaty,I,D.,& Gerace, W.J.

2009) These clickers are interactive with the use of an interactive white board which then gives
the teacher and student instant feedback. This type of assessment gives the student more
interaction and keeps them engaged by allowing them to be part of the testing using the clicker.
Since the feedback is given immediately the teacher is able to adjust the instruction.
Socrative -The website Socrative is designed to assist the teacher in developing
formative and summative assessments that can be graded instantly or later and then records the
data retrieved. This site also allows the teacher to design the assessment in the form of a game.
These games can be given either individually or as a team. The students can race using the game
for friendly competition. The teacher is able to see where the students learning may need more
instruction or where they need to be challenged more. This information is vital to building
classroom groups that have similar levels of ability and understanding
Formative and Summative Assessments
Formative and summative assessments can both be simplified by the use of technology
by using the data given and percentages to graph and record students grades and results. A
formative assessment gives the instructor an idea of the students understanding throughout the
lesson so that they can adjust their lessons to better reach their needs. By having this data the
teacher is better able to see how each student is progressing and if they are able to move on to the
next concept. A summative assessment shows the teacher how well the students understood the
entirety of the lesson and where the students are continuing to struggle after the lesson has been
completed. By using sites such as Flubaroo, Socrative and online quizzes and polls the teacher is
able to record and save the students data for future educational planning and lesson instruction.

(Pros and Cons of using Technology to Facilitate Assessment) (200 words)

Using technology can have some cons as well as pros when using it for assessing. Some
cons are that internet connections are not always reliable and because it is on the internet if not
saved the data can be lost. There are also times when software has glitches that can cause a
discrepancy in the data received. Teachers and students in underfunded districts can have
difficulty with acquiring and accessing technology due to inadequate funding for equipment.
(Salend, 2009) The pros that were listed are the fact that it organizes the data for easier more
accessible use for the teacher. The data is then stored for later use which then can be used for
instructional purposes. Having the ability to design your own assessment to fit the need of your
students or class is also a big positive. A teacher should not only use technology to assess a
students learning because of the different learning types the assessments should be given in a
variety of ways. The assessments must match learning objectives with assessment methods that
limit the amount of biased or possibly inaccurate assessment outcomes. (InTASC, 2011)
Standard number 6 says the teacher must use and understand the different types of assessments to
involve students in their own educational growth. (InTASC, 2011) The ISTE website states that
the technology itself and those who use the technology must be continually assessed and
evaluated on their effectiveness and have clearly defined goals (ISTE, 2015)
Concluding Paragraph for Software to Support Assessment
Technology advancements and growth in education is a tool that will continue to grow
and be widely used in monitoring student data. The wide range of options available to both the
educator and the student is encouraging for academic instruction and success. To have solid,
measurable data recorded gives the teacher an advantage in planning his or her lessons to best
meet the needs of her students.

References

Beatty, I. D., & Gerace, W. J. (2009). Technology-Enhanced Formative Assessment: A

Research-Based Pedagogy for Teaching Science with Classroom Response
Technology. Journal Of Science Education & Technology, 18(2), 146-162.
doi:10.1007/s10956-008-9140-4

Salend, S. J. (2009). Technology-Based Classroom Assessments. Teaching Exceptional

Children, 41(6), 48-58.

Ravitz, J. (2002). CILT2000: Using Technology to Support Ongoing Formative Assessment

in the Classroom. Journal Of Science Education & Technology, 11(3), 293-296.

ISTE, (2015) International Society for Technology in Education, Assessments and Evaluations,
http://www.iste.org/standards/essential-conditions/assessment-and-evaluation

Council of Chief State School Officers, (2011) Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support
Consortium,
(InTASC)Standards.http://www.ccsso.org/Documents/2011/InTASC_Model_Core_Teach
ing_Standards_2011.pdf. (15)