The Art and Science of Classroom Assessment: The Missing Part of Pedagogy

by Susan M. Brookhart

• ISBN13: 9781878380890
• ISBN10: 1878380893
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-08-01
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass

Summary

"An excellent, well-written, and thorough analysis of the major issues relevant to classroom assessment in higher education."--Catherine S. Taylor, associate professor of education, University of WashingtonDiscusses the quality of individual student assessments in higher education courses and their composite effect on course grades. Reviews the literature on making classroom assessments and their impact on the science of student assessment. Such activity requires instructional skill, interest, and a disposition toward clarity and fairness. Brookhart discusses such critical issues and suggests resources for further study.

Author Biography

SUSAN M. BROOKHART is associate professor of education at Duquesne University. The author of more than forty articles on classroom assessment, educational measurement, program evaluation, and professional development for faculty, she is a past chair of AERA's Special Interest Group in Classroom Assessment, chair of the National Council on Measurement in Education's Outreach and Partnerships Committee, and a regular columnist on education and academics for National Forum, the journal of Phi Kappa Phi.

Table of Contents

Foreword	ix
Introduction	1	(1)
The Purpose of Assessing Students	1	(2)
Organization of This Monograph	3	(3)
Professional Standards for Student Assessment	6	(3)
Defining Student Learning for Assessment	9	(14)
Kinds of Achievement Targets	10	(3)
ERIC Resources	13	(10)
Ensuring the Quality of Classroom Assessment Information	23	(12)
Validity	23	(5)
Reliability	28	(4)
Summary	32	(3)
Options for Classroom Assessment	35	(24)
A Framework for Understanding Assessment Options	35	(1)
Paper-and-Pencil Tests	35	(13)
Performance Assessment	48	(5)
Oral Questions	53	(2)
Portfolios	55	(2)
Summary	57	(2)
Assessment in the Disciplines	59	(10)
English/Language Arts	60	(2)
Mathematics	62	(2)
Social Sciences	64	(1)
Natural Sciences	65	(3)
Summary	68	(1)
Grading	69	(14)
Ways to Communicate Students' Achievement	69	(2)
Course Grades and the Nature of Composite Scores	71	(2)
Comparability of Scales	73	(2)
Methods for Combining Individual Scores Into Course Grades	75	(6)
Summary	81	(2)
Grade Distributions and Grading Policies	83	(8)
The Literature on Grading: Course Planning and Student Results	83	(1)
Grade Inflation	83	(5)
Summary	88	(3)
Conclusions and Further Resources for Faculty	91	(6)
Conclusions	91	(1)
Further Resources	85	(12)
References	97	(6)
Index	103	(4)
ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Reports	107	(2)
Advisory Board	109	(2)
Consulting Editors	111	(4)
Review Panel	115	(4)
Recent Titles	119
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