THEMATIC DISPLAY
ASSESSMENT

DiRanna, Kathryn…[et al.]. (2008)
Assessment-centered teaching: a reflective practice
371.144 ASS
Assessment-centered teaching allows teachers to gather information during instruction to uncover learning gaps and guide students toward deeper understandings of complex ideas. This book provides a realistic picture of what it takes to build a culture of ongoing assessment and reflective practice in the real world of teaching. The authors describe new methods and approaches to help teachers build their expertise with assessment practice and explains a coherent professional development model for building assessment-centered classrooms through teacher’s reflective practices. The model includes innovative tools and processes developed from the current knowledge base and what educators know about best practices for student assessment, teaching, teacher professional development and teacher leadership.

Airasian, Peter W. and Russell, Michael (2008)
Classroom assessment: concepts and applications
371.260973 AIR
Assessment is a process of collecting, synthesizing and interpreting information to aid teachers in their decision making. Purposes of classroom assessment include establishing classroom equilibrium, planning and conducting instruction, placing students, providing feedback and incentives, diagnosing student problems and disabilities and judging and grading academic learning and progress. Classroom assessment: concepts and applications explores a broad range of assessment strategies teachers use when assessing in the classroom. It examines how assessment applies to each phase of the instructional process – from organizing the classroom as a social setting, to planning and conducting instruction based upon sound objectives, to formal assessment of student learning, to grading students and finally to interpreting standardized tests and assessments.

Wright, Robert J. (2008)
Educational assessment: tests and measurements in the age of accountability
371.26 WRI
The press for educational accountability has increased the importance of educational assessments in schools. Educational accountability requires that all students be assessed to quantify what they have learned and what skills they have developed. Today, it is increasingly important for educators to have an understanding of educational assessment and measurement. Employing an issue-oriented approach to the analysis and interpretation of complex measurement concerns, the author examines issues such as the score gap, high-stakes testing, grade retention, dropout crises, diversity, family influence and educational technology.

Irons, Alastair (2008)
Enhancing learning through formative assessment and feedback
371.271 IRO
Assessment is a major issue in higher education – an inordinate amount of emphasis is placed on assessment and a huge amount of time and effort goes into delivering, managing and assuring assessment. The author suggests that formative assessment and formative feedback are very powerful and potentially constructive learning tools. Feedback is a key aspect in assessment and is fundamental in enabling students to learn from assessment. This book also suggests that feedback, quality of feedback and timeliness of feedback are key features in the student learning process and in the teacher/student relationship. The underpinning principle promoted in this book is that formative assessment and formative feedback should provide positive student learning opportunities, encourage dialogue and discourse between students and teachers, enhance the student learning experience and provide motivation for students.

Brown, Gavin T.L., Irving, S. Earl and Keegan, Peter J. (2007)
An introduction to educational assessment, measurement and evaluation
371.260993 BRO
Assessment is the process of appropriate interpretation and actions based on appropriate collection of information about valued content. The focus is not on the method or the techniques of assessment; rather it is on how assessment information is being understood and what is being done with it. It does not only monitor effectiveness but also helps identify what needs to be different. An introduction to educational assessment, measurement and evaluation is made up of two parts - Part One provides practice-based skills and experience of item creation and interpretation of assessments, while Part Two deals with theoretical and conceptual issues related to assessment.

Ronis, Diane L. (2007)
Brain-compatible assessments
371.264 RON
In a rapidly changing world, learning means being able to live with paradox and ambiguity. Real learning is about the learner’s ability to apply learned skills to real-life, contextual settings. Measurement of the development of such knowledge in students cannot be ascertained through traditional assessment methods alone. Educators can consistently balance required standardized assessments with ongoing alternative assessment methods that are compatible with the way the brain learns and contain, and employ rigorous standards and high challenge levels. Ronis goes beyond the world of standardized testing to show educators how to build and use targeted assessments based on the latest neuroscientific research.

Green, Susan and Johnson, Robert L. (2010)
Assessment is essential
371.26 GRE
Assessment is important in preparing students to function in a democracy, in providing equal access to educational opportunity, in promoting independent thinking and sense of responsibility, and in encouraging critical thinking. Assessment is essential describes key elements of quality assessment and provides many examples from classroom contexts with the emphasis that assessment is an integral part of instruction impacting student motivation and central to improving teaching and learning.

Blanchard, John (2009)
Teaching, learning and assessment
370.1523 BLA
Formative assessment is designed to inform and enhance pupils’ learning. It can include assessing the quality of teaching, resources, the learning environment, pupils’ attitudes, motivations and readiness to tackle tasks. Based on a five-year research project on real life experiences of students and teachers, this book develops a practical framework for thinking about formative assessment. It offers guidance as to how learners and teachers might use assessment to decide current capability and the way ahead.

Popham, W. James (2008)
Transformative assessment
371.271 POP
Formative assessment is a process whereby assessment-elicited evidence is used by teachers to improve their ongoing instruction or by students to improve how they are trying to learn something. Formative assessment can become the catalyst that spurs both teachers and students to routinely make evidence-based decisions about learning. It has different levels - teachers’ instructional adjustments, students’ learning tactic adjustments, a classroom climate shift and school–wide implementation, each of which involves different activities. Popham provides guidance on how to build frameworks for formative assessment and how to carry out each of the process’s four levels.

Berry, Rita (2008)
Assessment for learning
371.26 BER
Research reveals that many of the traditional testing and marking practices are associated with reduced student motivation to learn. However, positive effects can be achieved when assessment is used as the vehicle for enhancing student motivation to learn, and for making acquiring and mastering new knowledge and skills important goals for student. This book reflects current thinking of assessment with a stated focus on assessment for learning. It informs teachers about the latest developments and provides teachers with important tools for integrating assessment in the classroom.