Education 621
Measurement and Evaluation
Dr. Michael Slavkin
Summer 02

Coarse Description: Examines knowledge and skills in the construction, use and evaluation of measurement instruments and evaluation procedures in educational settings.

Evaluation: This course was incredible. I learned most importantly that my assessment should drive my methods. I always assumed that assessment was something one thought about after teaching a unit, not before. I was taught the difference between norm-referenced assessment and criterion-referenced assessment and when to use them both. My creativity was challenged beyond my wildest imagination. I was forced to think outside of the box to relate math to high school students using Schlechty's standards . All of my prior thoughts of evaluation were challenged. Dr. Slavkin not only taught us but showed us all the various methods of evaluation by using many different kinds in his own assessment of us. I was able to experience it as a student while learning how to do it as a teacher. The information in this class will challenge my teaching methods for years.

• Evaluation Simile Project - Evaluation is like Legos

          I used this project to begin my exploration of evaluation techniques. I divided the class up into 3 groups, giving each group a bag of unassembled Lego parts. I was not allowed to talk, so each group was given explicit instructions: the first group was given no instructions, the second group was given step-by-step instructions, the third group was given a picture of the toy along with instructions. Each group was given a few minutes to assemble the toy. The class then discussed as a whole what they learned and I concluded with a summary of the simile.

• Movie Application Project - "Wit" starring Emma Thompson

    The movie, "Wit," documents the life of an English professor, Vivian Bearing, who is dying of cancer. In two scenes Vivian has an encounter with her former English professor, Professor E.M. Ashford - once as a student and once as she is dying. I used these scenes to illustrate criterion-referenced assessment. Professor Ashford assesses both situations, understands what Vivian needs, and adjusts her "teaching" accordingly. It is a very powerful picture! The lesson plan included the showing of the two scenes, followed by a guided discussion.
   

• Integrated Thematic Unit - Gambling using Probability and Statistics

    This project was the most challenging of all. I needed to devise a whole unit, complete with lesson plans and assessment tools, meeting both Indiana's teaching standards and Schlechtly's standards. The most difficult part was determining a theme to relate math to high school students while incorporating other subjects. Gambling seemed a perfect fit and one that had many possibilities to use not only in math but in every other subject area. I hope someday to be able to use this unit in the classroom.


Return to Main Menu