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The importance of a proper Assessment Strategy Information Sheet

Introduction

Reference

Information The primary purpose of a testing program is to measure student achievement of knowledge and skill objectives. This may be done in any or all of the following ways: performance tests, knowledge tests, practical work, and inference.
 * Performance tests are sample work situations in which students demonstrate the ability to complete a task or job. Since the goal of many courses is to train students to perform a skill, performance testing may constitute a significant portion of the testing conducted in a course. Courses with skill objectives will measure the student's accomplishment of the objectives either through practical work or through performance testing.
 * Practical work is work done in the lab, on the line, or in the field, with the understanding that a classroom becomes a lab in cases where training involves "paper and pencil" activities. Practical work may be used to measure skill and KOs. A lab exercise that allows the student to practice a particular skill or group of skills prior to performance testing is an example of practical work. Homework assignments, quizzes, or problem sheets are all examples of practical work that may be used to measure KOs.
 * Inference is the process of measuring some objectives through the measurement of higher-level objectives. For example, a KO requiring students to label the parts of an oscilloscope may be measured during the performance test that measures a skill objective requiring students to use the oscilloscope when troubleshooting a faulty component.
 * Knowledge tests are used to measure a student's ability to recognize facts, recall information, comprehend principles, evaluate functions or concepts and analyze findings or results. Knowledge tests are important in technical training because they measure a student's ability to understand knowledge in support of the performance of a skill. For example, in the process of controlling an aircraft, air traffic controllers are required to interpret signals as seen on a radarscope. To ensure that this performance is accomplished in an efficient and safe manner, the student's ability to recognize the signals and recall what each represents should be measured through knowledge testing prior to the performance test.
 * Knowledge tests are either open or closed book. Open book tests are used to evaluate a student's ability to locate and record items using references. Open book tests are used when the knowledge supporting a skill performed on the job requires the use of documentation. When the student is required to memorize the knowledge or if the knowledge tested is normally required on the job without reference to documentation, a closed book test should be used.
 * Courses with knowledge safety objectives will have a program in place to ensure that all knowledge safety objectives are measured satisfactory prior to performance in a laboratory situation. This may be accomplished through oral tests, written tests, quizzes, etc.

The second purpose of a testing program overlaps the first in that the program should be specifically designed to assess a student's ability to reason and understand theory concepts in support of skill performance. Each time a knowledge test is planned, consider the skill objective. The developer should also factor in AIM LO Modules capability of Practice. Practice can be used to conduct formal or in-formally assessments, practices also allow higher proficiency levels to be achieved, increased critical thinking, and more practical application of knowledge previously learned. The instructor can use practice sessions to diagnose or evaluate student achievement and create remedial training sessions for students that need additional training opportunities. Information (thats KPL2, KPL1 does not support any skillbased proficiency level) that must be know by students in order to perform the skill? These objectives should be measured through knowledge testing.


 * Tests are designed to identify, early in the course, students who are failing to attain the objectives. These students are then provided additional training in these areas. Therefore, tests should be administered frequently enough, and at important intervals in training, in order to identify these students. The testing program should be viewed as a method to help student's acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to do a job not a method to "weed out" those who can't make it. But if after additional training, students are still unable to grasp the material, they may be attrited. It is important to attrite students only after every effort has been made to help them understand the material.
 * Testing programs also serve the purpose of providing feedback to the students as to their progress in attaining the objectives. After each test is administered and graded, students should be informed as to their progress. This is usually done by a review of the test followed by remediation if necessary.
 * If the instructors and course managers approach the testing program with a positive attitude, it can be used to motivate students to learn and to reinforce the knowledge and skills taught. An instructor with a positive attitude will use the tests to identify areas in which students can improve; not use them to make students feel like failures.
 * The last purpose of the testing program is to evaluate instructor and curriculum effectiveness and to improve the instructional program.