Assessment Technology
Assessing student progress in the classroom is a vital part in being a good teacher. When teachers assess student progress it allows teachers to not only see how well the students are comprehending the material being taught, but also how well the teacher is instructing his/her class. Without teachers assessing students both through formative and summative, assessments teachers have very little way of knowing how well their students are learning and how well they are doing their jobs. There is a ton of ways technology can be used to help teachers assess their students. This essay will cover the different types of technology that can help teachers assess their students and the pros and cons to using technology to do so.
Technology to Facilitate Ongoing Efforts to Assess Student Learning
Technology can be utilized in many different ways to facilitate the ongoing efforts to assess student learning in the classroom. Assessing students using surveys, polls, and quizzes are a breeze with all the different websites technology has to offer. While all this can be done without technology as well, choosing to utilize technology’s assistance to complete these assessments makes a teacher’s job a lot easier and assessments for students a lot more enjoyable.
Polldaddy
Polldaddy is a great website to use to assess students. Through this website, with a free account, teachers are able to make several different types of polls, quizzes, and surveys. I just recently created a quiz for my students over the eight parts of speech using this website. The quiz was sixteen questions long and were all multiple choice, although the website had other options, such as written answer. I was able to finish creating it within just ten minutes. Once I was finished creating the quiz I was provided a link to put on my website so students are able to access the quiz. From my polldaddy account I can view and keep track of the results of my students. If teachers wish to have more detailed reports, or content that does not contain “polldaddy” in the link, they have to purchase a professional account, however, the free version gets the job done (Polldaddy, n.d.). This website makes it very easy to make simple online assessments.
SurveyMonkey
SurveyMonkey is another website that is a great tool to use for assessing student progress. On the SurveyMonkey website, there is an entire section under the “Examples” tab that explains how this website can be used for educational purposes. Here, it explains that a few uses for SurveyMonkey could be student surveys to collect feedback from the students, curriculum planning, and educational outcomes to measure student success (SurveyMonkey, 2015). The website even provides samples and templates to help teachers get started. Surveys are a great way to assess students and this website makes it easier than ever.
MimioVote
MimioVote is a product that makes testing fun and simple for students and teachers. Tracking student progress is made easier by using these handsets that can be compared to a video game controller (Mimio, 2015). Students use the handsets to take tests and quizzes and teachers get instant results while MimioVote tracks the students’ progress (Mimio, 2015). This is also a great tool to use for taking polls in the classroom. Although there are system requirements to use MimioVote, as well as a price in order to buy a class set and software, this is an example of great use of technology for teachers assessing their students (Mimio, 2015).
(Formative and Summative Assessments)
As mentioned, it is important for teachers to assess their students. The two ways to do that are through formative and summative assessments. Formative assessments are to track student progress or teacher instruction. This can be done through small quizzes to check for student understanding. For example, if my class just finished the first three chapters of To Kill a Mockingbird and I want to test their understanding of what we read so far I would have them take a short quiz, perhaps by using SurveyMonkey, to see how everyone is doing before moving on. A summative assessment is taken at the end of a chapter or unit. An example of a summative assessment would be if my class finished To Kill a Mockingbird and I wanted to test them for a final. I could use MimioVote or Polldaddy to test them over the book and it would be an excellent way to track student progress in the form of summative assessment. Both formative and summative assessments are equally important for tracking student progress.
Pros and Cons of using Technology to Facilitate Assessment
Using technology to facilitate assessment can be good and bad. Students love technology which can make giving them assessments a little more bearable and appealing. Studies have shown that students enjoy classes more when technology is involved and results in better learning (Spurlin, 2006). It is also easy to create and keep track of student progress which makes it simple for the teacher and can be a real time saver. While there are plenty of pros for technology facilitating assessments, there are also cons as well. Technology is not always reliable, which means if a teacher is counting solely on the internet for students to take an important test it might not be accessible the day it’s needed. In addition, products and software such as MimioVote cost money. While the idea of this product may be great, depending on the school funds, it might not be available to purchase due to the price. Spurlin continues to add that few have been able to determine whether technology actually improves student learning (2006). Having to weigh the good with the bad is no exception when using technology for facilitating assessments.
Concluding Paragraph for Software to Support Assessment
In order to be a successful teacher it is important to assess student progress in the classroom. Today’s technology has proven to be very helpful for teachers with assessing their students. There are several different websites and software’s that can assist in creating and delivering assessments, such as polldaddy, SurveyMonkey, and MimioVote. Each of these resources can be used for formative and summative assessments alike. While these make it easier for teachers and students it is not always accessible or convenient when relying on technology. With that being said, if teachers are looking to make it easier on themselves and the students, technology is definitely able to make that dream a reality.
References
Mimio. (2015). MimioVote Assessment. Retrieved from http://www.mimio.com/en-NA/Products/MimioVote-Assessment.aspx?code=GGMIMVOT&utm_campaign=MimioVote-Mimio%20Products-GG&utm_source=PPC&utm_medium=Standard%20Campaign&jadid=74520562716&jk=mimiovote&jkId=gc:a8a8ae4e7313b324801318b85fcae490a:t1_p_:k_mimiovote:pl_&jp=&js=1&jsid=25957&jt=1&gclid=CO7btcrj68kCFYeRHwodeN0Gww
Polldaddy. (n.d.). Dashboard. Retrieved from https://polldaddy.com
Spurlin, E. J., (2006). Technology and learning: Defining what you want to assess. Educause learning initiative, 1, 1-11. Retrieved from https://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI3005.pdf
SurveyMonkey. (2015). Education, school, and academic online surveys. Retrieved from https://www.surveymonkey.com/mp/education-surveys/?ut_source=header
Assessing student progress in the classroom is a vital part in being a good teacher. When teachers assess student progress it allows teachers to not only see how well the students are comprehending the material being taught, but also how well the teacher is instructing his/her class. Without teachers assessing students both through formative and summative, assessments teachers have very little way of knowing how well their students are learning and how well they are doing their jobs. There is a ton of ways technology can be used to help teachers assess their students. This essay will cover the different types of technology that can help teachers assess their students and the pros and cons to using technology to do so.
Technology to Facilitate Ongoing Efforts to Assess Student Learning
Technology can be utilized in many different ways to facilitate the ongoing efforts to assess student learning in the classroom. Assessing students using surveys, polls, and quizzes are a breeze with all the different websites technology has to offer. While all this can be done without technology as well, choosing to utilize technology’s assistance to complete these assessments makes a teacher’s job a lot easier and assessments for students a lot more enjoyable.
Polldaddy
Polldaddy is a great website to use to assess students. Through this website, with a free account, teachers are able to make several different types of polls, quizzes, and surveys. I just recently created a quiz for my students over the eight parts of speech using this website. The quiz was sixteen questions long and were all multiple choice, although the website had other options, such as written answer. I was able to finish creating it within just ten minutes. Once I was finished creating the quiz I was provided a link to put on my website so students are able to access the quiz. From my polldaddy account I can view and keep track of the results of my students. If teachers wish to have more detailed reports, or content that does not contain “polldaddy” in the link, they have to purchase a professional account, however, the free version gets the job done (Polldaddy, n.d.). This website makes it very easy to make simple online assessments.
SurveyMonkey
SurveyMonkey is another website that is a great tool to use for assessing student progress. On the SurveyMonkey website, there is an entire section under the “Examples” tab that explains how this website can be used for educational purposes. Here, it explains that a few uses for SurveyMonkey could be student surveys to collect feedback from the students, curriculum planning, and educational outcomes to measure student success (SurveyMonkey, 2015). The website even provides samples and templates to help teachers get started. Surveys are a great way to assess students and this website makes it easier than ever.
MimioVote
MimioVote is a product that makes testing fun and simple for students and teachers. Tracking student progress is made easier by using these handsets that can be compared to a video game controller (Mimio, 2015). Students use the handsets to take tests and quizzes and teachers get instant results while MimioVote tracks the students’ progress (Mimio, 2015). This is also a great tool to use for taking polls in the classroom. Although there are system requirements to use MimioVote, as well as a price in order to buy a class set and software, this is an example of great use of technology for teachers assessing their students (Mimio, 2015).
(Formative and Summative Assessments)
As mentioned, it is important for teachers to assess their students. The two ways to do that are through formative and summative assessments. Formative assessments are to track student progress or teacher instruction. This can be done through small quizzes to check for student understanding. For example, if my class just finished the first three chapters of To Kill a Mockingbird and I want to test their understanding of what we read so far I would have them take a short quiz, perhaps by using SurveyMonkey, to see how everyone is doing before moving on. A summative assessment is taken at the end of a chapter or unit. An example of a summative assessment would be if my class finished To Kill a Mockingbird and I wanted to test them for a final. I could use MimioVote or Polldaddy to test them over the book and it would be an excellent way to track student progress in the form of summative assessment. Both formative and summative assessments are equally important for tracking student progress.
Pros and Cons of using Technology to Facilitate Assessment
Using technology to facilitate assessment can be good and bad. Students love technology which can make giving them assessments a little more bearable and appealing. Studies have shown that students enjoy classes more when technology is involved and results in better learning (Spurlin, 2006). It is also easy to create and keep track of student progress which makes it simple for the teacher and can be a real time saver. While there are plenty of pros for technology facilitating assessments, there are also cons as well. Technology is not always reliable, which means if a teacher is counting solely on the internet for students to take an important test it might not be accessible the day it’s needed. In addition, products and software such as MimioVote cost money. While the idea of this product may be great, depending on the school funds, it might not be available to purchase due to the price. Spurlin continues to add that few have been able to determine whether technology actually improves student learning (2006). Having to weigh the good with the bad is no exception when using technology for facilitating assessments.
Concluding Paragraph for Software to Support Assessment
In order to be a successful teacher it is important to assess student progress in the classroom. Today’s technology has proven to be very helpful for teachers with assessing their students. There are several different websites and software’s that can assist in creating and delivering assessments, such as polldaddy, SurveyMonkey, and MimioVote. Each of these resources can be used for formative and summative assessments alike. While these make it easier for teachers and students it is not always accessible or convenient when relying on technology. With that being said, if teachers are looking to make it easier on themselves and the students, technology is definitely able to make that dream a reality.
References
Mimio. (2015). MimioVote Assessment. Retrieved from http://www.mimio.com/en-NA/Products/MimioVote-Assessment.aspx?code=GGMIMVOT&utm_campaign=MimioVote-Mimio%20Products-GG&utm_source=PPC&utm_medium=Standard%20Campaign&jadid=74520562716&jk=mimiovote&jkId=gc:a8a8ae4e7313b324801318b85fcae490a:t1_p_:k_mimiovote:pl_&jp=&js=1&jsid=25957&jt=1&gclid=CO7btcrj68kCFYeRHwodeN0Gww
Polldaddy. (n.d.). Dashboard. Retrieved from https://polldaddy.com
Spurlin, E. J., (2006). Technology and learning: Defining what you want to assess. Educause learning initiative, 1, 1-11. Retrieved from https://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI3005.pdf
SurveyMonkey. (2015). Education, school, and academic online surveys. Retrieved from https://www.surveymonkey.com/mp/education-surveys/?ut_source=header