Assessing the Thinking Curriculum: New Tools for Educational Reform

Resnick, Lauren B.; Resnick, Daniel P.

doi:10.1007/978-94-011-2968-8_3

Cited by 381 publications

(240 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…This narrowing of instruction runs counter to how theorists now believe students actually gain knowledge, which is not through the structured and progressive accumulation of discrete skills and/or facts, but, rather, through a process where humans "construct" knowledge within meaningful contexts (Resnick & Resnick, 1992;Gardner, 1992;Herman, 1997). § Standardized tests have determined the curriculum content and the form of instruction.…”

Section: Criticisms Of Norm-referenced Testingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These new approaches have caught on (CCSSO, 1998;Taylor, 1994;Baron 1991;Stiggins, 1991), largely on the basis of arguments made by proponents that, "Alternative forms of assessment...can adequately reflect today's educational goals and, if properly used, serve as positive tools in creating schools truly capable of teaching students to think" (Resnick & Resnick, 1992). In effect, proponents argue that "...things will be different.…”

Section: The Move To Alternative Testsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Putting standards to the test: A design for evaluating the systemic reform of education

Puma¹,

Raphael²,

Olson³

et al. 2000

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Section: Criticisms Of Norm-referenced Testingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Move To Alternative Testsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Putting standards to the test: A design for evaluating the systemic reform of education

Puma¹,

Raphael²,

Olson³

et al. 2000

PsycEXTRA Dataset

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…Therefore, any contextual factors, such as usefulness and everyday applicability or the influence and advice of others, either are irrelevant to the items being taught or interfere with a narrow and clear presentation of the knowledge item. It should be no surprise, then, that the behaviorist view of learning has been characterized as having two central assumptions-those of decomposability and decontextualization (Resnick & Resnick, 1992).…”

Section: The Roots Of Contemporary Change In Assessment In Science Edmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The primary assessment method that resulted from all three factors (decomposability, decontextualization, and psychometrics) was that of selected-response testing, which has been criticized on the following grounds: (a) it is unsuitable for evaluating scientific processes (Champagne & Newell, 1992;Gardner, 1992), (b) it is unable to demonstrate conceptual understanding (Tamir, 1998), (c) it is inadequate for measuring students' reasoning ability (Frederiksen, 1984;Resnick & Resnick, 1992) (Race, 1992), (e) it is unable to evaluate problemsolving ability (O'Neill, 1992), and (f) it leads teachers to teach unrelated facts (Tamir, 1998). These criticisms of conventional assessment are made, largely, in hindsight; the replacement of the traditionally accepted view was initiated by a psychological and philosophical revolution.…”

Section: The Demise Of Prevailing Assessment Approachesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contextual assessment in science education: Background, issues, and policy

Klassen

2006

Sci. Ed.

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Contemporary assessment practices in science education have undergone significant changes in recent decades. The basis for these changes and the resulting new assessment practices are the subject of this two-part paper. Part 1 considers the basis of assessment that, more than 25 years ago, was driven by the assumptions of decomposability and decontextualization of knowledge, resulting in a low-inference testing system, often described as "traditional." This assessment model was replaced not on account of direct criticism, but rather on account of a larger revolution-the change from behavioral to cognitive psychology, developments in the philosophy of science, and the rise of constructivism. Most notably, the study of the active cognitive processes of the individual resulted in a major emphasis on context in learning and assessment. These changes gave rise to the development of various contextual assessment methodologies in science education, for example, concept mapping assessment, performance assessment, and portfolio assessment. In Part 2, the literature relating to the assessment methods identified in Part 1 is reviewed, revealing that there is not much research that supports their validity and reliability. However, encouraging new work on selected-response tests is forming the basis for reconsideration of past criticisms of this technique. Despite the major developments in contextual assessment methodologies in science education, two important questions remain unanswered, namely, whether grades can be considered as genuine numeric quantities and whether the individual student is the appropriate unit of assessment in public accountability. Given these issues and the requirement for science assessment to satisfy the goals of the individual, the classroom, and the society, tentative recommendations are put forward addressing these parallel needs in the assessment of science learning.

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“…On the one hand, they can be seen as a reaction to some of the inappropriate and inequitable practices of South Africa's previous education system. On the other hand, they can be seen as a proactive reflection of more than a decade of international trends towards alternative forms of assessment (Resnick and Resnick 1992;Herman, Aschbacher and Winters 1992). These international trends have seen a shift in emphasis from testing the mastery of isolated and often decontextualised facts, to testing integrated meaning-making in authentic contexts.…”

Section: Introduction and Background To Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

Beliefs and attitudes about assessment of a sample of student teachers in South Africa

Vandeyar¹,

Killen²

2006

Africa Education Review

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The purpose of this study was to take the first steps in a long-term approach to helping South African teachers understand and respond to government demands that they change their assessment practices. Specifically, it attempted to identify the beliefs, perceptions and attitudes about assessment that student teachers bring with them to courses that are designed to equip them to teach in ways that are consistent with current curriculum trends in South Africa. The study attempted to answer the following research questions: are student teachers' beliefs about assessment consistent with the approaches to assessment advocated in the South African Revised National Curriculum Statement? Are student teachers' beliefs about assessment consistent with the basic principles of outcomes-based education? The results indicated broad general agreement between student teachers' beliefs about assessment and the principles of assessment espoused in the Revised National Curriculum Statement. However, there was evidence that the beliefs of some of the subjects were inconsistent with these principles.

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Assessing the Thinking Curriculum: New Tools for Educational Reform

Cited by 381 publications

References 8 publications

Putting standards to the test: A design for evaluating the systemic reform of education

Putting standards to the test: A design for evaluating the systemic reform of education

Contextual assessment in science education: Background, issues, and policy

Beliefs and attitudes about assessment of a sample of student teachers in South Africa

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