Everybody may agree that evaluation is important in a technology-rich classroom. However, two challenging questions should be answered:
- What should be evaluated?
- How should the elements be evaluated?
What should be evaluated?
Evaluation has to deal not only with the results but also with the procedures used to reach them. Some teachers may add the attitudes of the students as one of the elements to evaluate, while this may be of value it is important to remember that attitude may be closely connected to how a student feels in the learning environment. For example, if a student processes information differently than how a teacher is delivering the content (words vs graphic descriptions), the students attitude may be perceived as negative because they are struggling to learn.
Your first source for determining the elements of evaluation should be the skills identified in the curriculum (IEPs are important to build your understanding of each individual student), available on the Ontario’s Ministry of Education website. You can also look at the list and level of skills detailed in the Ontario skills passport. Other links that you may find useful when selecting elements of your evaluation include:
- ISTE Standards
- National Workforce Center for Emerging Technologies
- Partnership for 21st Century Learning
How should the elements be evaluated?
Evaluation can take many formats in a technology-rich classroom and should combine more than one evaluation procedure. Some ICT can help you to complete your evaluations (video recording or spreadsheets, for example). Here are some evaluation tools to guide you:
Evaluation Tool Examples
| Tool | Description | Pros | Cons | ICT Example |
| Observation | Procedures used to obtain quantified descriptions of teacher and student behaviour and interaction in a classroom setting | Removes teacher interference
Observation by the teacher can be done at their convenience |
Makes learner self-conscious and uneasy
Requires planning and setup |
Using a video or audio recorder |
| Self Evaluation | Students judge the quality of their own contributions based on evidence and explicit criteria, for the purpose of doing better work in the future | Encourages student involvement and responsibility in their education
Helps them recognize their own strengths and weaknesses Allows students to set attainable goals Increases student participation in the assessment process Focuses on the development of student’s assessment skills |
May increase the teacher’s workload by needing to brief students on the process as well as ongoing guidance on performing self evaluations
Students may feel ill-equipped to undertake the assessment |
Using blogs to edit an e-journal |
| Peer Evaluation | Students individually assess each other’s contribution using a predetermined list of criteria | Keeps students engaged
Established marking criteria means there can be little confusion about assignment outcomes and expectations Focuses on the development of student’s assessment skills Provides more relevant feedback to students, as it is generated by their peers Successful implementation can reduce the teacher’s marking load |
Increases the teacher’s workload by needing to brief students on the process as well as ongoing guidance on performing the evaluations
Students may have a tendency to give biased evaluations on their peers Students may have a tendency to award everyone the same mark Students may feel ill-equipped to undertake the assessment Students may be reluctant to make judgements regarding their peers |
Students using a projector, smart board or laptop to present their work to their peers
Students sharing google doc presentations with peers |
| Portfolios | A collection of work that represents the best efforts of the student | Opportunity to highlight student strengths
Identifies challenges that can be supported, if timed properly Can be used to view learning and development over time Multiple components of the curriculum can be assessed in one place (writing, critical thinking, and technology skills, for example) May be economical in terms of student time and effort, as long as no separate assessment administration time is required Avoids or minimizes test anxiety and other singular measurement problems Increases student participation in the assessment process |
Time consuming and challenging to evaluate
Content may vary widely among students Management of the collection and evaluation process, including the establishment of reliable and valid grading criteria, is likely to be challenging Concerns may arise as to whether submitted samples are the students’ own (learning to include sources and using google docs can curb this issue) |
Using e-portfolios |
Step 9: Summarize and practice inclusive learning plan design