Let's Tech About It

Introduction Over the last eight or so weeks I have gone from knowing almost nothing about digital assessment to suddenly having more than enough resources and data to better inform my approach as a future Instructional Technologist. Throughout that time, I, along with the rest of my peers have dived head-first into the world of data-driven instruction and have steadily, but surely gained a vital understanding as to its prevalence as well as the best uses and applications with regards to applying that data towards standards-based or competency-based assessment. We have looked at how and why instructors conduct assessments, and through individual input, learned that we all feel almost unanimously indifferent towards the current state of assessments for students at the elementary and secondary level. Some of us have experienced these challenges personally as educators or staff while others (hey, that’s me!) have relied on the information provided by others to construct an understanding...

For this week’s blog, I’ll be discussing data collection and assessment as it pertains to the ability of automated assessment applications to accurately measure satisfactory comprehension of varying concepts. Additionally, I’ll briefly discuss online cheating and academic integrity. Big Data & Text Analysis Apps With a growing reliance on data being used to shape educational endeavors and performance standards, the technology that compiles and measures that information is now to a point of sophistication where automated systems are capable of grading performance. However, the concern over reliability in assessment is a potential hurdle that shift towards relying on technology for automated assessment. According to Cope & Kalantzis (2016): As is to be seen in unfolding developments in the field of technology-mediated writing and writing assessment, big data and education data sciences may in time offer learners, teachers, and researchers new windows into the dynamics an...

Standards are meaningless until you define how you will assess them (Bambrick-Santoyo, 2010). This core idea is expressed in the first chapter of Driven by Data: A Practical Guide to Improve Instruction. It also stands as the focus for how and why assessment is considered an integral component to data analysis. Throughout the subsequent chapters of the guide the relationship between assessment and analytics are expressed through a handful of factors. I viewed the following as interesting and notable components towards defining that relationship: Understanding effective data analysis with consideration for the development and dissemination of data reports to help address question-level, standards-level, individual student, and whole class data. Utilizing the information ascertained from the data analysis phase towards developing carefully planned and group designed action-plans for addressing effective course instruction and lesson plans.  Using professional development and teache...