Teaching and Learning Activity Assessment :: Education, Evaluation

IntroductionOne of key element in teaching and learning activity is assessment. There are several types of assessment. However, in the linguistic context of Aceh, most of teachers still use traditional forms of assessment, specifically summative assessment. There is critique on traditional assessment, The critique has been based on the assumption that these forms of assessment do not support high quality of leaning associated with deep learning, critical thinking, sustainable knowledge and lifelong learning (Havnes & McDowell 2008). Therefore, diagnostic assessment is whiz form of assessment that can be used by the teachers to support high quality of learning. Diagnostic assessment aims to determine students prior knowledge. In parliamentary law to plan the effective teaching, it is important for teacher to determine students prior knowledge, because the students have their own conceptions on phenomena in the world before they study in the schoolroom (Tytler, n.d). This essay is part of assignment in assessing learning unit (EXE733). It aims to review and discuss an example of exemplary assessment task for diagnostic assessment. Before get along discussion about example of exemplary diagnostic assessment, it might be important to review the definition, purposes, types of assessment, as well as characteristics of effective assessment. discernmentAssessment derived from the Latin assessare which mean to impose a tax or set a rate (Athanasou, 1997). According to Athanasou, Assessment is the process of collecting and combining nurture from test (e.g., on performance, learning, quality) with view to making a judgement about a person or making a comparison against an established criterion. Further, Satterly outlined assessment as an omnibus term which includes all the processes and products which describe the nature and extent of childrens learning, its degree of correspondence with the aims and objectives of teaching and its relationship with the environments which are knowing to facilitate learning (1989 p.3, cited in Carrol, 2005). Moreover, Rowntree (1977) said assessment in fostering can be thought as occurring whenever one person, in some word form of interaction, direct or indirect with another, is conscious of obtaining and interpreting information about the knowledge and understanding of abilities and attitudes of that other person (p. 4, cited in Carrol, 2005).The purposes of assessment can be divided into three levels, namely classroom level (students and teachers), school level, and system level. Firstly, at classroom level, assessment aims to provide the students with appropriate learning based on their needs, provide the students feedback that they can use to identify their next steps of learning, to develop good partnership with parents, help the teachers to plan next teaching, and guarantee continuity of education for the students (Te Kete Ipurangi, 2007).