Book Review

Assessing student's needs

Abstract

The book “ assessing student learning by design” is intended for preschool and graduate teachers. They can immensely benefit from it by checking out various methods for effectively and purely assessing their students’ achievement and performance. Educational assessment is a multidimensional process. If we see a part “ by design” from the title of this book, it is meant to suggest effective assessment results from good planning and clarity about educational goals, various assessment purposes, diverse audience for assessment, information and types of assessment tools. We seek this justification from the entire book, which comprises seven chapters. In each chapter, Jay and steve provided well-grounded information about particular assessment methods that vary according to the nature and purpose of the assessment.

Both authors have not just mentioned random information but made an effective framework for the assessment process that anyone can follow as a ladder for completing the assessment process. The first step suggested by them is “to make principles about assessment” this means that before judging any student/curriculum, one should make some specifications, the criteria according to which one will assess the students/curriculum. Secondly, “Do Planning” after taking steps provided by the principles. The assessor should properly plan the whole assessment process. Thirdly, an assessor has to go through the “assessment method ” and assimilate and internalize it properly. It means one should focus on how the assessment will be done. Fourthly assessor has to go through the “evaluate student performance” process by following previously discussed steps. Assessors have to check students based on assessment requirements. Fifthly, assessors must “communicate assessing results” after judging a student’s performance. One should politely discuss the result with students so they can reformulate their learning goals and make motivated efforts to overcome those deficiencies. This re-advising should be polite rather than sarcastic so students can correct their errors positively. The sixth step that both authors assigned is “to make strategies for teachers”. By doing this, teachers will also be more self-aware. This will again have a positive effect on students indirectly. In the end, Jay and Steve wind up this framework with a seventh step of “tips for school leaders”. If one wants to do a systematic assessment, he/she should get guidance from the book, be the leader first and be on track to coming out of assessment illiterates in the teaching field so that the whole process can be done leniently without any disturbance.