Apportioning Emphasis Within a Module

There are four areas of importance within the modules of this curriculum where teachers will collect data on student progress. The four areas are: content (knowledge), process (application), keyboarding skills, and attitude (business-like attitude).

Information Processing will enable students to adapt to personal-use applications and the business world. Students use content and keyboarding skills to process information throughout the information processing cycle. Attitudes acceptable for business will need to be formed to facilitate student success in personal endeavours and future employment.

One suggested framework for the evaluation of student progress based on the four identified areas may be:

Content.......................................... 20-40%

Quizzes and Tests
Written Assignments
Presentations
Homework

recorded by:

Anecdotal Records
Observation Checklists
Rating Scales

Process (Application)...................... 20-50%

Written Assignments
Presentations
Performance Assessments
Homework

recorded by:
Anecdotal Records
Observation Checklists
Rating Scales

Keyboarding Skills......................... 10-30%

Written Assignments
Presentations
Performance Assessments
Homework

recorded by:
Anecdotal Records
Observation Checklists
Rating Scales

Attitude............................................. 10-25%

recorded by:
Anecdotal Records
Observation Checklists
Rating Scales

A range of percentage possibilities within the four areas is provided to allow teachers the flexibility to determine the degree of emphasis within each area. Teachers may alter the emphasis within a module depending on the nature of the module being taught and the length of the school's report periods.

Figure 3 on page 26 illustrates examples of how teachers may apportion emphasis within modules. No percentages have been presented to re-emphasize the flexibility given to the teacher in determining the emphasis for the four areas.

Option 1 illustrates an equal emphasis for each of the four curriculum areas. For example, a teacher may select this option for the first report period in a non-semestered school.

Options 2 or 3 illustrate a greater emphasis on process skills. Option 4 could be used with those modules that emphasize content rather than process, keyboarding skills, or business-like attitude. Within any evaluation scenario, the teacher must reflect on the nature of the module taught, the nature of the students, the instructional strategies used, and the reporting period, to make adjustments as necessary. Figure 3

Examples of Apportioning Emphasis Within a Module