Evaluation uses assessment techniques for diagnostic, formative,
and summative purposes. Formative evaluation informs students’ progress
toward achieving curriculum objectives and guides necessary adjustments to
students’ learning programs. Summative evaluation determines what has
been learned over a period of time and summarizes student progress relative
to curriculum objectives.
Where possible, it is important to include students in developing
criteria for assessment, in self-assessment (i.e., collecting the data), and
in self-evaluation (i.e., judging their progress based on the data collected).
Supporting students in determining their growth and needs is helpful in guiding
student decisions regarding future goals and activities.
The Wellness 10 curriculum is a process-oriented program based
on a decision-making model empowering students to achieve and maintain their
personal wellness throughout their lifetime.
Evaluation then must occur at Level A of the decision-making process –
Extend Knowledge Base, Level B – Make an Informed Decision, and Level
C – Carry out an Action Plan. In this way, evaluation is directly linked
to both curriculum objectives and instructional methods.
The concept of evaluating both content and process is presented
in the charts that begin below.
An Example of Evaluating in Level A of the Decision-making
Process – Extend Knowledge Base
Content Evaluation in Level
A (Evaluates the content knowledge of students) |
Process Evaluation in Level
A (Evaluates the actions, behaviours, skills, or strategies
of students) |
- The teacher (and/or student) examines the assessment data gathered
and makes a judgement about the degree to which a student has achieved
the content-related learning objectives within Level A of the Healthy
Eating strand, for example.
- Some of the content may include:
- healthy eating of the past, present, and future
- controversy that surrounds healthy eating practices and beliefs
- persuasion and propaganda techniques.
- Assessment data stored in a student’s portfolio may have
been gathered in such ways as:
- an audio tape on which a student has recorded an interview with
an Elder along with an auditory summary of findings from the Canadian
web site www.dietitians.ca
- a presentation made to the class explaining a PMI chart that
outlines the Pluses, Minuses, and Interesting findings about nutrition
supplements.
|
- The gathered assessment data is examined and a judgement is made
about the degree to which a student has achieved the process-oriented
learning objectives within Level A of the Healthy Eating strand, for
example.
- Processes might include:
- identifying experts in the area of healthy eating
- seeking information from those experts
- accessing information from a variety of other sources and evaluating
both the source of information and the information itself.
- Assessment data stored in a student’s portfolio may have
been gathered in such ways as:
- a student-completed checklist justifying how and why the student
decided upon reliable sources of information
- peer-scored rating scales measuring the degree to which the
student presentation included reliable and current sources of
information to explain the benefits and risks related to nutrition
supplements.
|
An Example of Evaluating in Level B of the Decision-making
Process – Make an Informed Decision
Content Evaluation in Level
B (Evaluates the content knowledge of students) |
Process Evaluation in Level
B (Evaluates the actions, behaviours, skills, or strategies
of students) |
-
The teacher (and/or student) examines the assessment
data gathered and makes a judgement about the degree to which a
student has achieved the Level B content-related learning objectives
of the Relationships strand, for example.
-
Some of the content may include:
-
Assessment data stored in a student’s portfolio
may have been gathered in such ways as:
|
-
The gathered assessment data is examined and a
judgement is made about the degree to which a student has achieved
the Level B process-oriented learning objectives of the Relationships
strand, for example.
-
Some of the processes might include:
-
Assessment data stored in a student’s portfolio
may have been gathered in such ways as:
-
a checklist, created by the students and teacher,
that includes specific criteria for evaluating the quality of
alternatives (e.g., ways of initiating and maintaining relationships
that support their personal wellness)
-
a student-created matrix used to rate each alternative
against specific criteria.
|
An Example of Evaluating in Level C of the Decision-making Process –
Carry Out an Action Plan
Content Evaluation in Level C (Evaluates
the content knowledge of students) |
Process Evaluation in Level C (Evaluates
the actions, behaviours, skills, or strategies of students) |
-
The teacher (and/or student) examines the assessment
data gathered and makes a judgement about the degree to which the
student has achieved the content-related learning objectives within
Level C of the Stress Management strand, for example.
-
Some of the content may include:
-
listing the elements of a well-designed action
plan
-
identifying the traits and skills of a person
who can support plans to manage stress while increasing and/or
maintaining physical activity in daily life.
-
Assessment data stored in a student’s portfolio
may have been gathered in such ways as:
-
a student-produced diagram, flow chart, or model
(e.g., knowledge cube/dice) illustrating the elements of a well-designed
action plan
-
a student created announcement or advertisement
listing the traits and skills of a person who can support plans
to manage stress while increasing and/or maintaining physical
activity in daily life.
|
-
The teacher (and/or student) examines the assessment
data gathered and makes a judgement about the degree to which the
student has achieved the process-oriented learning objectives within
Level C of the Stress Management strand, for example.
-
Some of the processes might include:
-
Assessment data stored in a student’s portfolio
may have been gathered in such ways as:
-
a rubric used by the student, a peer, and the
teacher to assess the design phase of the action plan prior
to implementation
-
a second rubric used by the student, a support
person, and the teacher to assess the degree to which the student
carried out the action plan.
|
Sample Evaluation Techniques
The data collected through a variety of assessment techniques
can be used to evaluate students’ progress.
Assessment Techniques |
Description |
Evaluation |
| Checklists and anecdotal records |
Teacher observes students for responses, contributions, and interactions. |
Judgements are based on collected information. |
| Conferences and interviews |
Teacher talks with students. |
Judgements are based on conference data. |
| Journals or logs |
Students record the details of carrying out an action plan. |
Judgements by students and teachers are based on data collected using
rubrics, checklists, or rating scales. |
| Projects, presentations, role plays, and quizzes |
Teacher and students assess responses and products. |
Judgements are based on rubrics, rating scales, or anecdotal notes. |
| Folders and portfolios |
Teacher and students assess portfolio contents. |
Judgements are based on items stored in portfolios using checklists,
rubrics, or rating scales. |
Folders and Portfolios
Folders and portfolios are collections of students’ work
that exhibit the students’ efforts, progress, and achievements in extending
their knowledge base (Level A of decision-making process), making informed
decisions (Level B), and applying their decisions in daily life (Level C).
Portfolios can be three-ring binders, accordion folders, file folders, or
other storage containers.
Folders and portfolios have the potential to be an important part of the
assessment and evaluation process. These tools help students become more
accountable for their learning. A student’s folder can include a number
of work samples that reflect student achievement related to the objectives
of the curriculum through the student’s processes and products. These
can assist in reporting, and can be used as a basis for conversation between
the teacher, the student, and the parent/guardian. The teacher, student,
and others can use portfolios as a continuous review of a student’s
progress. Portfolios can help everyone see what the student knows and can
do, what she has learned, and what she needs to learn. Work samples along
with assessment forms such as rubrics, checklists, and rating scales, accumulated
over a certain period of time, can help build a shared vision of progress.
Communicating Student Progress
Report cards are one way of communicating student progress.
Although report card formats vary across the province, there is usually space
for a letter or number grade for each Secondary Level course, including Wellness
10. These grades or marks are often complemented with anecdotal information
in the form of teacher comments, portfolio samples, and parent-student-teacher
interviews.
Regular reporting can be supported further with newsletters
to parents that describe the units of study, the activities students are involved
in, and the skills and strategies of balance for well-being that students
are learning and applying through their action plans. How teachers determine
grades or marks must be based upon curriculum objectives and reflect the knowledge
and process evaluations used throughout a reporting period.
As an example, the charts show how a teacher
makes a judgement based upon assessment data for each of Levels A, B, and
C of the decision-making process to arrive at a student’s mark for each
of the strands of wellness in Unit 2.
In the first example, the student designed and carried
out an action plan for Physical Activity and Fitness and then added Stress
Management to his action plan. This two-strand action plan meets the minimum
expectation within Wellness 10. However, the student then went on to add
both
Leisure and Healthy Eating to his action plan. It can be assumed that the
teacher and student negotiated an increased weighting to 50% for Level C
as
the student added a third strand of Leisure to his action plan. They may
have negotiated a further increase to 55% when he chose to add a fourth strand
of Healthy Eating to his action plan.
In the second example,
the student designed and carried out a two-strand action plan to meet the
minimum expectation for Wellness
10. Note that the weighting for Level C increased from 33 1/3% to 40% when
the single-strand action plan became a two-strand action plan.
Semester or Year-end Marks
Like other Secondary Level credits, Wellness 10 is a 100 hour
course. The course outline on shows how much time is dedicated to each
of the five required units. These time allotments provide a rationale for
calculating semester or year-end marks. As 60 out of 100 hours is dedicated
to Unit 2, it is sensible to weigh a student’s mark in Unit 2 as 60%
of the semester or year mark. Conversely, it is reasonable that a student’s
mark in the HIV/AIDS Education Unit be weighted at 5% of the semester or year
mark.
The calculations for a semester or year-end mark appear in the
following example.
| |
Student’s Mark |
% Weight |
% Mark |
Unit 1
(5 hrs)
|
75 |
5 |
3.75 |
Unit 2
(60 hrs)
|
64 |
60 |
36.00 |
Unit 3
(5 hrs)
|
72 |
5 |
3.60 |
Unit 4
(15 hrs)
|
74 |
15 |
11.10 |
Unit 5
(15 hrs)
|
63 |
15 |
9.45 |
| Student’s Wellness 10 Mark |
64 |
