An Analysis of Traditional Classroom Assessment Techniques and a Discussion of Alternative Methods of Assessment.

From primary grades, students are exposed to both standardized and classroom tests. While teacher-made classroom tests may contain multiple choice, constructed response, or essay items, standardized tests, on the other hand, primarily rely on the multiple-choice format. Standardized tests are easy and inexpensive to administer and score, amenable to item analysis, and adaptable to various subject domains. They are criticized, however, for encouraging superficial learning, allowing students to get correct answers by guessing, and their susceptibility to coaching and test wiseness. Responses to such criticisms and resulting changes in standardized testing practices have implications for classroom assessment. While traditional assessment methods have their place in the educational system, alternative assessment procedures can foster greater learning in the test taker and more complete measurement for the instructor. For example, in a college Physiological Psychology class, oral presentations are used to assess students' knowledge of the central nervous system. In a Psychology of Women course, response journals, in which students write spontaneous thoughts, questions, and reactions to course content, are graded on the students' effort and thoughtfulness. The Psychology of Women course also involves a group project. The class is divided into several groups, each of which addresses the same topic from a different perspective. Group presentations and final papers are graded, which each member receiving a group grade and an individual grade. These alternative evaluation methods are best considered as complementing rather than replacing more traditional test and assessment formats. (AC)