Assessment and Scoring Guidelines

Assessment

First I determine what my students are expected to know, understand, and be able to do.
Tests and quizzes match the demands of my content area by generating quantifiable data
that I can compare across my classroom. Since the
class I am using here is computer application
fundamentals, I use performance assessments also and
they matched the demands of my content area by
requiring my students to demonstrate what they have
learned. For example, I teach Microsoft office in that
course, but I do not teach every little trick or feature in
PowerPoint. My students must complete two
PowerPoint projects which I provide directions for
leaving out the steps to find many of the features of
PowerPoint.

To create the projects as instructed, students must and
find where things are. I give overall instruction where
the features are located and how to use them. By giving instructions such as add a certain
theme, transitions, and animations to the presentation, students must locate and add these
items to the project. They have been very creative in their presentations, and they truly
enjoy finding and figuring out how to use the different features and options available.
Occasionally I give vague instructions and tell them to be imaginative, which they are.
When I administer a test on PowerPoint, they know the answers to the questions because
they have learned how to do what the questions asked by doing it. My assessments
include on-hands demonstration of the task, program, or project, and a pen and paper text.

I also keep an assessment of each students class progress over the term in MS Office and
the basic computer skills I teach in an Excel spreadsheet. At the end of the course, I
provide students with a printout of their progress which lets them see how much they
learned. Their progress is measured by each student numbering from 1 to 5 on a self-
assessment of their knowledge and skills in each area of the course. At the end of the
course, they complete another self-assessment and number their knowledge and skills in
the same areas to see how much they progressed over the course of the term. I provide
them with a hard copy of this assessment.



Scoring
Scoring is based on the number of points accumulated divided by the number of points possible
for each assignment and the final course grade. For example, if the points possible for each
assignment is 20 points and a student scores 17 points, the grade for that assignment is 85% out
of 100%. The graded course assignments, points possible for each category of assignments, the
percentage of the class grade each category weighs, and the grading criteria is listed below.


0
1
2
3
4
5
5 5
3
4
3
5
4 4 4 4
1
5
3 3 3 3
5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
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Computer and Software Skills
James
Beginning End