This is the entry about Scanlan's concepts on assessment
Regarding this topic, it can be pointed out that even though some dictionaries agree that assessment and evaluation can function as equivalents, Scanlan(2012) hightlights another perspective on what the differences are between these concepts. He shows a comprehensive parallel of them, uttering that assessment is the descriptive process of judment of an entity (student), that is to say, it is depicted as a formative, process-oriented, reflective, diagnostic, flexible, individual and a cooperative way of evalution.On the other hand, this author assures that evaluating is considered as the prescriptive way, which means, evaluation turns out as a summative, product oriented, judgmental, fixed, comparative and competitive and it concerns the instruction. Furthermore, the author includes the concept of grading, considered as a 'component of evaluation, which is a formal, summative, final and product-oriented judgment of overall quality of worth of a student's performance or achievement in a particular educational activity, e.g., a course' (Sacanlan, 2012, p. 4).
Based on these concepts, it can be stated that assessment in Colombian Education has been influenced somehow by these principles, since this have been noticed at High School and University.From a critical perspective, educators nowadays are suggested to materialize the concept of assessment in their class because it is an accurate and eclectic method to pounder, consider and follow student's process in a deep way. Not only does it focus on keeping track of a long learning process full of feedback, but it also comprehends a reciprocal communication with all of the education actors such as teachers, students, fathers, educational administratives, policy makers and policies, which can become holistic approach helping improve the assessment system. Albeit, it is inexorable to regard the prescriptive method of evaluation, inasmuch Colombian Educational System has always been shaped by this concept; most of colombian institutions apply this method when educators would rather administer formal final tests to get a result of students process and to decide if they pass or fail the bimester, semester or the year. This is a sample of the postmodern behaviorism and positivism that have marked our system, principles whose main precursors were Pavlov and Skinner.
In Colombian or latinamerican contexts, the behaviorist stimuli response stem on grading; this is the main issue when assesment is concerned. As the vast majority of educators are positivist, they just follow the traditional pattern of evaluation. That's why students are considered in terms of numbers, that is to say, performance and achievement of students are messured and qualified with the result of a final product. In some cases, it also means that the learning process, the knowledge acquired, the accuracy, the proggress and the ability of learning are narrowly messured in a quantitative way, which can cause drawbacks if marks are the most paramount isolated issue in assessment. Therefore, people just flock to schools conditioned to get good grades, pass exams and schooling years and, finally, get a diploma (not worthy at all, just to satisfy parents' pride) in order to be productive in this society. So, students become automata machines prepared to follow certain rules and generate a similiar monotonous product. An teachers become just troglodyte machines transmiting knowledge and preparing children for routinary works or anything else but for a meaningful passionate professional life. This is a banking education, what Paulo Freire criticised, applied in schools to promote the utilitarism. At universities, someone might think that the portrait is far too different, but the evaluation mayhem is sort of similar.
But still grades are predominant if anybody would want to apply for a scholarship. Anywasys, educators should take into account grading and assessment in their evaluation process, because they should use an ecclectic and comprehensive method to give a triangulation of information and can decide better on the education process.
Based on these concepts, it can be stated that assessment in Colombian Education has been influenced somehow by these principles, since this have been noticed at High School and University.From a critical perspective, educators nowadays are suggested to materialize the concept of assessment in their class because it is an accurate and eclectic method to pounder, consider and follow student's process in a deep way. Not only does it focus on keeping track of a long learning process full of feedback, but it also comprehends a reciprocal communication with all of the education actors such as teachers, students, fathers, educational administratives, policy makers and policies, which can become holistic approach helping improve the assessment system. Albeit, it is inexorable to regard the prescriptive method of evaluation, inasmuch Colombian Educational System has always been shaped by this concept; most of colombian institutions apply this method when educators would rather administer formal final tests to get a result of students process and to decide if they pass or fail the bimester, semester or the year. This is a sample of the postmodern behaviorism and positivism that have marked our system, principles whose main precursors were Pavlov and Skinner.
In Colombian or latinamerican contexts, the behaviorist stimuli response stem on grading; this is the main issue when assesment is concerned. As the vast majority of educators are positivist, they just follow the traditional pattern of evaluation. That's why students are considered in terms of numbers, that is to say, performance and achievement of students are messured and qualified with the result of a final product. In some cases, it also means that the learning process, the knowledge acquired, the accuracy, the proggress and the ability of learning are narrowly messured in a quantitative way, which can cause drawbacks if marks are the most paramount isolated issue in assessment. Therefore, people just flock to schools conditioned to get good grades, pass exams and schooling years and, finally, get a diploma (not worthy at all, just to satisfy parents' pride) in order to be productive in this society. So, students become automata machines prepared to follow certain rules and generate a similiar monotonous product. An teachers become just troglodyte machines transmiting knowledge and preparing children for routinary works or anything else but for a meaningful passionate professional life. This is a banking education, what Paulo Freire criticised, applied in schools to promote the utilitarism. At universities, someone might think that the portrait is far too different, but the evaluation mayhem is sort of similar.
But still grades are predominant if anybody would want to apply for a scholarship. Anywasys, educators should take into account grading and assessment in their evaluation process, because they should use an ecclectic and comprehensive method to give a triangulation of information and can decide better on the education process.
Excellent Cesar, I totally agree with you and particularly this called my attention: 'students become automata machines prepared to follow certain rules and generate a similar monotonous product. A teachers become just troglodyte machines transmitting knowledge and preparing children for routinely works or anything else but for a meaningful passionate professional life. We are create people without dreams, without passion, as you said we are creating machines and the only way to end the tyranny is to rewrite the scenario (policies, curriculum, ways of seeing education) and construct through education a new way of see future.
ResponderEliminarI strongly agree with the fact of changing the scenario you referred to and of constructing new perspectives of the world, and to do so, not only do we, teachers, have to read and change our minds but we also have to materialize these comments in our daily lives and our classrooms.
ResponderEliminarBy the way, thanks for commenting, I appreciate so.
Eliminar