1. ASSESSING ASSESSMENT:
TEN MYTHS TO
CONSIDER AND
RECONSIDER.
Presented by
Safir Kassim B
University of Mascara

2. Assessment is simply a story of paradoxes, a
history of contradictions and a series of
impassable biases.
It is a slippery zone
where every assessor "should" be
scientifically "objective" but human,
superhumanly «fair" in a world where to err
is human.

3. MYTH 1: ASSESSMENT IS AN
EXACT SCIENCE

4. And thus:
• Reliable
• Valid
• Objective
• Fair

5. It’s simply a myth …
Why?
• “Assessment is inherently an INEXACT
science” (Cohen et al,2005:75)
• “L’évaluation n’est PAS une science
exact” (Perrenoud, 2003:128)
• « An assessment is rarely totally valid or
totally reliable » (Norton, 2008:6)

6. MYTH 2: “ASSESSMENT” CAN BE
CLEARLY DEFINED

7. Let’s consider these definitions:
“any method used to better understand
the current knowledge that a student
possesses”.

8. But :
– What kind of knowledge ?
– Is it knowledge or know-how?
– Knowledge or “know-where”?
– Have we got the tools to “assess” that
knowledge?

9. “ Assesment is the act of evaluating,
appraising,
and/or estimating the features, qualities,
performances,
and needs of individuals, programs, and
institution”
(Board of Edu,April,2004)

10. But, again:
- What kind of performance ?
• Linguistic?
• Paralinguistic?
• Procedural?
• Needs? … (semantic haziness)

11. We are trying to define the
INDEFINABLE
We are trying to “measure”
the UNQUANTIFIABLE

12. MYTH 3: TEACHERS SHOULD
ASSESS THE WAY THEY HAVE
BEEN ASSESSED
(since it works…)

13. This is the SIMPLEST assessment strategy teachers
should
UNLEARN
Middle and secondary school teachers are
often
RELUCTANT to read and learn about assessment .
Because :

14. • Feel psychologically “safer” in their
traditional approach
• Are often “lost” in the digital ocean of
information
• Don’t know what to read

15. MYTH 4: BOOKS ARE
SUFFICIENT TO LEARN BOUT
ASSESSMENT

16. This is not the case in our universities …
Why? :

17. -Scientifically irrelevant
since
DECONTEXTUALISED

18. Three major issues are missing:
• e-assessment
• 21st century assessment
• Balanced assessment

19. MYTH 5: TRADITIONAL
ASSESSMENT SYSTEMS CAN
MEET THE NEEDS OF
THE “DIGITAL
LEARNERS”

20. We are in a situation
where old minds have to
teach young minds…

21. Teachers and students have to face the
new paradigm shifts in education. I.e.:

22. 20th CENTURY 21st CENTURY
STAKEHOLDERS teacher co-learner
learner e-learner
TOOLS books e-books
assessment e-assessment
PROCESSES disciplinary interdisciplinary
APPROACHES constructivism CONNECTIVISM

23. MYTH 6: A ONE-SIZE-FEETS-ALL
ASSESSMENT CAN GUARANTEE
EQUITY

24. Are we assessing everybody
(assessees)?
“NOOOO”, say experts in assessment.
We are assessing a MINORITY

25. -The reading/writing
learners
- The intrapersonal (who
prefer working alone)

26. Why?:
Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligenceS
Fleming’s theory of learners styleS

27. The pencil-and- paper-based assessment is
an
excellent tool
to meet those two types of learners, yet the
worst way to assesss
the rest of the classroom. I.e.: The MAJORITY

28. Is this fairness?

29. MYTH 7: “GOOGLE
GENERATION” NEEDS ROTE
LEARNING

30. Rote learning can be a good
strategy to memorise :
Key dates
Mnemonics
Quotations
Poetry
Oral traditional texts

31. Yet:
• Memorising facts is waste of time since
information is readily available within a mere
mouse click away
• Rote learning kills creativity
• It is lower order thinking vs. higher order thinking
• learning today is SOCIAL (connectivism) vs.
individual / intrapersonal ( behaviourism).

32. MYTH 8: TEACHERS « MUST »
USE RED PENS WHEN
CORRECTING

33. Researchers, psychopedagogues and teachers around the world agree
on these:
• Red is an AGGRESSIVE way to say
“WRONG !!!”
• It damaged the psyche of students (self-
esteem and motivation…)
• Too much red “bleeds off” the paper
• Red is a sign of authoritarianism (I am
the judge)

34. Do you know that :
In Queensland (Australia) teachers are
not allowed to write in red pen
ANYMORE because apparently it stresses
the kids out and make them depressed
and angry. (?)

35. The world is changing, what about us?

36. MYTH 9 : FORMATIVE AND
SUMMATIVE ASESSMENTS ARE
SUFFICIENT TO
EVALUATE THE LEARNERS

37. Consider these:

38. TRADITIONAL ASSESMENT 21 st century ASSESMENT
1. The teacher is THE ASSESSOR 1.
Learners can assess other
learners
(PEER ASSESMENT)
Learners assess THEMSELVES
(IPSATIVE ASSESSMENT)
2. Paper-and –pencil assessment 2 a. OPEN-BOOK EXAM
(safer)
b. Authentic assessment
(real )
3. More concerned with “teaching 3. Teaching to produce “life-
to the test” long learners”
4. Teach to assess 4. ASSESS TO TEACH AND
LEARN

39. MYTH 10: MARKS OR GRADES
“MUST” BE DISPLAYED
PUBLICLY

40. YES, it is:
“TRANSPARENCY “
But:
There is a significant body of evidence that insist on
these:

41. • Teachers should always accentuate the
positive. We can lose those suffering
from “LOW SELF-ESTEEM”
• Should avoid criticism. Displaying marks
publicly is the BEST way
• to DEMOTIVATE a boy or a girl
• For low achievers, publicising marks is
simply a PUBLIC HUMILIATION

42. It is a NON VERBAL VIOLENCE that could be
decoded as :
-I am bad at ….
-My progress will be a miracle (05/20)
-I should prepare myself to another PUBLIC
HUMILIATION (SELF-PROPHECY)

43. EXCELLENCE, BADNESS,
AND GOODNESS ARE
JUST RELATIVE
JUDGMENTAL NOTIONS…

44. Towards an individualized,
humanised, balanced
e-assessment?
We hope so…

45. 100 THNKS 4 UR A10SHN

Safir kassim Boudjelal
University of Mascara
Safireading@yahoo.com