Overview of Creating an Assessment

Assessment areas

The Assessment Tool allows you to Assess four different areas:

Reading Assessments assess the Learner's ability against the Read with Understanding Assessment Strand.

Numeracy Assessments assess the Learner's ability against either the Number Knowledge or Number Strategies and Measurement Assessment Strands, or in General Numeracy, which is a combination of both.

Vocabulary Assessments assess the Learner's ability to use vocabulary knowledge. They are designed for Learners who are achieving at or below the lower steps of the reading progressions.

Writing Assessments assess the Learner's writing skills on a number of dimensions under the Write to Communicate Assessment Strand.

For more information on how to create these Assessments see:

• Creating a Reading Assessment
• Creating a Numeracy Assessment
• Creating a Vocabulary Assessment
• Creating a Writing Assessment

Types of Assessment

Reading and Numeracy Assessments can be set as Adaptive, Non-Adaptive, Non-Adaptive for Printing, or Snapshot whereas Vocabulary Assessments can only be set as Adaptive, and Writing Assessments can only be performed as written, offline Assessments that are then marked and entered into the Assessment Tool to be assigned a score.

Adaptive Assessments (also called Computer Adaptive Tests, or CAT Assessments) mark the Learner's response as they progress through the Assessment, selecting the next set of questions that are presented to the Learner based on the results of the answers given. In this way, the Assessment Tool can usually arrive at a more precise assessment of the Learner's ability, as it is able to dynamically adjust the questions the Learner answers, so avoiding an Assessment that is too difficult or too easy overall for the specific Learner.

Non-Adaptive Assessments are also performed on the computer, but use an algorithm to determine a likely spread of questions, based on a starting point that is chosen when creating the Assessment. Non-Adaptive Assessments have the advantage that everyone is answering the same set of questions, but run the risk of the Assessment being too easy or too hard for some Learners.

Non-Adaptive for Printing Assessments are Non-Adaptive Assessments that are specifically created to be printed and handed out to the Learners for completion - for example when an online Assessment cannot be performed. The answers for these types of Assessments are automatically compiled in a Marking Guide, which is then used to mark the Assessment, after which the marks are entered into the Assessment Tool by the Educator or Administrator.

Snapshot Assessments (available only for Reading or Numeracy) are shorter adaptive Assessments aimed at using a minimum number of items to make a broad estimate of a Learner's achievement level. When creating a Snapshot Assessment, Educators must either set a Step level Threshold or choose No Threshold. When a Threshold is set, the Assessment Tool will terminate the Assessment when there is sufficient confidence around the result to categorise the Learner as achieving either below or above the Threshold Step. If the tool cannot categorise the result after about 16 items, it will terminate the Assessment and report a Threshold decision of Undecided. If the No Threshold option is selected the Assessment Tool will not attempt to categorise a Learner as above or below a Threshold Step and will simply terminate after about 16 items. Snapshot Assessments will always report a best fit step and a Scale Score (with a margin of error) whether or not a Threshold has been set.

Once an Assessment is created, you can assign it to an Educator so that it appears on their Home tab. See Adding Educators to an Assessment.

Assessments are automatically retired 26 weeks after creation (eight weeks in the case of Non-adaptive and Non-adaptive for Printing Assessments), which means that they will only be visible under the Assessments tab.