Journal Review : Using Technology in Assessment and Evaluation

• Authors : Hanson, Gary R.
• Source : New Directions for Student Services; Summer97, Issue 78, p31, 14p
• Geographic Terms : UNITED States 
• Abstract : Examines student services by using technology in assesment and evaluation in the United States. Information on an evaluation project; Impact of technology on learning; Methodology used to conduct the study; Conclusion of the study.
• ISSN : 01647970
• Accession Number : 9708212000
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Review :

Conducting a good assessment or evaluation requires doing four things well : 

• asking good questions,
• observing and listening carefully, 
• thoughtfully interpreting the information to the people who need it,
• moving others to action by sharing what we have learned in a simple.

The purpose of this research is to examine how technology may be used in student affairs to improve each of these four assessment and evaluation activities.These four trends all emphasize a movement to user-friendly ways for assessment and evaluation information to arrive in the hands of the individuals who will make the most use of it: program decision makers and student participants. Increasingly, the assessment and evaluation expert will be required to establish systems of information transformation and dissemination. The term information broker will replace the terms assessment expert or evaluation expert. To manage this change, we must become very skilled in transforming data to information and making it readily available. We must still ask good questions, observe and listen carefully, thoughtfully interpret our information, and, in a simple, understandable fashion, move others to action by presenting what we have learned. If we do not apply technology to these principles, we will have lost our opportunity to influence the consumers of assessment and evaluation information.

Future Consideration :

• Technology will increase the interactivity among learners, and simultaneously the assessment and evaluation of learning will become more internalized within the learner. Centuries ago most learning was oral, and students listened to their teachers. When students failed to understand, they could ask questions directly of their teachers. To evaluate learning, teachers could ask questions of the students. Assessment and evaluation methods were highly personalized.

• Technology will expand our ability to acquire, interpret, and communicate complex information about the nature of student life and the effectiveness of our services to multiple audiences. 
• By skillful use of technology, the acquisition, analysis, and communication of data will become increasingly transparent to the “consumer” of assessment and evaluation information.
• The “doing” of programmatic assessment and evaluation will become more individualized and internalized.

Theories :

• (Astin, 1991; Erwin, 1991; Upcraft and Schuh, 1996), Although assessment and evaluation may be defined differently, both are based on very similar processes.
• Tufte (1983, 1990), Any time the results of our assessment and evaluation efforts are reported on paper, we are limited and constricted in communicating with our consumer audience. 

Comment :

Technologies allow us to ask different kinds of questions. We can thus explore, discover, and understand more about our students and how they benefit from the educational activities in which they participate.

Technology expands our ability to gather information. Traditionally, assessment and evaluation information has been acquired in three ways—by observing people or things, by listening to people talk as individuals or as participants in a group, or by completing a paper and pencil assessment or evaluation instrument.
The next generation of assessment and evaluation experts also will observe, listen, and write, but they will not be using technology merely to acquire data more quickly and efficiently, the nature of the information acquired will change as well.
With technology in assessment as a teacher we will be more easy in assess our students.