Technology Tools for Assessment and Evaluation by: Robinson, Carney & Keiper

This article begins by giving a brief introduction about its authors and the courses they teach (IT 334 & 443). The article then delves into the findings that many students who complete these courses lack the appropriate knowledge regarding assessment technologies required to meet NETS*T standards. As such, a taxonomy of assessment technology tools has been developed by the authors. The article then goes on to clarify some frequently misunderstood concepts, such as the "Assessment Decision-Making Process" and "Formative & Summative Evaluation". In addition, the article clarifies the difference between methods of assessment and assessment technologies. The authors argue that, "assessment technologies provide us with new forms and processes of assessment that are not possible without the technology." (pg. 4) The article continues on by discussing the various forms of assessment technology in greater detail. Having a knowledge about these various forms of assessment technology, in addition to understanding the Assessment Decision-Making Process can greatly assist teachers when they attempt to make instructional decisions.

I found this article to be very beneficial and helpful to read. I had never heard the distinction between assessment and assessment technologies, so it was nice to have these terms clarified for my understanding. The section on the Assessment Decision-Making Process was mainly a review of what I learned in my assessment class, but I liked reading the definitions the article presented. The presentation of these concepts helped me think of them in a new way. I was also excited to read about different forms of assessment technologies that I have used, such as the WJ-III, DIBELS and aimsweb. There are many forms of assessment technologies I have yet to use, but their benefit is easy to see. Having used several types myself, I have seen how these tools can help teachers make instructional decisions based on assessment data quickly. I think the most important thing to remember is that these are just tools, they cannot make the instructional decisions based on evaluation. That is the role of the trained teacher who knows and cares about their students.