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| For more information read Systems Thinking: Managing Chaos and Complexity by Jamshid Gharajedaghi, 1999. |
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With a little reflection we can each think of numerous examples where Jamshid's observation holds true. In the Academy-award winning movie, "Good Will Hunting," the main character, Will, attempts to explain how he can do complex calculations in his head instantly: "When I see a piano I see 3 pedals and a bunch of keys and a box of wood but when Mozart saw it he could just play. That's the best I can explain it, when it comes to that, I can just play." Will had much more than a deep knowledge of mathematics he had deep understanding and therefore, none of the formulas and proofs he encountered appeared complex to him.
So what's the point? The point is that many of our current grading, evaluation and instructional feedback systems remain in place and unchallenged as "the" best way to monitor and report student learning. We know a lot about grading: point assignment, extra credit, percentages, cut scores, curves, grades, rubrics, etc. and understand very little about these practices. Current classroom feedback systems have a tendency to simplify everything to a level that doesn't require serious thinking. Under the guise of "objectivity" we are quick to accept that 95 points out of 100 is an "A" and an acceptable indicator of student achievement. We need to challenge the assumptions implicit in our educational systems regarding classroom evaluation and begin to replace the practices we can no longer defend with more appropriate practices. To do so requires a deep understanding of why we conduct student assessment the way we do.
In order to get a better handle on this we will look at 5 principles... |
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| Tools for Improving Instructional Data & Feedback |
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