Cognitive Science 301
Applied Cognitive Science and
Education
Fall 2006
Approaches to Assessment, Chapter 14
"The most effective assessment . . . describes
. . . without reducing" the individual to labels. (p522)
Objectives of an assessment
(Table 14-1)
- "Accurately formulate the possible reasons
for the learning problems.
- Compile a description of an individual that
can form the basis for optimal management.
- Enhance the insight of parents, teachers,
and the child.
- Answer the specific questions or concerns of
parents, teachers, and the child.
- Provide a baseline for monitoring progress
and for judging the effectiveness of services.
- Alleviate anxiety, pessimism, and guilt.
- Determine specific service needs
- Identify strengths that can be utilized to
enhance performance and self-esteem.
- Determine eligibility for school-based and
other services.
- Detect and describe complicating factors
that require management." (p 523, Table 14-1)
How would you go about
achieving all of the objectives listed above?
- systematic searching for evidence based on:
observations, background data, trends in results of assessments
- the complexity of the individual needs to be
as thoroughly investigated as possible
- "a differential diagnosis, a series of
possible explanations for a clinical phenomena" (p 523)
- what are the possible diagnoses
- assessment of Levine's neurodevelopmental
constructs is a good way to start
- See Figure 14-1 on p 524: Comprehensive
assessment and the search for recurring themes.
- See examples of one approach (p 524)
What are the problems with
labels?
- the main one is that they are not
descriptive enough to help the individual
- teachers and the general public don't
understand labels
- parents don't want to have their child
labeled
- labels are not helpful and may erode
self-esteem
- e.g., she is not motivated
- he is immature
- she is not working up to her potential
- he has an attitude problem
Testing/assessment bias
- point of view and/or training of the
evaluator
- conflict of interest of student needs and a
tight special education budget
- potential conflict of interest between
outside evaluators and the schools that refer individuals to them for
assessment
What are the components of a
good assessment?
- obtaining thorough background information
("systematic history taking", p 528)
- what is the basic problem or chief
complaint?
- what questions are being asked about this
individual's behavior and/or performance?
- what is the current academic performance?
- what are social behaviors, personal
behaviors, coping abilities, resiliency like?
- what are the aspects of the individual's
environment that may contribute to the basic problem?
- are there any familial traits or behaviors
that may be similar to that of the individual being assessed
- learning difficulties, mental illness,
alcoholism, substance abuse, etc.
- what health problems may have contributed
to the individual's problems?
- look over Levine's ANSER System
questionnaire on pages 532-534.
- Seven common approaches to examination of
children (p 534)
- educational evaluation (achievement and
behavior at school)
- group testing vs. individual testing?
- multiple choice testing vs. writing and
summarizing
- aptitude and admission tests
- Levine notes that "the aptitudes
measured, however, can never be cleanly separated from academic
accomplishments." (p 536)
- are anxiety provoking
- educational assessment of individuals
(see the list of desired areas to be assessed on page 538)
- samples of classroom work should be
obtained and reviewed
- interviews with the student are
important
- intelligence testing
- Each type of intelligence test "has a
series of subtests, which, in the opinion of its advocates, comprise a
valid representation of general intelligence." (p 540)
- intelligence tests may be susceptible to
significant cultural biases
- individuals may have significant
learning dysfunctions in areas not covered by the subtests
- Levine also states, "it may be that the
rate of processing or producing verbal information is much more related to
accomplishment in our society than is the speed of assembling the parts of
a puzzle." (p 541)
- neurodevelopmental or neuropsychological
assessment
- strengths and weaknesses
- It is possible that "a pre-existing
neurodevelopmental dysfunction creates an academic lag, which in turn
slows the development of that function", etc. (p 543)
- these are normed to age-related
development not brain function and cognitive development
- health examination: see recommendations on
pages 545-555. Remember that Levine is a physician (a pediatrician),
so this list is thorough and detailed.
- personality testing
- to reveal underlying emotional issues
and preoccupations
- to identify "areas of conflict, unusual
patterns of response, and deeply sequestered feelings" (p 556).
- specialized consultation
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