Ability to read, assessment, and assistive technology

There are numerous areas of assessment in science.  A partial list includes content knowledge; understanding the nature and history of science; the ability to carry out process skills; the ability to employ those skills in conducting inquiry; and even  the attainment of positive attitudes toward science.

We need to develop and use appropriate assessments for the different areas.  We need to communicate precisely what we will assess and how we will assess it, with clear and fair criteria.

It is incredibly easy to employ modes of assessment that test much more than the narrow instructional objectives which we have selected and for which we have designed the instruction. 

In fact, it is impossible to test only for the narrow instructional objectives.  We always presuppose abilities to perceive and to understand and interpret whatever is provided as prompts for assessment.

Perception includes seeing, hearing, touching, tasting and smelling.  Any organic personal characteristic (e.g., sensitivity to noise, vision deficiency, hearing loss) or environmental condition (e.g., poor lighting, uncomfortable seating, unsuitable temperature and humidity, extraneous noise) that limits or constrains ideal perception has the potential to affect student response to assessment.  Similarly, the understanding and interpretation of the prompts are affected by a variety of characteristics of the individual being tested. 

Under ideal circumstances, the prompts are aligned with objectives and instruction so that student response tests the appropriate knowledge or skill.  But these other personal and environmental factors are always present.

If the student has difficulties with reading---due to deficiencies in vocabularly, grammar, basic understanding at the grade level; or such factors as dyslexia; or being a non-native English speaker; or has autism or other organic conditions---then the response may not actually indicate whether the educational objective (knowledge or skill) has been attained.

A skilled teacher will have developed comprehensive knowledge of her/his students’ characteristics, and will design and control the environment of testing, and will make appropriate allowances and modifications for diverse learners---not just the ones with IEPs (where accommodations have to be followed under penalty of law), but everyone.  This will include those who struggle with reading.  At times, to be fair is precisely to provide assistive technology and to modify assessments for specific individuals.  The main goal of assessment is not to provide a grade; the assessment needs to provide the learner and the teacher (and other stakeholders) what knowledge or skill has or has not been attained, and at what degree.

Assistive technologies are helpful both in the delivery of instruction and in formative and summative assessment.  They are tools which help deliver instruction for diverse learners but they are also tools that can aide us in properly evaluating whether our instruction has achieved its goals.  They help students, but they also help us provide students a fair educational opportunity to learn as well as to be properly and fairly evaluated.