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Assessment
Assessment of statistical understanding may be related to:
- determining prior learning when introduced to new content
- monitoring the development of understanding during a sequence of activities
- making a summative decision about success on the completion of a statistical investigation.
The big ideas of statistics underpin all aspects of the assessment process.
Multi-part tasks can be split for specific aims or used as a whole to gain a more complete picture of students' understanding of a concept.
It is usual for students to complete tasks individually in writing, but task-based interviews may provide an opportunity for students to express their understanding more clearly.
Students may be asked to plan and carry out complete statistical investigations, which then can be used as a basis for assessment as written reports and/or oral presentations.
Rubrics are tools to assist in making judgments during the assessment process and are applicable across different types of assessment. They provide structure and reliability that gives both teachers and students confidence in the outcomes.
Assessment tasks
The tasks used for assessment in statistics should reflect the big ideas of statistics as well as procedural understanding and the various stages of a statistical investigation.
Statistical investigations
Statistical investigations provide many assessment opportunities. They have the potential to provide for a diversity of learners -- in terms of engagement and challenge -- by using interesting and authentic tasks.
Assessment rubrics
Rubrics should be designed to accommodate the thinking and reasoning associated with particular tasks. The objectives of a task must be clear before a rubric is created.