Designing the Classroom Curriculum Designing the Classroom Curriculum | Page 107

Lynch, Smith, Howarth
The chapter begins with a succinct outline of five steps that are used to design and then develop assessment
instruments in the classroom-teaching context and concludes with an outline of how to develop assessment
descriptors, criteria and rubrics. We turn first to the process of identifying the most appropriate assessment
strategy.
Identifying the Most Appropriate Assessment Strategy
The process of identifying an appropriate assessment strategy is five-fold. Diagram 6.1 outlines the process
in brief. A series of detailed steps follows with an explanation of each for developmental guidance.
The ‘Five Best Fit Assessment Choice Steps’
Step 1: Review the defined learning outcomes for the classroom curriculum at LMQ2.
- LMQ2 defines the scope of what (the knowledge) has to be taught (by the teacher) and
thus learnt (by the student) and importantly the scope of what has to be assessed. Each learning
outcome must be addressed in the assessment regime, which is outlined at LMQ7.
- Focus on the Instructional Learning Outcomes (in other words the component learning
outcomes of the much larger Syllabus Learning Outcome)
- Begin this step by asking yourself these types of questions:

What would I ‘see’ (the evidence) if the defined learning outcomes (LMQ2) were being
developmentally achieved (formatively) and then achieved (summatively) in the student?

Think, for Declarative Knowledge: ‘know what’ knowledge
What would the student ‘know’ that they didn’t know before teaching (the evidence), if
s/he had achieved the learning outcomes?
Think, for Procedural Knowledge: ‘know how’ knowledge

What would the student be ‘able to do’, that they couldn’t do before (the evidence)
teaching, if s/he had achieved the learning outcomes?
NOW Think, for the required assessment strategies



What specific task(s) --- formatively and summatively --- will enable me to ‘see’ such
student achievements in both knowledge types?
What specific task(s) --- formatively and summatively --- will engage the student to
demonstrate what they know or what they can do and the extent to which they know it?
What specific tasks will enable me to provide timely and clear feedback (LMQ8) to
the student on their learning (towards LMQ2) progress?
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