Assessment Of Student Performance

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COURSE: RESEARCH METHODS PROPOSAL WRITING TOPIC: ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS: WHETHER END OF SEMESTER EXAMINATION IS THE ONLY INDICATOR OF STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE. (A CASE STUDY OF UNIVERSITY OF GHANA) INTRODUCTION Lecturers most often use assessment to obtain information that helps them improve their instruction. This in turn helps them to bridge the gap between curriculum standards and student achievement. Assessment is also used for accountability purposes, for both students and teachers. Classrooms are made up of a diversity of learners and so to help them to make appropriate instructional decisions and to provide valid information for accountability, teachers use a wide variety of assessments. PROBLEM DEFINITION Most tertiary institutions determine students’ performance only on the basis of examination at the end of each semester. The issue here is whether examination is enough to determine a student’s performance and whether it’s indeed gives a true and fair view of actual performance. LITERATURE REVIEW Veteran first grade teacher Debbi Beckhorn states "... I have seen many changes in the arena of assessment and monitoring of student progress. More and more, it seems, we need to 'check in' with students more frequently in order to carefully lead them in their next step in the learning process. I use a variety of assessment tools to 'dip in' to a student's progress..."(Beckhorn, 2000). For this first grade teacher, the use of assessment information helps her make instructional decisions, allowing her to guide her students' progress along academic continuums. Joanne Schmitt, a high school mathematics teacher uses formal assessments in this way on a weekly basis. "At least once a week, I give a short quiz to get a more formal assessment of (students') progress. From the results ... I judge whether or not I need to re-teach and/or give more
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