Assessment To Inform Instruction And Motivate Learning
 Authentic performance-based assessment and reporting tools |
TechSteps utilizes a performance-based evaluation system and provides all the resources necessary to implement, manage, and assess technology and information literacy development. Assessment is used to inform instruction and to generate timely, actionable feedback that promotes learning. Each TechSteps activity requires students to demonstrate targeted core content knowledge and technology literacy skills. Authentic assessment tools are used to interpret the evidence generated to automatically build student technology literacy profiles. Measured over multiple projects, these cumulative attainment profiles are a true representation of each student’s proficiency of technology and 21st Century learning competencies. |
Student-centered formative and summative tools are used to inform learning and show evidence of both core subject matter and technology literacy development. Teachers are able to efficiently evaluate students’ digital projects using project-specific rubrics that objectively describe levels of attainment for each standard. Each rubric is carefully tied to technology literacy standards and provides data about each student’s development towards technology literacy. Once a teacher enters a student’s results, TechSteps automatically records the associated skills demonstrated for that student and generates an ongoing technology literacy profile showing which of the required skills has been demonstrated to date. This cumulative attainment profile is a valid representation of proficiency in both technology literacy and 21st Century competencies from assessments over multiple projects and classes.
 A cumulative tech literacy profile is automatically maintained for each student |
However, more than merely measuring software application skills, TechSteps provides educational leaders with a valid measure of whether students are able to apply their knowledge and skills in ways that demonstrate they are able to seamlessly use technology to communicate, collaborate, analyze, create, innovate, and solve problems. Using TechSteps, tech literacy and 21st Century learning is not viewed as something measurable merely by a one-time multiple-choice, performance-based test. Dynamic performance rubrics associated with each activity provide assessment as learning opportunities and allow educators to identify academic and 21stCentury skills demonstrated with in each authentic artifact.
Technology becomes a powerful tool used by all students – integrated into the curriculum- to achieve core subject area outcomes. Authentic assessment is used to inform instruction, provides a valid indication of proficiency and generates all the report required for data-driven decision making by teachers, principals and district administrators. |
