Assessment Mapping and Assessment Blueprints in Aligning Assessment and Learning Outcomes

Introduction

Assessment mapping and blueprints are potent tools that teachers and administrators can use to ensure that the assessments they use align with the learning goals of the courses they teach. Stakeholders can ensure that the evaluations they use are accurately targeted to the content they are teaching and that they are assessing student learning by employing assessment mapping and blueprints(Raymond & Grande,2018). Both of these tools map out how assessments will be administered. The importance of assessment mapping and assessment blueprints in aligning assessment with learning outcomes, as well as the benefits that these tools offer, will be discussed in this article. In addition, it will provide some implementation best practices, as well as discuss the necessary steps that must be taken in order to create an assessment mapping and blueprint. In conclusion, it will present some examples of assessment mapping and blueprints applicable to various subject areas.

Assessment and mapping of blueprints

The process of assessment mapping guarantees that the learning outcomes of your modules or programs are evaluated by the evaluation techniques you have chosen. This is made possible by mapping the assessment. In addition, it shows the spread or patterns established to strike a balance between formative and summative evaluation, as well as deadlines and feedback returns (Mantelero, 2018). This helps in providing timely feedback. For example, which “crunch moments” are the most important for the students, and the amount of marking do they require? What does it imply if assessments are based on an excessive number of the same learning objectives or if some learning objectives are only assessed in part? This is critical when developing new software or a module for existing software. It is also possible to do so as part of an evaluation of a module or program.

Validity and Dependability

When conducting your evaluations, you must investigate how the Los for the program or module was completed. Following these recommendations, the Los should first be specified, and then appropriate evaluation methodologies should be developed in order to measure the level of success achieved by students(Gitomer et al., 2021). The fruits of one’s education As a direct result of your strategies, students will be better prepared to study for exams and have a much easier time achieving their educational objectives.

Consequently, the way we think about assessment needs to shift from thinking about a single class or module in isolation to using a “backward” approach to the design of modules, in which assessment drives learning through the provision of relevant learning experiences. In other words, we need to stop thinking about review in terms of a class or module in isolation. The “backward” module design approach requires concurrent consideration of both types and modules as a prerequisite for implementation. This graphic depicts the design opposite from how it was initially intended.

Formative and summative assessment

Self-assessment, peer, or teacher assessment can all be included in a formative evaluation. However, students might be dissuaded from completing the assignment because grades are not involved in the formative assessment, and the stakes could be higher.

Summative assessments evaluate students’ learning about a standard or benchmark after an instructional unit. Evaluation will take place after the division. Students give more weight to summative examinations than formative ones because the former carries greater importance (Vittorini et al., 2021). The summative exams are more complex. However, students and teachers can use summative exams to direct their efforts and activities in subsequent sessions by using the results of the exams. Summative assessments provide this type of input.

Blueprints

A “blueprint” is a thorough plan for carrying out an activity or generating a product. The term “blueprint” describes this type of plan. For example, when conducting evaluations, “blueprints” are utilized to ensure that all educational domains and subject matter are covered within the allotted time for the review. Under this approach, the kids will receive an education that covers a wide range of subjects and topics(Reigeluth,2018). Blueprints have the potential to cover not only the entire curriculum but also the many different educational fields. The people who design curricula are responsible for appropriately evaluating students and incorporating diverse skills and knowledge into the course material. Constructive alignment demands an evaluation technique. This is a requirement in order to participate in tests with significant consequences.

Assessment reliability.

With the help of the template, it is much simpler to match assessment objectives with questions and assign weighting among different categories. In addition, it establishes a link between the purposes and the evaluation. The assessment must include blueprinting so that it can be demonstrated how accurate the report is. Educators are obligated to consider any factor that can reduce the validity of the evaluation whenever they are conducting a validity threat assessment(Wassie,2022). The legitimacy threat has placed this burden squarely on our shoulders. There is a phenomenon known as construct underrepresentation, which, along with construct-irrelevant variance, poses the greatest threat to the credibility of an investigation.

There are additional complications to consider. When referring to an unrepresentative sampling of the curriculum or the course content used for evaluation, the term “construct under-representation” is meant to be referenced. Undersampling refers to the practice described here. This results when only a superficial level of instruction is provided for a topic. On the other hand, the variance that is unrelated to the construct could result from defective item formats. These items are either too simple or too challenging or improper test modalities. The blueprinting process aims to achieve, among other things, a reduction in these two primary design reliability difficulties. In addition to checking the accuracy of evaluations, a good blueprint should be able to carry out several other tasks. A blueprint can, among other things, affect the various options for educational experiences that are available.

Constructive alignment

Assessment tasks, teaching and learning activities, and learning outcomes are essential for education. Constructive alignment is its name. Using blueprints can help check that these three aspects of education are aligned and consistent(Ali,2018). This will link assessment tasks, teaching and learning activities, and student learning outcomes. The diagram below shows constructive alignment.

Benefits of the assessment blueprint

Blueprint matches competencies with course material and evaluation methods. It also aids:

1. Determine whether the test questions relate to the goals.
2. Perform a careful test review to look for questions not covered in the course outline(Villarroel et al., 2018).
3. Give pupils grades that are.
4. Take into consideration a variety of instructional approaches(Villarroel et al., 2018).
5. Determine whether the questions on the exam place a premium on critical thinking and measure in-depth knowledge.
6. Provide an accurate and objective illustration of the information, abilities, and instruments evaluated in the test.

Educational theories in connection with assessment and blueprints

It is possible to lead the production of blueprints and evaluation mapping with educational concepts. Plans provide a structure for the planning and implementing of curricular, instructional, and evaluative efforts. The purpose of assessments is to measure students’ performance and offer instructors and administrators data that can inform instruction and the development of pupils. By incorporating educational theories into blueprints and assessment mapping, teachers and administrators may ensure that the curriculum, instruction, and assessment are consistent with teaching and learning theories and best practices. This gives teachers more control over the process(Panadero et al., 2019). Educators and administrators should consider an instructional approach’s philosophical and theoretical underpinnings when developing a blueprint for an instructional strategy. This category includes theories such as constructivism, social constructivism, behaviorism, and cognitivism. For example, constructivist theories emphasize the importance of student-centered learning and active subject matter inquiry, whereas behaviorist theories emphasize direct instruction and measurable objectives.

Regarding assessment mapping, educators can utilize educational theories to govern the types of tests they administer and the criteria against which they evaluate students’ performance. In a constructivist classroom, for instance, evaluations of student progress are more open-ended and focused on the student’s ability to derive meaning from the subject and apply it to new settings(Moseley et al., 2020). In contrast, examinations in a behaviorist classroom would generally be more structured.

Blueprint construction

Step 1: Determine the blueprinting’s goal and scope.

It is deciding the project’s goal and scope. Discuss the issues raised in the questions below at this early stage.

1. What stage or academic term did the blueprint cover?
2. How many academic semesters were planned?

III. What classes does this subscription offer?

1. What evaluation methods will be used?
2. How many questions do your evaluation tools have?

Step 2: List curriculum.

The curricular environment determines how to list educational material. It can be structured around course learning outcomes, clinical presentations, and many other factors.

Step 3: Determine the Environment’s Nature, Severity, and Incidence.

Each test contains a set number of questions. Due to overpopulation, the curriculum’s subjects cannot be used to divide the total number of elements into equal parts. The curriculum contains several topics, each of which has its importance. Prioritizing the generation of items in essential content categories requires measuring the relative weighting of distinct content areas. This is only possible if the content regions are weighted beforehand. However, measuring content relevancy is relatively easy.

Step 4:  categorizes curriculum information by weightage.

The curriculum should include must-know, should-know, and nice-to-know knowledge. After that, Microsoft Excel sheets will be used to organize and sort each curricular subject.

Another way to calculate weightage is to divide the total number of elements in the 1*F column for each curricular subject by the total. This method calculates item weights. For example, this will weigh each curricular unit proportionally to the number of assessment items used for this presentation.

Step 5: Assign a percentage of questions to each category.

As mentioned, distributing questions evenly across the curriculum’s numerous areas takes much work. Logically, more must-know questions should be asked than should-know and pleasant-to-know questions. In addition, each blueprint iteration has a different mix of questions by category. Thus, we must decide on the percentages for each class at each plan step.

Step 6: Count each test’s questions.

Each evaluation criterion should have a set of responsibilities. Step 5 data will determine the number of questions to draft. Not all curricular topics can be presented equally.

Step 7: Assign lecture questions to prepare.

The final step in designing is choosing the question makers or item preparers. The teacher should write the questions. However, other lecturers may prepare questions. It is discussed now.

Section B:

One Best Answer MCQ

Q: What is the most crucial step in scaling and root planning?

1. Placing retraction cord
2. Removing calculus
3. Applying topical fluoride
4. Examining the patient’s gums

Extended Matching Question MCQ

Q: Match the following oral hygiene products to their primary purpose:

1. Interdental brush
2. Electric toothbrush
3. Tongue scraper
4. Mouthwash
5. Removes plaque and bacteria from hard-to-reach areas
6. Cleanses the surface of the teeth
7. Removes bacterial build-up from the tongue
8. Kills germs and freshens breath
9. A
10. B
11. C
12. D

Modified Essay Question

Explain the differences between scaling and root planing and how these procedures affect oral health.

Scaling is a procedure in which tartar (calculus) and plaque are removed from the surfaces of the teeth. This procedure is performed to prevent periodontal diseases such as gingivitis and periodontitis.

Modified essay question

Mrs. Godon Spitman, who is 62 years old, visits to consult you for the first time and states that the last physician treated Parkinsonism:

Question 1: Identify a clinical feature results expected to be found after the examination.

She has a mild tremor taking hold of her left arm.

Question 2: What original medicine diagnosis will you recommend?

Question 3: What more assistance should you provide

One extended matching question MCQ

OCSE station

Student guidelines

You are a junior doctor working in the acute admission unit.

Mr. Johnson Osteen is a 60-year-old woman admitted to the acute admission unit from erectile dysfunction for an intravenous diagnosis of an infection of the skin. The patient was instructed to take an infusion of Flucloxacillin, which began in the last 4 minutes. Johnson informed the nurse that he had shortness of breath and a mild headache.

Examine the patient correctly in an A-E fashion, and provide a diagnosis.

Station time: 12 minutes

Conclusion

In conclusion, assessment mapping and blueprints are powerful tools to ensure assessments appropriately align with the courses’ learning goals. The importance of assessment mapping and assessment blueprints in aligning assessment with learning outcomes, as well as the benefits that these tools offer, were discussed in this article. In addition, implementation best practices were provided, as well as the necessary steps that must be taken in order to create an assessment mapping and blueprint. Finally, examples of assessment mapping and blueprints applicable to various subject areas were presented.

References

Ali, L. (2018). The Design of Curriculum, Assessment, and Evaluation in Higher Education with Constructive Alignment. Journal of Education and e-learning Research, 5(1), 72–78.

Gitomer, D. H., Martínez, J. F., Battey, D., & Hyland, N. E. (2021). Assessing the assessment: Evidence of reliability and validity in the edTPA. American Educational Research Journal, 58(1), 3-31.

Mantelero, A. (2018). AI and Big Data: A blueprint for a human rights, social and ethical impact assessment. Computer Law & Security Review, 34(4), 754-772.

Moseley, C., Summerford, H., Paschke, M., Parks, C., & Utley, J. (2020). Road to collaboration: Experiential learning theory as an environmental education program development framework. Applied Environmental Education & Communication, 19(3), 238-258.

Panadero, E., Broadbent, J., Boud, D., & Lodge, J. M. (2019). Using formative assessment to influence self-and co-regulated learning: the role of evaluative judgment. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 34(3), 535-557.

Raymond, M. R., & Grande, J. P. (2019). A practical guide to testing blueprinting. Medical teacher, 41(8), 854-861.

Reigeluth, C. M. (2018). Lesson blueprints based on the elaboration theory of instruction. In Instructional approaches in action (pp. 245-288). Routledge.

Villarroel, V., Bloxham, S., Bruna, D., Bruna, C., & Herrera-Seda, C. (2018). Authentic assessment: creating a blueprint for course design. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 43(5), 840-854.

Vittorini, P., Menini, S., & Tonelli, S. (2021). An AI-based system for formative and summative assessment in data science courses. International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education, 31(2), 159-185.

Wassie, J. (2022). Assessment of project management practice and challenge of construction project the case study of your construction building project (Doctoral dissertation, ST. MARY’S UNIVERSITY).