CRT+Revision+-+Verbs

=Assessment Verbs Defined =

Use this section to write in specific comments that you have. Please include your name with your comments or suggestions. Use the blank spaces to add in additional verbs that are not listed. ** ||
 * = ** Verb Definition ** || ** Comments
 * ** APPLY A RULE: ** To state a rule as it applies to a situation, object or event that is being analyzed. The statement must convey analysis of a problem situation and/or its solution, together with the name or statement of the rule that was applied. ||   ||
 * ** ASSESS: ** To stipulate the conditions by which the behavior specified in an objective may be ascertained. Such stipulations are usually in the form of written descriptions. For obvious reasons, assess is rarely used as a verb in learning objectives at the elementary school level. ||   Note the 3rd sentence, which implies (correctly) that the ability to //write out// one's ideas (rather than one's understanding of that idea) may be the bottleneck to providing an adequate response. This is not only an issue "at the elementary school level" but also with older students who are not proficient at expressing themselves in written form. I've got loads of kids who read at the 2nd or 3rd grade level, and whose level of written expresssion is lower still. --pb ||
 * ** CLASSIFY: ** To place objects, words, or situations into categories according to defined criteria for each category. The criteria must be made known to the student. ||   Sometimes in science classification means that the student will define the criteria. gm

Gary: Can you give an example of that? --pb

Perhaps Kizlik needs to clarify the second sentence. Must the criteria be presented to the student during the assessment (i.e. criteria are provided as part of the assessment instrument), or may we further expect that the student remembers, understands and can apply criteria which were taught and should have been internalized by the student, even when they are not explicitly provided on the assessment instrument itself? --pb ||
 * ** COMPOSE ** : To formulate a composition in written, spoken, musical or artistic form. || This begs the question: What constitutes a "composition." --pb ||
 * ** CONSTRUCT: ** To make a drawing, structure, or model that identifies a designated object or set of conditions. || I tend to view construct as being pretty high on the Bloom's scale; construct (design) an experiment to test... It can also be used as a simpler assigment as to construct a scale model of the layers of the earth. In this case it is a form of "explain". This is a verb that takes on meaning from the words that follow. gm

This is a good verb for our performance assessments, e.g. "Construct an original drawing of a food web, including labels that correctly indicate examples of herbivory, carnivory and omnivory." --pb ||
 * ** DEFINE: ** To stipulate the requirements for inclusion of an object, word, or situation in a category or class. Elements of one or both of the following must be included: (1) The characteristics of the words, objects, or situations that are included in the class or category. (2) The characteristics of the words, objects, or situations that are excluded in the class or category. To define is to set up criteria for classification. ||   Who is it (Marzano?) who downplays the importance of knowing definitions? Not that I totally agree (I don't), but we should look at that work and discuss it a bit. --pb ||
 * ** DEMONSTRATE: ** The student performs the operations necessary for the application of an instrument, model, device, or implement. NOTE: There is a temptation to use demonstrate in objectives such as, "the student will demonstrate his knowledge of vowel sounds." As the verb is defined, this is improper use of it. ||   This is a good verb for our performance assessments, e.g. "Demonstrate the proper use of the displacement method of measuring volume of a solid, using a graduated cylinder." --pb ||
 * ** DESCRIBE: ** To name all of the necessary categories of objects, object properties, or event properties that are relevant to the description of a designated situation. The objective is of the form, "The student will describe this order, object, or event," and does not limit the categories that may be used in mentioning them. Specific or categorical limitations, if any, are to be given in the performance standards of each objective. When using this verb in an objective, it is helpful to include a statement to the effect of what the description, as a minimum, must reference. ||   As with the verb "assess" (see my comment above), a student's ability to express herself/himself clearly in writing may be a significant limitation. --pb ||
 * ** DIAGRAM: ** To construct a drawing with labels and with a specified organization or structure to demonstrate knowledge of that organization or structure. Graphic charting and mapping are types of diagramming, and these terms may be used where more exact communication of the structure of the situation and response is desired. ||   This verb, along with some others listed by Kizlik, seems like a narrower form of the "construct" verb. --pb ||
 * ** DISTINGUISH: ** To identify under conditions when only two contrasting identifications are involved for each response. ||   My English teachers drilled into me that one may distinguish //between// two entities or may distinguish //among// three or more entities. Kizlik says it's __only between two__. So, if there are more than two entities, what verb does Kizlik use? Identify? I'm not sure. --pb

As far as applications, I can see possibilities like, "Distinguish between producers and consumers." --pb ||
 * ** ESTIMATE: ** To assess the dimension of an object, series of objects, event or condition without applying a standard scale or measuring device. Logical techniques of estimation, such as are involved in mathematical interpolation, may be used. See MEASURE. ||   A science application could be: "Estimate the height of a basketball hoop" and students choose among 1m, 2m, 3m or 5m. --pb ||
 * ** EVALUATE: ** To classify objects, situations, people, conditions, etc., according to defined criteria of quality. Indication of quality must be given in the defined criteria of each class category. Evaluation differs from general classification only in this respect. ||   Math teachers and their textbooks use this verb in sentences like: "Evaluate the expression ...". If this glossary of verbs becomes a district-wide document, we will have to have math folks weigh in on what this verb should mean. --pb ||
 * ** IDENTIFY: ** To indicate the selection of an object of a class in response to its class name, by pointing, picking up, underlining, marking, or other responses. ||  At first I thought that Kizlik's definition of "identify" seemed to eclipse all other verbs that we might strive to use within the multiple-choice format. But then I focused on the phrase "in response to its class name". This narrows the meaning and use of "identify" quite a bit, which in turn preserves the relevance and importance of some of the other verbs.. --pb  ||
 * ** INTERPRET: ** To translate information from observation, charts, tables, graphs, and written material in a verifiable manner. ||   Deduce? Elucidate? There might be some overlap with these? --pb

Verifiable vs. logical? --pb ||
 * ** LABEL: ** To stipulate a verbal (oral or written) response to a given object, drawing, or composition that contains information relative to the known, but unspecified structure of these objects, drawings, or compositions. Labeling is a complex behavior that contains elements of naming and identifying. ||   ||
 * ** LOCATE: ** To stipulate the position of an object, place, or event in relation to other specified objects, places, or events. Ideational guides to location such as grids, order arrangements and time may be used to describe location. Note: Locate is not to be confused with IDENTIFY ||   ||
 * ** MEASURE ** : To apply a standard scale or measuring device to an object, series of objects, events, or conditions, according to practices accepted by those who are skilled in the use of the device or scale. ||   Math and science courses could/should use this a LOT for those year-long, skill-based assessments. We should coordinate with Barb Adams on how we define and use this within our objectives and assessments. --pb ||
 * ** NAME: ** To supply the correct name, in oral or written form for an object, class of objects, persons, places, conditions, or events which are pointed out or described ||   List? gm

Gary: I looked up "list" in the Oxford American Dictionary, and it's definition is very similar to Kizlik's definition of "name" except it's used for naming more than one related object, class of objects, etc. Is it enough to say "//Name// the seven colors of the visible spectrum" or do we need to have students //list// them? I'm undecided on this. --pb ||
 * ** ORDER: ** To arrange two or more objects or events in accordance with stated criteria. ||   Sequence? --pb ||
 * ** PREDICT ** : To use a rule or principle to predict an outcome or to infer some consequence. It is not necessary that the rule or principle be stated. ||  I'm not sure that it needs to be "a rule or principal". Prediction could be based on interpolation or extrapolation of known/given data. --pb  ||
 * ** REPRODUCE: ** To imitate or copy an action, construction, or object that is presented. ||   I can't think of a science assessment application for this verb. To me, it sounds more like art/music. --pb ||
 * ** SOLVE: ** To effect a solution to a given problem, in writing or orally. The problem solution must contain all the elements required for the requested solution, and may contain extraneous elements that are not required for solution. The problem must be posed in such a way that the student that the student is able to determine the type of response that is acceptable. ||   The old school in me says that a student doesn't "determine" what is acceptable; rather, she/he would //elucidate// what is acceptable. --pb

When "extraneous elements" are mixed in with the problem, it really kicks up the level of analysis required. That's not always a bad thing, however, but we should me mindful of that. --pb ||
 * ** STATE A RULE ** : To make a statement that conveys the meaning of the rule, theory or principle. ||   Is this verb a narrower form of "define"? If we want to assess whether a student knows the Law of Universal Gravitation, does the student //define// it or //state it as a rule?// Maybe "state a rule" is a narrow form of "define"? --pb ||
 * ** TRANSLATE ** : To transcribe one symbolic form to another of the same or similar meaning. ||   I see lots of mathematical applications of this verb. When I taught the 8th grade course, I tried (not always successfully) to have students translate an equation from one form into another, e.g. from F = ma into m = F/a. Even in 7th grade I have students translate from Mass = Protons + Neutrons into Neutrons = Mass - Protons. --pb ||
 * Compare - To examine in order to observe or discover similarities or differences. gm ||  I think the comparisons made should be of salient/important similarities and/or differences, which have the effect of illustrating some law, principle or pattern. Otherwise, kids could say that tigers, snakes and hawks are "scary" or that they "can't chew gum", rather than say that they are carnivores. --pb

As with "analyze" (below), this activity can be purely mental/internal. What outward behavior can we __observe__ that shows that the student has "compared"? --pb || ||
 * Explain - A statement that illustrates a thorough understanding of a concept (and related causes) in a clear, plain and understandable manner. gm ||  ||
 * Summarize - To present the general idea in a clear, concise and accurate form. gm || Is the summary that a student provides based on a more detailed report which is provided within the assessment instrument, or may it be a summary of what the student was expected to have learned prior to the assessment? --pb
 * Analyze - To break an idea down into parts and determine functions and interrelationships. gm || The old school in me says that a student doesn't "determine" functions and interrelationships; rather, she/he //elucidates// them. Also, what Gary describes (in his definition, to the left) can be done //within the student's mind//. What is it that the assessor can __observe__ which tells us that the student has properly "analyzed"? --pb ||
 * "Nature of science" verbs, such as GENERATE alternative hypotheses, CONDUCT an experiment, TEST, DESIGN an experiment? --pb ||  ||

=Examples of Science Activities (Assessments??) Using These Definitions= ||
 * ** Apply a Rule: ** The student could be asked to explain why a shotgun "kicks" when fired. His response would include a statement to the effect that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction (   Newton   's Law of Motion), and that the "kick" of the shotgun is equal to the force propelling the shot toward its target. The faster the shot travels and the greater the weight of the shot, the greater the "kick" of the gun.
 * Classify: ** Given several examples of each, the student could be asked to classify materials according to their physical properties as gas, liquid, or solid.
 * Construct: ** The student could be asked to construct a model of a carbon atom.
 * Define: ** Given several types of plant leaves, the student could be asked to define at least three categories for classifying them. NOTE: Defining is not memorizing and writing definitions created by someone else -- it is creating definitions.
 * Demonstrate: ** Given a model of the earth, sun, and moon so devised that it may be manipulated to show the orbits of the earth and moon, the student could be asked to demonstrate the cause of various phases of the moon as viewed from earth.
 * Describe: ** The student could be asked to describe the conditions essential for a balanced aquarium that includes four goldfish.
 * Diagram: ** The student could be asked to diagram the life cycle of a grasshopper.
 * Distinguish: ** Given a list of paired element names, the student could be asked to distinguish between the metallic and non-metallic element in each pair.
 * Estimate: ** The student could be asked to estimate the amount of heat given off by one liter of air compressed to one-half its original volume.
 * Evaluate: ** Given several types of materials, the student could be asked to evaluate them to determine which is the best conductor of electricity.
 * Identify: ** Given several types of materials, the student could be asked to identify those which would be attracted to a magnet.
 * Interpret: ** The student could be asked to interpret a weather map taken from a newspaper.
 * Locate: ** The student could be asked to locate the position of chlorine on the periodic table. NOTE: To locate is to describe location. It is not identification of location.
 * Measure: ** Given a container graduated in cubic centimeters, the student could be asked to measure a specific amount of liquid.
 * Name: ** The student could be asked to name the parts of an electromagnet.
 * Order: ** The student could be asked to order a number of animal life forms according to their normal length of life.
 * Predict: ** From a description of the climate and soils of an area, the student could be asked to predict the plant ecology of the area.
 * Solve: ** The student could be asked to solve the following: How many grams of H2O will be formed by the complete combustion of one liter of hydrogen at 70 degrees C?
 * State a Rule: ** The student could be asked to state a rule that tells what form the offspring of mammals will be, i.e. they will be very similar to their parent organisms.
 * Translate: ** The student could be asked to translate 93,000,000 into standard scientific notation.