What is alternative assessment?
With the founding of Multiple Intelligences by Dr. Howard Gardner, professor of education at Harvard University in 1983, the traditional “pen-and-paper” examinations are known to focus mainly on the linguistic and logical-mathematical intelligences. Schools often neglect students who are gifted in the other 6 intelligences, namely :
- Spatial intelligence ("picture smart")
- Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligence ("body smart")
- Musical intelligence ("music smart")
- Interpersonal intelligence ("people smart")
- Intrapersonal intelligence ("self smart")
- Naturalist intelligence ("nature smart")
Therefore, alternative assessment is a more viable method of assessment for students to excel in the other intelligences. Alternative assessment includes :
Practical activities / Experiments
Project work
Rubrics and checklists
Journals / Portfolios 
Presentations / Dramatisations
In fact, any type of authentic assessments that move away from the traditional “end-of-year” examinations can be considered as alternative assessments.
Example of Alternative Assessment
Our group has decided to explore more on the usage of checklists in alternative assessment. In fact, we found out that checklists are easier to track students' progress relating to group activities compared to using rubrics.
To show how checklist is used in the classroom, we have created a visualisation activity for the students.
In short, visualisation is the ability to manipulate shapes and objects, either in 2-dimensional or 3-dimensional, in their mind. This ability is useful in topics such as Geometry, Tesselations and 3-dimensional objects.
In order to have an idea of how well your visualisation skill is, try this simple activity.
" The three figures below show a sequence by which a piece of paper has been folded. The last figure shows how this folded paper has been cut.
Which pattern (1-4) most closely resembles the unfolded form of figure C? "
- adapted from Paper Folding and Cutting Puzzles
Checklist
We know that checklists are often used for observing performance or behaviour in order to keep track of a student's progress or work over a period of time. They are also used to determine whether students have met established criteria of a certain task or activity.
Checklists can be useful for classroom activity assessment because they are easy to construct and use. We are also able to align closely with task objective.In order to construct a checklist for our activity, we had to identify the different parts of a specific communication task and any other requirements associated with it.
Our group has identified four main objectives of the classroom activity:
1) Teamwork
2) Presentation
3) Accuracy
4) Communication
As this is a group activity, the component of teamwork is essential to learn if students are able to work well in groups, communicate ideas and learn from one another.
The main objective of our activity is to Find Area and Perimeter of Figure Using Spatial Visualisation Skill. As such, we have come up with our checklist to assess if students are able to grasp this concept.
Activity
Objective: Find the area and perimeter of the given figure using Spatial Visualisation skill.
Arrangements: Students in groups of 4.
Task: Students are given a figure (as per below) that is made up of a semicircle and a rectangle. They are to find the area of the shaded part given only the length of the figure. Answers are to be given to 2 decimal places.
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Each group will then be given a set of the following:
Butcher paper
A set of Markers
On the visualiser, the teacher will display the task.
Instruction:
The aim of this activity is to assess students' competency in visualisation. In this case, we are assessing whether students are able to solve the problem by first identifying the different basic shapes that made up the figure and using this to help them solve the problem with or without using the manipulative. As students start working on their task in finding out the area and perimeter of the shaded parts in the composite figure, teacher will walk around the class and assess each student using the checklist provided above.
From the checklist, we can gather if students are:
1) Able to break the shapes to simpler shapes : Under Presentation, to see if students are able to make Mathematically relevant observations and/or connections and be able to use a strategy that leads to a solution of the problem.
2) Able to work the problem out eventually without the aid of manipulatives : Under Accuracy, if appropriate concepts are used and the correct procedure are applied.
3) Able to communicate their method effectively : Under Communication and Presentation as a whole.
4) Able to work collaboratively : Under Teamwork as a whole.
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A Sample of a work done by students (Visualizing the basic shapes that make up the figure):
Being able to break up the figure into basic shapes is the first step towards solving the problem. Once students are able to do so, they can then proceed to find the area and perimeter of the shaded parts. There are more than one ways or method to solve the above problem. Students are free to choose how they want to solve the problem. They will then share their methods with the whole class during the presentation.
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