Fairness

- implies non-bias and nondiscriminatory

- agreeing with what is thought to be right or acceptable
- treating people in a way that does not favor some over other

6 components of fairness

1. Knowledge of targets
2. opportunity to learn
3. prerequisite skills
4. avoiding stereotypes
5. avoiding bias
6. special needs

An assessment procedures needs to be fair

 Students need to know exactly what the learning targets are and what method of
assessment will be used.
 Assessment has to be viewed as an opportunity to learn rather than an opportunity to weed
out poor and slow learners.
 Fairness also applies freedom from teachers stereo-typing.

Positive Consequences

 Student Motivation-link to engagement, fair/structure assessment, meaning/value in the eyes

of the students.
 Teachers Consequences- need to be comfortable with assessments-let other review and
critique.

Bias and Fairness

Assessment for its intended purpose is unfair if:

1. Students are not provided with equal opportunity to demonstrate what they know.
2. These biased are used to judge student capabilities and needs.
3. These distorted view of students are used to make educational decisions that ultimately lead
to limitations of educational opportunities for them.

Ex. Ability to read and understanding written problems is a biasing factor in measuring mathematics
skills because it is irrelevant to mathematics skills and it affects Limited English Proficient (LEP) and
native English speaking students’ performance differently on a mathematics test.

Practically and Efficiency

Teacher familiar with method

Time required for method
Ease of administration
Ease of scoring
Ease of interpreting
Cost

Practical Assessment can take the form of assessed practical tasks in laboratories, studious or
workshops, or assessed field or study trips.

Here are some examples of adjustments to practical assessment that may be recommended and
that you may need to consider.

Extra time and rest breaks may be required, which may take careful planning in a practical
session.
 Where the assessed practical task is a cooperative one and other students are involved,
then the whole group may need additional time.
Allow the use of an assistant to work under direction, for example if a student has stamina or
vision difficulties, or is unable to operate equipment.
If required, ensure adapted tools are made available.
In some circumstances it may be appropriate to allow a student to give an explanation of
how task is carried out rather than requiring them to give demonstration.
Where observation of student communication is assessed, a communication, lip speaker or
BSL interpreter may be required, or the use of a room with a hearing loop.
Avoid giving verbal instructions while a deaf student is engaged in a practical task.

Ethics in Assessment

ETHICS- refers to question of right and wrong.

-When teachers think of ethics, they need to ask themselves if it is right to assess a specific
knowledge or investigate a certain question.

Here are some situations in which assessment may not be called for.

Requiring students to answer checklist for their sexual fantasies;

Asking elementary pupils to answer sensitive questions without consent of their parents;
Testing the mental abilities of pupils using an instrument whose validity and reliability are
known;

- When a teacher thinks about ethics, the basic question to ask in this regard is; “Will any physical or
psychological harm come to any one as a result of the assessment or testing?”

- Webster defines ethical (behavior) as “conforming to the standard of conduct of a given profession
or group”.

- The most important ethical consideration of all is the fundamental responsibility of a teacher to do
all in his or her power to ensure that participants in an assessment program are protected from
physical or psychological harm, discomfort or danger that may arise due to the testing procedure.

- Test results and assessment results are confidential results. Such should be known only by the
students concerned and the teacher.

To control the objective of the assessment from the students in order to ensure fair and impartial
results the teacher has specific responsibility to:

a) Determine whether the use of such techniques is justified by the educational value of
assessment,
b) Determine whether alternative procedures are available that do not make use of
concealment and
c) Ensure that students are provided with sufficient explanation as soon as possible.

Finally, the temptation to assist certain individuals in class during assessment or testing is ever
present. In this case, it is best if the teacher does not administer the test himself if he believes that
such a concern may, at a later time, be considered unethical.

Ethical Obligation

 professional competency
 integrity
 honesty
 confidentially
 objectivity
 public safety
 fairness