ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on tests that measure the knowledge acquired from classroom instruction. The tests are based on the theory of schemas, which underlies much recent research in cognitive psychology. The tests reflect the nature of the subject domain, the instruction about it, and the desired structure of the learner's knowledge about that domain. They are related to the domain and the student through a model of cognition that depicts the essential characteristics of the subject domain and the student's knowledge of it. Their structure and contents are designed to utilize aspects of the structure of longterm memory that are usually ignored. To show how this is applicable, I begin by developing the schema theory that underlies the model. Next, I describe how the theory guides test development and interpretation. Finally, I provide an example from the domain of arithmetic word problems, in which students receive schema-based instruction and are assessed through schema-based tests.
