ABSTRACT
In developing assessments for use in gathering evidence about student learning, a first step is to review the SLO learning trajectory and the SLO descriptor for each stage in the trajectory. Qualities to consider in an assessment task include the content difficulty, cognitive demand, and the context. Additional qualities to consider in selecting or writing a task include complexity, meaningfulness, motivational qualities, and connectedness to students’ lives outside of school. Developing the task to reflect the diversity of the classroom can assist in controlling bias. Also, develop a continuum of tasks that contribute to the development of the skills in the SLO learning goal.
