Open AccessKey Practices in the English Language Arts ( ELA ): Linking Learning Theory, Assessment, and Instruction
Author(s) -
Deane Paul,
Sabatini John,
Feng Gary,
Sparks Jesse,
Song Yi,
Fowles Mary,
O'Reilly Tenaha,
Jueds Katherine,
Krovetz Robert,
Foley Colleen
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
ets research report series
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.235
H-Index - 5
ISSN - 2330-8516
DOI - 10.1002/ets2.12063
Subject(s) - context (archaeology) , key (lock) , computer science , literacy , mathematics education , task (project management) , learning theory , reading (process) , pedagogy , psychology , linguistics , engineering , paleontology , computer security , biology , philosophy , systems engineering
This paper presents a framework intended to link the following assessment development concepts into a systematic framework: evidence‐centered design ( ECD ), scenario‐based assessment ( SBA ), and assessment of, for, and as learning. The context within which we develop this framework is the English language arts ( ELA ) for K‐12 students, though the framework could easily be applied to cover reading, writing, and critical thinking skills from pre‐K through college. Central to the framework is the concept of a key practice , drawn from constructivist learning theory, which emphasizes the purposeful social context within which skills are recruited and organized to carry out complex literacy tasks. We argue that key practices provide a key link between existing CBAL ™ ELA learning progressions (defined as part of a student model for literacy skills) and the structure of well‐designed SBAs . This structure enables us to design assessments that model a key practice, supporting the systematic creation of task sequences that can be used to support both instruction and assessment.