A New Vision of the Nature and Purposes of Assessment in the Mathematics Classroom

Publisher Summary This chapter is dedicated to the discussion of the role of assessment in mathematics classroom. As the view of the nature and purpose of school mathematics has changed, so too has the view of the nature and purpose of assessment. The chapter presents certain “alternative” assessment tasks, which have appeared in recent mathematics assessment documents. These tasks illustrate just how radically different contemporary mathematics assessments have become. The chapter focuses on the fact that school mathematics assessment has changed to ensure consistency with the goals of school mathematics curricula and instruction. The chapter is intended as an introduction to tile nature and extent of the changes that have taken place over the past 10 years. It is organized around six themes. It explores the changing nature of school mathematics and mathematics assessment. The forces driving the changes in assessment are described. Various promising classroom assessment techniques are outlined. The chapter also discusses building a theory of mathematics assessment, research findings, and ideas for debate. Finally, the chapter concludes that as we approach the new millennium, the mathematics education community is formulating a new vision of mathematics education. Changes in assessment are an integral part of this new vision.

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