Decision-making is an administrative role of choosing from various options after a critical assessment. In education, assessments are the basis of decision-making during the teaching process. The schoolwide data is examined at the top management level to determine whether and how to alter the curriculum based on the students’ strengths and weaknesses. Assessments provide relevant information for decisions at the classroom level, particularly regarding the academic course of action. Uncertainty forces are the risks that affect valuable judgment and decision-making (Stanford-Moore, 2022). Depending on the purpose of the assessment, it may be diagnostic, formative, interim, or summative.
Making a judgment based on one assessment may be misleading in education systems. First, one test has limited credibility since the work assessed may not be the learner’s own work (Hough, 2019). Moreover, a single assessment might be unfair since it is shallow and not based on the agreed standards. Multi-assessment decision-making in the classroom context is extensive and allows for a considerable proportion of students who don’t perform on a single test. For instance, a student having a bad assessment day affects performance, but the results of other assessments will help the student recover. A variety of assessments provide a summative evaluation to indicate progress and determine the most effective student learning methods.
In the formative, teacher-based classroom, assessment is used as a judgment tool rather than a measurement tool. The judgments affect the teaching approach, methods, topics, and technical and psychometric properties (Hough, 2019). Multi-criteria assessment breaks down the quality standards of learning in various approaches and topics hence providing insights on redesigning classroom teaching. Evaluative and inferential judgment is the epistemic core of multi-criteria assessment in decision making. Assessments are an integral part of decision-making and ensure the academic goals are being met.
References
Hough, J., Levan, D., Steele, M., Kelly, K., & Dalton, M. (2019). Simulation-based education improves student self-efficacy in physiotherapy assessment and management of paediatric patients. BMC medical education, 19(1), 1-11.
Phung, D. V., & Michell, M. (2022). Inside teacher assessment decision-making: From judgement gestalts to assessment pathways. Frontiers in Education, 7.
Sanford-Moore, E. E. Assessment Features That Make a Difference When Examining Growth.Â