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Multiple-sources of
information are needed.
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The on-line tests, as
with any test, should be considered one of several sources of information
used to make decisions or assign grades.
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•A single test should never be used for important
decisions (e.g. course grade).
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•Instructors should consider other sources of information
including performance on the hands-on skills exam and other indicators of
classroom performance.
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Hands-on
performance is needed as well.
As currently designed, the on-line exams primarily provide information about
a student's knowledge about networking concepts and procedures. To
appropriately assess the total set of knowledge, skills and abilities of the
student, it is essential that hands-on assessments (cabling, router
configuration) be used in the classroom as well.
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Assessments serve
multiple purposes.
The purpose of an assessment determines the appropriate design and use. A
test designed for one purpose (for example, giving instant feedback about
knowledge of a specific fact) may need to be very different from a test
designed for another purpose (for example, summing up knowledge from a whole
course for comparison with other students). The first type of assessment is
more like the quizzes in the Networking Academy Program
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The information
from the test needs to be interpreted relative to local conditions.
The
information gained from the test generally tells us the proportion of
questions the student answers correctly. However, if the class did not cover
a certain topic or had insufficient time to complete a lesson, the students
would undoubtedly receive a lower score than they would otherwise. In such
situations the instructor needs to carefully consider adjusting the grade the
student is given to reflect the student's growth. The actual scores of the
test cannot be edited in the gradebook; however, the instructor may consider
using the Custom Scores function in the gradebook to modify grades and
reflect adjustments to classroom circumstances
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