IMPORTANCE OF DIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENTS AS A PRECURSOR TO DIFFERENTIATED LEARNING Ksha a Chak a a th I porta e of Diag osi Assess e ts Assess e ts a e esse ial to dete i e ho u h a hild has lea t. The a e e ui ed i o de to p o ide a o plete pi tu e of lea i g, i fo aio o lea i g p og ess of the stude t, to diag ose spe ii st e gths a d eak esses i a stude t s lea i g, a d to oi ate fu the lea i g. Assess e t is a o i uous a d a o goi g p o ess. Diag osi assess e ts help to i d out the thought p o ess of the hild, his easo i g fo a pa i ula a s e. The help dete i e the le el of k o ledge a d skill of the hild. I ou loud ased Adapai e Math Lea i g Tool alled Mi dspa k a diag osi test o de i al o pa iso has ee i t odu ed ased o esea h D. Ka e ta e f o The U i e sit of Mel ou e, Aust alia. The test, alled De i al Co pa iso Test DCT, hi h has ee ate pted o e stude ts i ea s, lassiies stude ts i to a ious is o epio odes ased o thei thi ki g hile o pa i g pai s of de i als. The a e take th ough spe ii e edial paths a d i all gi e a post -DCT to he k thei lea i g. DCT De i al Co pariso Test : tude ts u de sta di g of de i al u e aio is apped usi g a sho t test alled the De i al Co pa iso Test DCT, he e stude ts ha e to hoose the la ge u e f o ea h of pai s of de i als. The pai s a e a efull hose so that f o the pate s of espo ses, a stude t s is u de sta di g a e diag osed as elo gi g to o e of a u e of lassii aio s e io ed late sho i tep i Figu e A Figu e A: Illust ated Flo of stude ts i Mi dspa k s De i al odule
This is follo ed a ga e alled Hidde Nu e s he e stude ts a e p ese ted ith t o de i al u e s ith digits hidde ehi d losed doo s; the task is to i d hi h u e is la ge ope i g as fe doo s as possi le. e ui i g si ila k o ledge to that e ui ed fo the su ess o DCT, the ga e also highlights the pla e alue p ope t that the ost sig ii a t digits a e those to the let. sho i tep i Figu e A The ga e helps us disi guish the t o ajo a s of thi ki g stude ts ha e- lo ge is la ge the g eate the le gth of the de i al,the la ge its alue a d sho te is la ge the lesse the le gth of the de i al, the la ge its alue. Fu the spe ii uesio s a d espo se of the stude t help us ide if the logi ehi d thei thi ki g. Based o the is o epio u ket the stude t is lassiied i to, he/ she is p ese ted ith a spe ii o de of uesio s a d lea i g ga es that ill help lea his/ he is o epio s. Classii aio a d details of the ode: PRIMARY SECONDARY HOW DOES THE STUDENT THINK? SO.. WHAT S MISCONCEPTION MISCONCEPTION HIS/ HER ANSWER? TYPE TYPE Whole u e T eats de i al po io as a othe hole u e.. <. as < thi ki g L,L Nu e ato fo used thi ki g hooses. >. as >, hile t i g le gth thi ki g hooses. <. as has digits a d has t o. Lo ge - is- la ge L )e o- akes- s alle ate a de i al poi t akes the u e s alle. Co e tl hooses thi ki g + Colu Co side s. as te ths a d. as te ths.. <. ut O e lo Thi ki g L,L i o e tl hooses. <. as te ths < te ths. e e se thi ki g L,L Belie es ight ost olu s ha e la gest pla e alue,. <. as hu d ed so o pa es f o the ight- ost olu i st. te s > te s ho te - is- la ge De o i ato fo used eads a o e digit de i al as a u e of te ths,. >. thi ki g, a t o digit de i al as a u e of hu d edths a d. >. the i o e tl ge e alises the fa t that te th is g eate tha hu d edth to a u e i the te ths is g eate tha a u e i the hu d edths. e ip o al thi ki g o T eats de i al po io as so ethi g a alogous to. <. egai e thi ki g, the de o i ato of a f a io o as a u e o as / < / o as the othe side of ze o o less tha ze o. - < -. Difere t groups of de i al pairs to help lassify the stude ts ** To disi guish et ee the L* fails g oup, passes g oup a d *- t pe passes g oup, fails g oup. /. G OUP. /. To disi guish a o g L,L * fails g oup, passes g oup, L,L * passes oth g oup a d a d L,L * fails oth g oup a d.. /.. /. 74 Lea i g Cu e, August
To disi guish et ee * fails g oup, passes g oup a d * fails oth g oup a d.. /.. /. ** efe to appe di fo details o ho the u e s a e ge e ated i ea h g oup Re ediaio The e ediaio path, o e is o epio odes a e ge e ated, o sists of lea i g u its o de i als o epts hi h is i ed as ell as e tai ga es depe da t o the is o epio ode that help stude ts lea the fu a a d lea thei is o epio s. Fo e a ple, a stude t ho has got the ode L,L Whole Nu e Thi ke s ill i iiall get a ga e alled De i alie s hi h is a lassi shooi g ga e desig ed to li k a ious ep ese taio s of the alue of digits i a de i al u e. Fo e a ple, the i the u e. is to e ide iied as ep ese i g te ths,., / as ell as i o e dii ult ep ese taio s e ui i g eu iisi g as hu d edths, thousa dths. tude ts ith hole u e thi ki g ill e helped this ga e he e the ealize that the pla e alue of i. is. a d ot as pe ei ed hole u e thi ke s. This is follo ed a ga e alled Fl i g Photog aphe ate ate pi g a fe uesio s o de i als he e stude ts photog aph a a i al li ki g he a heli opte passes a spe iied u e o a u e li e. This task e ui es u de sta di g of de i al u e aio a d elai e size of de i al u e s. Whole u e thi ke s usuall e pe t. to e e la ge a d a e su p ised to see it lose to ze o. The e t ga e that appea s agai ate o ki g o so e uesio s o de i als is Nu e Bet ee. The ga e is pla ed o a u e li e, he e stude ts ha e to t pe i a u e et ee a gi e pai of e d poi ts. The ai situaio hi h p odu es e o s is that a stude ts i ludi g hole u e thi ke s a e u a le to i se t a u e et ee, sa,. a d. as the thi k these a e o se ui e u e s. I o e of the stude t t ials, stude ts e e ade to pla the ga e agai ate the had i ished a d this i e the e e a le to pla e a u e et ee. a d. a d also e plai f o hat the o se ed that. a d. a e the sa e as. a d. espe i el a d he e. ould o e i et ee. Wo ki g o o e uesio s like this, he e the s ste sho s de i als that e ist et ee the gi e de i als, halle ges thei thi ki g a d a stude ts a e a le to look at de i als i the t ue light. O e stude ts ha e o pleted thei e ediaio path, the ha e a post- DCT pai s of de i als he e the la ge de i al should e hose de i als d a i all ge e ated to e o d the odes agai a d he k i p o e e t if a. The o heade s o espo d to the is o epio odes i p e test a d olu heade s o espo d to is o epio odes i post test. 75
O ser aio s: oughl % of the stude ts a e Appa e t E pe ts AE i o pa iso of de i als. LL )e o- akes s alle + Colu o e lo a d De o i ato Fo used Thi ki g see to e the ajo is o epio s a o g stude ts ith % a d % p o i e e espe i el. Out of stude ts i LL p e, e ai ed i LL hile o ed to AE i the post test. ha e o ed to atego. Out of stude ts i p e, e ai ed i hile o ed to AE i the post test. ha e o ed to L atego. Stude t I ter ie O ser aio s: tude ts used a ious ethods/ thi ki g to o pa e t o de i als- Gi e de i als, see hi h o e is lose to the e t hole u e o hat should e added to i g it to the e t hole u e tude ts a o a ot a s e o e tl ith this easo i g. Add ze oes to ake the de i als of the sa e st i g le gth a d the o pa e the. Co pa e the hole u e. If sa e o pa e the te ths, hu d edths et i that o de. Fe e digits is the g eate de i al. o e a lea l e plai this is e ause te ths is g eate tha hu d edths Ate the de i al poi t the u e hi h is lesse is the g eate de i al. He e the look at the alue he eas i the p e ious ase the look at the u e of digits ate the poi t. Ha d ite espo ses of so e stude ts a out ho the hoose the la ge de i al i a gi e pai. Poi ts to o side fo Ve sio The u e t fo at does ot lassif a stude t i to dife e t is o epio s. He is eithe put u de UN U lassiied atego o, i ase he is lassiied u de L o a d the e has uliple o g u de sta di gs, is lassiied i to L,UN a d,un espe i el. A p o isio to let stude ts e lassiied i to o e tha o e is o epio t pe should e o side ed. Hidde Nu e s a e used as a diag osi test i the iddle of the e edial path to he k fo stude t s lea i g a d u de sta di g ate a ouple of ga es, so that the path a e odiied i ase his is o epio has shited f o o e to the othe du i g the ou se of e ediaio. 76 Lea i g Cu e, August
Appe di A.A 1 A.A is the la ge de i al u e B.B 1 B.B is the s alle de i al u e GROUP EXAMPLES DESCRIPTION. /. A 1 +, B f ee o A 1 + & B < L-. /. X, Y elo g to [, ], keep < G OUP. /. A 1 +, o A 1 + & B < L-. /. X elo gs to [, ], Y elo gs to [, ] keep >.. /. B 1 =, A 1 <= B, X, Y elo g to [, ], keep <. /.. /. A 1 <, A = B <, A <, B < A, keep >. /.. /. A 1, X, Y elo g to [, ], keep =. /.. /. A 1 +, A < B, A < B, =. /. Kshama has a Master s degree i Mathe ai s fro IIT Madras. She as a Edu aio al Spe ialist at Edu aio al I iiai es P t. Ltd. for 3 ears i the o te t de elop e t tea of Mi dspark, a o puter ased lear i g progra e for stude ts fro Classes to, i Mathe ai s. Her ork i luded uilizi g e perise to de elop oferi gs that ould help i i pro i g tea hi g a d lear i g sta dards i s hools de elopi g i o ai e tests a d e er ises, orga isi g orkshops, de elopi g i o ai e tea hi g aterials a d produ io of resear h reports. She ill soo e pursui g the M.A i Edu aio progra e at Azi Pre ji U i ersit, Ba galore. She a e o ta ted at ksha a. hakra arth @ei-i dia. o 77