Assessing computational learning in K-12

Abstract

As computing curricula continue to make their way into K-12 schools, the issue of assessing student learning of computational concepts remains a thorny one. This paper describes the multiple forms of assessments used in a 6-week middle school curriculum with the goal of capturing a holistic view of student learning. A key aspect of this research is the use of instruments developed and shared in prior research. Included among these were several questions used in an Israeli nationwide exam to test middle school student learning of programming in Scratch. This paper reports on the use of the curriculum in two studies conducted in a public US middle school classroom, and compares performances of these students with those reported by the Israeli Ministry of Education in their large-scale study. It also argues for multiple modes of assessment of computational learning in K-12 settings.