Evaluate learner understanding with the Programming with Python assessments
Evaluating learners’ understanding is crucial. Minecraft Education’s computer science curriculum includes both formative and summative assessments.
Formative assessment is a well-proven method for educators to evaluate learner progress and adjust teaching to ensure each learner develops proficiency in the content or skills taught. In the Minecraft Education computer science curriculum, learners complete formative assessment questions at the end of each activity. Review the formative assessment questions for All That Syntax lesson as an example of these questions.
In addition to the formative assessment questions found in the lessons, the tutorials found in Minecraft’s Python lessons allow learners to evaluate where they need support and use the tutorials available. Refer to the video to learn more about the integrated development environments in Minecraft and how they support learners’ understanding of Python syntax.
Summative assessments are activities completed at the end of a unit to determine learners’ proficiency in the content or skills taught. Minecraft Education’s computer science curriculum incorporates a performance-based assessment at the end of each unit. Learners work collaboratively to complete a performance task. To learn how the performance task is structured and evaluated, review the summative assessment for the Programming with Python unit.
Introduce coding in Minecraft Education discussed how learners prepare for formative and summative assessments by keeping a code journal in OneNote, documenting the programs they create in each activity and journaling about their process. It also featured the use of the collaboration space in OneNote or shared Word document to help learners learn from each other with code circles or code critiques. After completing the performance-based task with their peers, educators may extend the summative assessment by asking learners to demonstrate what they learned and explain the progress they made. Flip is a wonderful tool for educators to use with learners for their reflection on a performance-based task, or any coding lesson. Flip allows learners to reflect on their learning and showcase their programs. Learners may record their reflections, with screen recordings for their code solutions, directly in the Flip topic created by the educator.