week eleven, reliable evaluations

In the Session 11: Validity and Reliability discussion folder, consider and discuss the following:

• How would you know when an instrument is valid?
• How would you know when an instrument is reliable?

"We must select the specific evaluation techniques based, first and foremost, on the nature of the expected learning. Evaluation techniques must provide evidence of learning; therefore the evaluation task must allow for the expression of the kind of learning involved." (Cranton, 2000)
I think that this quote says it all. Valid instruments must reflect what we expect the students to learn, they must provide hard evidence of that learning and they must align with the kind of learning (domain and levels within the domains). If the technique does not align with all of these factors it will not be valid nor reliable. Evaluation tools developed with thoughtful consideration will benefit our learners as they will understand what they are required to accomplish and ultimately what they have been able to accomplish. Well developed tools will benefit us as evaluators as it will be made easier to judge the work of our learners in a fair and credible manner.
C.