A Model of Alternative Embedded Assessment in a Pull-Out Enrichment Program for the Gifted

Abstract

Commonly, pullout programs, which are the most common means of fostering gifted students in Israel, include only generic summative assessment of the students. The main goal of this study was to develop a model of alternative embedded assessment and to examine its influence on the learning process. A group of middle school students who participated in the ‘Brain Research’ program was engaged in project-based learning and implemented self, peer and expert-assessment in various stages of the project. The findings indicate that the students' perception of assessment expresses the cognitive as well as the affective aspects, which constitutes the assessment model, and that the embedded assessment encouraged the application of critical thinking, reflective thinking and inquiry skills and enhanced learning within a social context.