Visuals in Assessment Development and Review
Visuals are images, charts, graphs, diagrams, tables, maps, or other non-text elements included in assessment questions to either support student understanding or serve as the content students must analyze to demonstrate their knowledge.
Purpose-Driven Selection: Include visuals only when they serve a clear assessment purpose. Use charts and graphs when testing data analysis skills, diagrams when assessing scientific processes, or maps when evaluating geographic knowledge. Don’t add decorative images that don’t contribute to measuring the standard – they can distract students from the actual question.
Clarity and Quality: Ensure all visuals are clear, high-resolution, and easy to interpret. Labels should be readable, colors should be distinguishable, and scale should be appropriate. If students can’t clearly see or understand the visual, they can’t demonstrate their knowledge about it.
Accessibility: Consider students with visual impairments or color blindness. Avoid relying solely on color to convey information – use patterns, textures, or labels as well. Include alt-text descriptions when possible, and ensure visuals work in black and white if photocopied.
Grade-Level Appropriateness: Match visual complexity to student developmental levels. Elementary students need simpler charts with fewer data points, while older students can handle more complex infographics or detailed scientific diagrams.
Cultural Sensitivity: Choose visuals that are culturally inclusive and avoid images that might be unfamiliar to some student populations unless that specific knowledge is part of your standard.
When Developing Assessments Consider the Following:
Standard-Supporting Purpose: Include visuals only when they directly help students show proficiency in your targeted standard. If you’re assessing data analysis skills, include a relevant graph or table for students to interpret. If testing reading comprehension, don’t add decorative pictures that have nothing to do with the passage. Every visual should have a clear connection to what you’re measuring – ask yourself, “Does this visual help students demonstrate the specific skill or knowledge from my standard?”
Complete Information: Ensure your visual contains all the information students need to answer the question successfully. A graph should include proper titles, axis labels, units of measurement, and legends. A diagram should show all relevant parts with clear labels. Students shouldn’t have to guess what missing information might be – if they need it to demonstrate proficiency, include it in the visual.
Legible and Uncluttered: Create or select visuals that are easy to read and interpret. Remove unnecessary decorative elements, busy backgrounds, or confusing details that don’t serve the assessment purpose. Text should be large enough to read clearly, lines should be distinct, and important information should stand out. Avoid cramming too much information into one visual – if it looks overwhelming, students may struggle to focus on what you’re actually testing.
During Item Analysis Review:
Examine whether students struggle with questions due to visual interpretation problems rather than content knowledge. If students consistently misread graphs or charts, consider whether the visual needs simplification or clearer labeling.
Look for patterns where students from certain backgrounds have difficulty with visual elements, which might indicate cultural bias or accessibility issues.
Your goal:
Visuals should enhance students’ ability to demonstrate their knowledge by providing clear, necessary information that directly supports the assessment of your intended standard. Every visual should be a necessary, clear tool that enables students to show their understanding of your learning standard.