Chapter 9: The Role of Technology in Enhancing Assessment and Pedagogical Practices in Special Education During the Pandemic

Assessment is important in finding out what students know or do not know and in informing teachers on what teaching methods are helping students learn and those that might need to be modified or changed. In other words, assessment facilitates the learning process, summarizes the current state of knowledge in students, and actually measures the effectiveness of the teacher. To a large measure, assessment is a powerful tool used to inform teachers on how students and themselves are doing; and how it plays an important role in the teaching-learning process (Broadfoot & Black, 2004; Hodges et al., 2014). In the educational context, assessment is broadly conceptualized as an ongoing process of gathering evidence of learning, interpreting it, and acting on this evidence to improve future learning and performance (Bennett, 2011; Stiggins, 2002). To be effective, assessment needs to be embedded in teaching and learning processes mediated by the tools used in assessment. This is an important function for teachers.