What it highlights:
* Relative strengths and weaknesses: Rather than focusing on absolute mastery of a subject, a norm-referenced reflection emphasizes where a student stands compared to others. A student might be "above average" in one area and "below average" in another, regardless of their absolute score.
* Rank and percentile: Reflections often include the student's rank (e.g., top 10%) or percentile (e.g., 85th percentile), clearly indicating their position within the group.
* Competition and motivation: This type of assessment can foster competition and motivate some students to strive for higher rankings. However, it can also lead to anxiety and a focus on outperforming others rather than on individual growth.
* Identification of high and low achievers: It's effective at quickly identifying students who are excelling and those who require extra support. This allows for targeted interventions.
* Program evaluation: Norm-referenced tests can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of a program by comparing the performance of students who participated in the program to a control group.
Limitations highlighted in reflection:
* Lack of absolute performance information: The reflection might not tell you how much a student actually knows or can do. A high percentile in a low-achieving group still represents a low level of absolute mastery.
* Potential for unfair comparisons: The comparison group significantly influences the results. If the comparison group is exceptionally strong, a student may appear to perform poorly even if their absolute score is quite good. Similarly, a weak comparison group can inflate a student's perceived performance.
* Limited diagnostic information: Norm-referenced assessments rarely provide detailed information about *why* a student is performing at a certain level. It doesn't pinpoint specific areas of weakness or strength for targeted instruction.
* Focus on competition over collaboration: The emphasis on ranking can discourage collaboration and teamwork, as students might focus on individual achievement rather than collective learning.
* Potential for negative impact on student self-esteem: Students who consistently score lower than their peers may experience decreased self-esteem and motivation.
In summary, reflecting on norm-oriented assessment requires considering both the student's relative position within the group and the limitations of this type of assessment in providing a complete picture of their learning. A balanced reflection would include both the student's rank and an understanding of the context and limitations of the assessment itself.