Knowledge Survey Assessment (Ksa) Is

Knowledge Survey Assessment (KSA) is a great resource for measuring the level of development in intellectual learning. It allows students to continuously improve their learning as part of a course curriculum. While at the same time enhances the curriculum by providing structure and planning (Wirth, 2004). The teachers using this tool are able to deliver course information that is aligned to course content and includes the best practices for successful assessment.

Knowledge Assessment or surveys are a method to evaluate how well students have studied or conscientiously prepared themselves as well as how accurately the material was taught. An Assessment contains an itemized questionnaire about the course content according to Nuhfer one of the founders of the method (1996). The survey does not require direct answers but instead asks the student if they feel capable of answering the questions. In this way an evaluation of the knowledge of the answer is the information that is being judged rather than the actual answers.

For example a valid response is that "I could find the answer in the text," or "I would not be able to answer this" (Nuhfer, 1996). This type of Assessment has been evaluated with the results being significantly similar to an actual test where a direct answer to course material is sought. The Knowledge Assessment is viable when it is necessary to know the expected results of a specific curriculum in order to make a decision about the use of a particular text or course of study by faculty.

In this way the course of study can be mapped out that will lead to a successful progress report for the efforts of the student and the teacher (Nuhfer & Knipp, 2003). Considering the validity of a KA for a chosen profession requires no unique characteristics as long as the course material has a tangible format that can be articulated through the written "word, numeric expressions, pictorially, or through audible sound" (Wirth, 2004). The Knowledge Survey Assessment is well documented as beneficial to and adaptable to nearly every professional discipline.

One way of measuring the data or results from an Assessment to make decisions is based on Benjamin Bloom's education classification system (1956). Benjamin Bloom a researcher in the field of education established a total of six levels of cognition required to achieve effective learning. The six stages are called Bloom's Taxonomy (Wirth, 2004). There are certain areas of learning that are key to a KSA. These areas of cognition include, the level of comprehension, analysis, applicability, synthesis or critical process, knowledge, and evaluation according to Bloom (Wirth, 2004).

These core areas of cognitive thinking were developed by Bloom who created certain tables and scales of measuring KSA effectiveness. Bloom set up the tables with questions that pinpoint a measurement that determines whether the cognition level or key has been successful.

For example to measure cognition in comprehension, the measurement would be understanding "how the wiring in the brain can change with age and use." This kind of KA could be useful in a social science discipline where understanding how violent video games affect children over time may be the topic being taught (Wirth, 2004). By the same token to evaluate application would require if the employment of "critical thinking" is evident in a writing example (Wirth, 2004).

This data is then used to make decisions regarding the effectiveness of teaching managerial material used to train students in how to analyze a case study example. Though Bloom's taxonomy offers a guideline for measuring the success of a Knowledge Assessment there are other evaluations that may be more effective depending on the type of discipline. The Function or value of a Knowledge Assessment is to appraise the student's ability to answer test questions. It is not to actually test the student. It is primarily a survey.

Usually the KA is done at the beginning or end of the course to judge how well teachers were able to teach course content (Wirth, 2004). Much like a course evaluation. This assessment was chosen because it allows the teacher to document a process to evaluate how effective a syllabus, course teaching, or lesson plan is laid out and administered to students. It systematically sets objectives for the course then logically maps out a plan to teach the concepts required to meet those objectives.

The KA benefits students in several ways as well, first it allows a student to evaluate their own progress in learning course material. A Knowledge Survey Assessment also gives students access to the class content as well as full disclosure of the objectives required to complete the course. It is gives some control to the student over what they are learning in a course (Wirth, 2004). Much like a detailed syllabus which is a roadmap of what is required of the student, the Knowledge.