When Do We Know What a Child Knows?

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Abstract
In Assessing the individual’s knowledge involves sampling in areas of (1) the class of items and (2) the class of responses. If one samples an individual’s knowledge base with decontextualized items, the response is a better indication of knowledge since it is not dependent on extra dimensional support, i.e., reflects generalization not tied to a particular context. On the other hand, if tasks demand similar processes but vary in form of presentation, we should examine the meaning and significance of form. The context in which the item is presented alters the very nature of that item by a virtue of necessitated situational constraints or facilitators. Accordingly, our task is to define the context variables in order to discover what questions influence the expression of knowledge: why the child solves a problem in one context and not in another; and, how much of the context must be included in the evaluation and what that context should be. The answers must come from three kinds of considerations: (1) task-oriented criteria; (2) motivational elements, and (3) the relationship between personality and performance.

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