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This page provides real-world examples of simple strategies for
meeting several key assessment purposes which are commonly found
in college courses. Included with each example are brief descriptions
of how the assessment strategy was developed and how it was used
in order to improve student learning.
1. Stating expected student learning
outcomes
2. Assessing students’ prior
knowledge
3. Providing feedback on student
learning
4. Seeking learners’ formative
feedback on instruction and learning
5. Assessing students’ procedural
knowledge
6. Assessing student performance
on end-of-course learning outcomes
7. Student self-assessment of learning
outcomes
Note: One excellent resource for additional examples and
discussion is: Angelo, T. A., & Cross, P. K. (Eds.). (1993).
Classroom assessment techniques: A handbook for college teachers
(2nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. (referred to as A&C
on remainder of this page)
Purpose: Making explicit,
and communicating about, the expected student learning outcomes
for a course (see also A&C, pp. 20-23)
Example: http://www4.nau.edu/assessment/main/course/english688ex.htm
How Developed: Developed by instructor
after consulting degree-program expectations for the course, values
of the profession and academic discipline, learners’ needs,
and instructor’s own teaching goals. Results stated as comprehensive
and concrete representations of what students are expected to know
or be able to do, what kinds of actions and thinking they should
engage in, what they should learn as a result of the course.
How Used: Learning outcomes used to focus
curriculum & instruction; guide assessment practices; communicate
to students and others about the learning that is valued and should
be achieved in the course. Outcomes posted in the course syllabus,
explained to students, and linked with particular instructional
units throughout the course.
Purpose: Assessing students’ prior
knowledge, background, preparation in order to tailor instruction,
recommend individual remediation, investigate learning gains (see
also A&C, pp. 121-125)
Example: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=79531176614
Tool: http://www.surveymonkey.com
[low-cost commercial survey design and web hosting application]
How Developed: Sets of functional technological
skills and critical/analytic skills were identified within the expected
learning outcomes and curricular emphases for two English writing
courses. In order to determine level and range of students’
incoming skills in these areas, self-assessment items were created
and administered via an online assessment instrument. (for further
details, see related report: http://www4.nau.edu/assessment/main/liberal/TechnologyLiteracySurvey.pdf)
How Used: Pre- and post-semester
results analyzed for patterns of strength and need in students’
skills. Semester-intake findings used by individual instructors
for revising instructional emphases for each class section and for
providing additional resources to individual students with distinct
learning needs. Overall pre-post findings used by curriculum developers
for revising course curriculum and instruction to better meet student
learning needs and for charting student learning outcomes.
Purpose: Assessing students’ learning
of content knowledge for providing immediate feedback to students
(to focus study efforts) (see also A&C, pp. 121-158).
Example:
http://school.discovery.com/quizzes21/norrisjm/AssessmentConcepts.html
Tool: http://school.discovery.com
[cost-free quiz design and web-hosting site]
How Developed: Instructor of graduate
Language Testing course identified key assessment concepts that
students should be able to recognize instantaneously when encountered
in articles and documents. Multiple choice items for each concept
were developed and posted using an online quiz application, such
that students could use the assessment outside of class as a means
for checking their own learning and focusing their study efforts.
How Used: Students accessed the quiz
online in order to test their concept recognition, and they received
immediate automated feedback on those concepts for which they needed
additional study.
Purpose: Students evaluate instructional
effectiveness during course in order to identify areas in need of
immediate adjustment for improving their learning (see also A&C,
pp. 330-338)
Example: http://www.wcer.wisc.edu/salgains/instructor
[Note: From SALG home page, click on “Enter as a guest”,
then “See Examples”, then “Second Language Studies”
example]
Tool: http://www.wcer.wisc.edu/salgains/instructor
[cost-free survey design and web hosting application]
How Developed: Instructor for this graduate
course on Language Program Evaluation created three simple questions
for gathering individual student impressions of course features that
help or hinder learning and those in need of change. In addition,
instructor asked for student perspectives on course concepts about
which they felt uncertain. Questions were administered mid-semester
using a free online tool, in order to gather anonymous and immediately
useful data. (see related workshop information at: http://www4.nau.edu/assessment/oaa/services/salg.htm)
How Used: Instructor analyzed results,
looking for patterns of response on each question. Findings were
presented to students, highlighting both common suggestions and
areas of apparent disagreement among students. Instructor and students
negotiated changes in course features which were: (a) feasible,
given learning expectations for the course; (b) agreeable to all
constituents.
Purpose: Assessing students’ procedural
knowledge for accuracy and efficiency in performance, in order to
provide instructor with feedback about what learners have acquired
and still need to acquire (see also A&C, pp. 222-225).
Example: Language
Test Analysis and Procedural Knowledge Logs
Tool: Microsoft Excel
How Developed: Based on key skills/knowledge
outcomes for graduate Language Testing course (the use of Microsoft
Excel for analyzing quantitative test data), instructor devised
performance assessment requiring students to apply knowledge of
Excel for analyzing test data. Experience had also shown that students
often miss procedural details in learning how to use Excel. Therefore,
in order to assess not only students’ work products but also
how they completed the work, procedural logs were devised to elicit
steps taken in performance.
How Used: Procedural logs were reviewed
by instructor to determine: (a) accuracy of students’ work
products; (b) accuracy of procedural steps taken to produce them;
(c) efficiency of steps taken. Where the instructor found inaccurate
work products linked to patterns of procedural inaccuracy across
students’ logs, these were revisited in class lessons. Where
individual students were inaccurate or inefficient in applying the
given skill/knowledge, the instructor provided individualized feedback
and resources for review.
Purpose: Cooperating teacher assessments
of student teachers’ performances based on intended learning
outcomes for several courses; used to review extent to which courses
are helping students to meet professional preparation expectations
(see also A&C, chapter 11).
Example: http://www4.nau.edu/assessment/oaainfo/technology/tech_solutions/Geology/login.asp
Tool: Microsoft FrontPage, Microsoft
Access
How developed: Department
of Geology faculty identified major professional preparation expectations
linked with teacher development courses in the Earth Sciences teaching
degree (covering science content areas, teaching methods, classroom
management). Quantitative ratings were devised for gathering cooperating
teacher assessments of students’ performances in the classroom,
and open-ended questions were included in order to access additional
clarifications and recommendations. Online administration of performance
assessment forms enables efficient input by cooperating teachers
at a variety of sites, as well as easy access and analysis by the
Geology Department.
How used: Geology program
faculty use findings for reviewing course- and degree-level learning
outcomes. Quantitative assessment data are compiled annually and
analyzed for patterns of strength/weakness in key content and method
outcomes. Findings are used to identify needed revisions in corresponding
courses and in overall curricular sequence. Open-ended comments
are used to inform the kinds of revisions undertaken.
Purpose: Self-assessment by students
of their own learning outcomes at the end of a course, for understanding
extent to which courses are helping students to meet expectations,
for soliciting students’ perspectives on value of course,
and for gathering feedback on needed improvements.
Example: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=33291142235
Tool: http://www.surveymonkey.com
[low-cost commercial survey design and web hosting application]
How developed: Instructor of a graduate
education course on Curriculum Construction generated overall expected
learning outcomes for the course. These outcomes (taken directly
from the syllabus) were included as additional items in the required
end-of-semester course evaluations, and students were asked to self-assess
their learning using a four-point rating scale. In addition, students
were asked to provide open-ended comments about their learning in
the course. The assessment was administered online, in order to
facilitate completion by distance students and in order to increase
efficiency of data retrieval, analysis, and use.
How used: Students’ quantitative
self-ratings were downloaded in readily available Microsoft Excel
files, and frequencies were tallied for responses to each point
on the rating scale for each learning outcome. These findings were
used to interpret the extent to which students perceived that they
had achieved learning expectations; where ratings were generally
low, or where students exhibited wide disagreement in their learning
assessments, the instructor reviewed the corresponding portions
of the syllabus. In addition, summary findings were conveyed to
the department chair for degree-program review purposes. Patterns
in open-ended responses were synthesized into recommendations for
revising the course curriculum and instruction.
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