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Assessment Strategies:

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Title: Assessment Strategies:


1
Assessment Strategies
  • An Integral Part of the Learning Process

Click on the arrows at the bottom of each screen
to move through the tutorial
2
Your take away
  • A working definition of assessment
  • Guidelines for assessment selection
  • Examples of formal and informal assessments
  • Tips for constructing effective tests
  • Ideas on how to weight graded items

3
Objectives
  • In this tutorial you will
  • Analyze the use of assessment as a process to
    promote student learning
  • Compare assessment selection and construction
    guidelines to currently used assessments
  • Implement formal and informal assessment
    techniques in your courses
  • Evaluate current assessment practices as they
    relate to promoting student learning

4
Handout
  • If you havent done so already, print out a copy
    of the handout to accompany this tutorial HERE

If you have a pop-up blocker, hold down the
shift key and click to access the link
5
What is Assessment?
  • Assessment is a process for obtaining
    information that is used for making decisions
    about students, curricula and programs, and
    educational policy(American Federation of
    Teachers, National Council on Measurement in
    Education, NEA)

6
Arent we missing something?
  • That definition didnt mention anything about
    grades

7
One part of the process
  • Determining grades is only one part of the
    assessment process
  • Well talk more about grades down the road a bit

8
Another viewpoint
  • Weimer (2002) describes evaluation as the process
    to generate grades but more importantly as a
    process to promote learning

9
What is Assessment?
  • Two key points of the definition go hand-in-hand
    for instructors. Assessment helps us
  • obtain information about student learning
  • make decisions about our teaching

- in order to promote learning!!
10
Assessment as process
  • Assessment, then, is a cyclical process that
    involves reflective decision-making throughout

11
Decisions, Decisions
  • Shavelson Stern found that teachers often make
    decisions about students at the rate of one every
    2 to 3 minutes!!! (1981)

12
What kinds of decisions? (Nitko 2001)
  • Before
  • During, and
  • After teaching

13
Decisions Before Teaching
  • What content do I need to cover?
  • What abilities of my students do I need to take
    into account?
  • What materials will I need?
  • What learning activities will stimulate learning?
  • What objectives do I want my students to achieve?
  • How should I organize and arrange students in my
    class?

14
Decisions During Teaching
  • Is the lesson going well?
  • Are they getting it?
  • What should I do to improve what is happening?
  • What feedback should I give them about their
    learning?
  • Are they ready to move onto the next topic?

15
Decisions After Teaching
  • Are they achieving the short and long-term
    objectives?
  • What strengths and weaknesses can I report about
    each student?
  • How will this be reflected in the students
    grade?
  • How effective was my teaching?
  • How effective was the curriculum/ material ?

16
Stop to reflect and apply
  • Use the worksheet in your handout to complete
    this activity
  • What could you add to the before, during, and
    after lists?
  • Activity 1
  • Reflect on these lists before you teach your next
    class
  • Use them before, during, and after your class
  • Write down things you hadnt noticed before in
    your teaching process
  • What modifications could you make to your next
    lesson based on what you have learned?

17
Getting Answers
  • to the
  • before
  • during, and
  • after teaching questions is part of the
    assessment process and helps us to make effective
    instructional decisionsthat support student
    learning

18
Supporting Student Success
  • These answers should give us information about
  • student progress AND
  • the effectiveness of our instruction

19
Sound Decisions?
  • We take this information and make decisions about
    our instruction
  • To make sure our decision-making process is
    sound, we need
  • accurate information
  • sound assessmenttechniques

20
Where to start?
  • Start by selecting the right kinds of tests/test
    items to assess the knowledge, skills, abilities
    you want your students to demonstrate
  • Construct effective exams/projects
  • Select graded elements carefully
  • Weigh individual grade elements appropriately
  • Use informal assessment techniques to assess
    student learning between exams

21
Five guidelines forassessment selection(Nitko
2001)
  • 1) Be clear about what you are assessing
  • What skill, knowledge, performance are you
    looking for?

22
Guidelines forassessment selection (Nitko 2001)
  • 2) Match the assessment technique to the skill,
    knowledge, performance you are looking for
  • Are you looking for evidence of problem-solving
    skills?
  • Then the assessment should be a problem to solve
    that documents the process, not a T/F exam

23
Guidelines forassessment selection (Nitko 2001)
  • 3) Choose assessments that give students
    information about their learning
  • How close are they to the target performance you
    have set for them?
  • What do they know and what needs improving?

24
Guidelines forassessment selection (Nitko 2001)
  • 4) When possible, use multiple indicators of
    performance
  • Measuring learning is a complex task
  • Each type of assessment has its limitations
  • Assess important skills in multiple ways to
    capture and document the true complexity of
    learning

25
Guidelines forassessment selection (Nitko 2001)
  • 5) Interpret results with care
  • Even if we do everything according to the
    guidelines, students can have an off day
    emotionally or physically
  • Our assessments may still need some tweaking
  • Follow the guidelines and then make the best
    decisions you can about learning and instruction

26
Stop to reflect and apply
  • Use the worksheet in your handout to complete
    this activity
  • Activity 2
  • Take one of your recent assessments and compare
    it to the 5 guidelines just presented
  • Is there anything that you could improve upon? If
    so, what?

27
Kinds of Assessment
  • Well look at two broad types of assessments
  • Informal assessments
  • Formal assessments

28
Informal Assessments
  • May take the form of
  • Oral questions, one-minute papers, Classroom
    Assessment Techniques, polls, surveys
  • Usually do not count towards a grade
  • Are used to find out whether students are
    getting it or not
  • May be done anonymously

29
Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs)
  • CATs are an important example of an informal
    assessment type
  • Thomas Angelo and Patricia Cross published in
    1994 the defining text on (CATs) for use in
    higher education
  • A copy of this text is available in the CTL
    Reserve section of the library on each campus

30
More about Classroom Assessment
Techniques(Bright Joyner 2004)
  • Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) are used
    by teachers to find out what students know.
    Teachers use this information to make more
    effective instructional decisions
  • Classroom assessment is a strategy that directly
    links teaching with learning

31
Why Classroom Assessment? (Bright Joyner 2004)
  • Bright Joyner examined over 250 research
    studies on the use of CATs
  • They found that this type of assessment led to
    significant learning gains that are among the
    largest ever reported for educational
    interventions

32
Classroom Assessment(Bright Joyner 2004)
  • When teachers understand what students know and
    can do, and when teachers use that knowledge to
    make more effective instructional decisions, the
    net result will be greater learning for students
    and a greater sense of satisfaction for teachers

33
Engaging Students
  • CATs are meant to engage students in their own
    learning
  • They give students regular and timely feedback
    about
  • what they should know
  • what they currently know and
  • ways to close the gap
  • They help students to become partners in the
    learning process

34
Informal Assessments
  • Read more about CATs by clicking HERE
  • Print the pages and select one or two of the
    techniques to use in the activity which follows

If you have a pop-up blocker, hold down the
shift key and click to access the link
35
Stop to reflect and apply
  • Activity 3 (Use the handout worksheet)
  • Select one of the Classroom Assessment Techniques
    described in the web article (or from another
    source such as Angelo Cross text).
  • Use them in a class (or how you would use them if
    you are not currently teaching)
  • Describe what you did and how it went
  • What did it tell you about your students
    learning?
  • Will you modify your next lesson because of it?
    If so, how?

36
Formal Assessments
  • May take the form of
  • Tests, exams, quizzes, portfolios, presentations,
    written work
  • Usually count toward a students grade
  • Click on and print the information contained in
    the links below to read more about formal
    assessment types
  • Link 1
  • Link 2 Pros/cons and tips for each

If you have a pop-up blocker, hold down the
shift key and click to access the links
37
Formal Assessments(Shepard 2003)
  • According to Shepard (2003), the single most
    important shared characteristic of assessments
    should be their alignment with curriculum
    standards
  • The tasks, problems, and projects in which
    students are engaged should represent the range
    and depth of what we say we want students to
    understand and be able to do

38
Stop to reflect and apply
  • Activity 4 (Use the handout worksheet)
  • Take a moment to consider the pros and cons of
    these assessment items relative to your content
    area
  • Multiple Choice
  • True/False
  • Essay
  • Matching
  • Problem Sets
  • Oral Exams
  • Performance Tests
  • Take Home Exam
  • Open Book
  • Portfolio - PSU Portfolio Gallery
  • How can you use them more effectively to promote
    student learning in your courses? Are they
    aligned with your course objectives?

If you have a pop-up blocker, hold down the
shift key and click to access the link
39
The next step
  • When you have
  • taught your lessons
  • used informal assessments to gauge student
    progress in class
  • modified your instruction as needed
  • thought about the kinds of assessment you will
    select that will help students demonstrate their
    learning and that match your objectives
  • Then its time to give a formal assessment

40
Constructing Effective Exams
  • Lets look at some tips on constructing an
    effective exam

41
Constructing Effective Exams (Davis 1999)
  • 1) Prepare new exams each time you teach a
    course
  • Keeps you up to date with the exact material
    covered and the topics emphasized

42
Constructing Effective Exams (Davis 1999)
  • 2) Make up test items throughout the term
  • This ensures that test items match the material
    actually covered in the course

43
Constructing Effective Exams (Davis 1999)
  • 3) Ask students to submit test questions
  • This gets students involved in the learning
    process
  • Students have to think about what is important
  • Faculty can help build academic skills by
    discussing the student-generated questions in a
    reflective way
  • What did they leave out and why?

44
Constructing Effective Exams (Davis 1999)
  • 4) Ask to use items from colleagues' exams at
    other institutions
  • Be careful about using those from your own
    campus. Students may be familiar with those exams

45
Constructing Effective Exams (Davis 1999)
  • 5) Consider making your tests cumulative
  • Requires students to review and reinforce their
    learning
  • Gives students a chance to integrate and
    synthesize material

46
Constructing Effective Exams (Davis 1999)
  • 6) Prepare clear instructions
  • Test them by asking a colleague or friend to read
    them for clarity

47
Constructing Effective Exams (Davis 1999)
  • 7) Try out the timing
  • Allow
  • one-half minute per item for true-false tests
  • one minute per item for multiple-choice tests
  • two minutes per short-answer
  • ten or fifteen minutes for a limited essay
  • about thirty minutes for a broader essay question
  • five or ten minutes for students to review their
    work
  • time to distribute and collect the tests

48
Constructing Effective Exams (Davis 1999)
  • 8) Include a few words of advice and
    encouragement on the exam
  • Suggest how much time to spend on each section
  • Wish them good luck!

49
Constructing Effective Exams (Davis 1999)
  • 9) Put some easy items first
  • Helps to overcome nervousness
  • Builds confidence
  • Helps you to identify who is really struggling
    with the material
  • 10) Challenge your best students
  • Include one question that really makes them think
  • Include it near the end of the exam

50
Constructing Effective Exams (Davis 1999)
  • 11) Give some thought to the layout of the test
  • Use margins, spacing, and white space to make it
    easy to read
  • Group similar types of questions together
  • Leave enough space for students to complete short
    answer and essay questions

51
Stop to reflect and apply
  • Use the worksheet in your handout to complete
    this activity
  • Activity 5
  • Compare a recent exam you constructed to the
    information in these tips
  • Can you improve upon the construction of your
    exams? How?

52
Afterwards Using exams topromote learning
(Weimer 2002)
  • Dont simply go over the exam afterwards
  • Debrief exams to reinforce and promote learning
  • Let students work in groups to solve some of the
    more difficult problems the exam presented
  • If students challenge certain questions,
    encourage them to prepare a rational,
    evidence-based argument
  • Celebrate successes and use them to build
    confidence

53
Afterwards Using exams topromote learning
(Shepard 2001)
  • Shepard (2001) states that feedback is most
    effective when it focuses on correcting mistakes
    in relation to the learning goals
  • A key role of the scaffolder is to summarize the
    progress that has been made and point out
    behaviors that led to the successes One type of
    feedback is pointing out the distinction between
    performance and the ideal another type of
    feedback is attributing success to effort and
    explicitly restating the concept that has been
    learned

54
Fostering a Learning Environment (Shepard 2001)
  • Shepard gives the following suggestions for
    fostering a learning environment
  • Focus efforts on developing competence
  • Provide diverse opportunities to demonstrate
    mastery
  • Adapt instruction to students knowledge and
    understanding

55
Fostering a Learning Environment (Shepard 2001)
  • Contd
  • Provide opportunities for students to take
    responsibility for learning
  • Make thinking visible in classroom discourse
  • Treat errors and mistakes as a normal part of
    learning

56
Fostering a Learning Environment (Shepard 2001)
  • Contd
  • Evaluate progress as well as outcomes
  • Help students learn the meaning of criteria for
    good work
  • Provide opportunities for students to improve
    competence based on feedback
  • Work to change student attitudes from getting
    grades to increasing learning

57
A moment about grades (Nitko 2001)
  • Grades communicate more than student progress
  • They communicate your values about what goes on
    in your classroom
  • Think about this Do you
  • Give grades for attendance?
  • Give cumulative exams?
  • Offer more than one kind of way to earn a grade?
  • What do your grading practices say regarding your
    values about learning?

58
The downside about grades (Weimer 2002)
  • Pressure for good grades can lead to extensive
    cheating
  • Grades can influence students beliefs about
    themselves. They may associate the grades they
    get with their overall ability, not understanding
    the role of effort in academic success

59
The downside about grades (Weimer 2002)
  • Precision of grades can be compromised by
    different grading standards within a
    course/department/school
  • Students may do work just to get the grade,
    grade grubbing How many points is this
    worth? vs. What am I going to learn?
  • Do our grading practices promote learning or in
    fact hinder it?

60
Grades and power(Weimer 2002)
  • Grades have power They may act as gatekeepers
    to transfer and graduate schools, certification
    processes, and jobs

61
Whats it worth?
  • So how do we decide what weight to give each
    assignment?

62
Weighting the components of a grade (Nitko 2001)
  • Components that assess more of the important
    learning objectives should be weighted more
  • Components that focus on what you spent the most
    time teaching should get more weight

63
Weighting the components of a grade (Nitko 2001)
  • Components that require students to integrate and
    apply what they learned should be weighted more
    heavily than those that require memorization
    only
  • If two assessments overlap the same objectives,
    their total weight should be calculated
    accordingly

64
Weighting the components of a grade (Nitko 2001)
  • Be careful of bias in assessment items and adjust
    as needed
  • Components that are less reliable and less
    objective should have less weight
  • consider using rubrics to increase reliability
    and objectivity

65
Alignment (Shepard 2003)
  • Alignment is related to the weighting of elements
    in your course
  • Shepard (2003) states, that the single most
    important shared characteristic of assessments
    should be their alignment with curriculum
    standards
  • It follows then, that the tasks, problems, and
    projects in which students are engaged should
    also be weighted accordingly in the grading
    structure

66
Stop to reflect and apply
  • Use the worksheet in your handout to complete
    this activity
  • Activity 6
  • Review the way you have your graded elements
    weighted
  • Are you satisfied with them?
  • Will you modify anything? How?

67
Review Why Assess?
  • To gather information about student learning
  • To make decisions about your teaching
  • To promote learning

68
Assessment A reflective,on-going process
  • Its cyclical. You
  • teach
  • assess formally and informally
  • evaluate the data
  • give students feedback on their learning
  • adjust your teaching as needed
  • promote student learning

69
Lastly
  • Choose assessment types carefully to match your
    learning objectives
  • Weight graded elements accordingly
  • Use assessments as teaching tools to promote
    learning

70
Stop to reflect and apply
  • Activity 7 (Use the worksheet handout)
  • Reflect on the assessment strategies that you
    currently use
  • Do they support and promote student learning?
  • If so, how? If not, what changes can you make?
  • What topics would you like to know more about
    regarding assessment?

71
To find out more
  • Resources
  • American Federation of Teachers, National Council
    on Measurement in Education, National Education
    Association (1990), Standards for teacher
    competence in educational assessment of students.
    Washington, DC National Council on Measurement in
    Education.
  • Angelo, T. A., Cross, K. P. (1993) Classroom
    assessment techniques A handbook for college
    teachers, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco.
  • Bright, G.W. Joyner, J.M. Classroom Assessment
    in Secondary Mathematics NRC Assessment of
    Learning Workshop Proceedings of The National
    Academies, May 16-18, 2004 http//hub.mspnet.org/i
    ndex.cfm/12407
  • Davis, B. G., (1999) Tools for teaching,
    Jossey-Bass. Reprinted with permission at
    http//honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/Fac
    DevCom/guidebk/teachtip/quizzes.htm

72
To find out more
  • Resources
  • Nitko, A.J. (2001) Educational assessment of
    students (3rd Ed.) Prentice Hall Saddle River,
    NJ.
  • Shavelson, R. J., Stern, P. (1981) Research on
    teachers pedagogical thoughts, judgments,
    decisions, and behaviors. Review of Educational
    Research, 51, 455-498.
  • Shepard, L.A. NRC Assessment in Support of
    Learning Assessment of Learning Workshop
    Proceedings of The National Academies, February
    1, 2004 http//hub.mspnet.org/index.cfm/12407 .
  • Weimer, M. (2002) Learner-centered teaching Five
    key changes to practice, Jossey-Bass, San
    Francisco.

73
To finish up
  • Please complete and return as directed
  • the evaluation of the tutorial
  • the completion check sheetand worksheets
  • located at the back of your handout
  • Once these have been received, your certificate
    of completion will be sent to you
  • Thanks for participating!!

74
Questions?
  • If you have further questions, please contact me
    at
  • Suzanne C. Shaffer
  • Instructional Designer
  • Montgomery College
  • Center for Teaching Learning
  • 7600 Takoma Avenue/ SS324
  • Takoma Park, MD 20912
  • 301-650-1677
  • suzanne.shaffer_at_montgomerycollege.edu
  • http//www.montgomerycollege.edu/sshaf
  • "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting
  • a great battle" Philo of Alexandria
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