Assessment 101: A Review of the Basics Jill Allison Kern, PhD Director of Assessment Christopher...
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Transcript of Assessment 101: A Review of the Basics Jill Allison Kern, PhD Director of Assessment Christopher...
Assessment 101: A Review of the Basics
Jill Allison Kern, PhDDirector of Assessment
Christopher Newport University
January 2013
What is assessment?
Assessment is the process of determining the degree to which students are learning what faculty believe is essential for them to know so that faculty can make improvements in the teaching-learning process.
Process for improving student learning
GENUINE INQUIRY
Identify what students are NOT learning
Student Learning
Steps in the Assessment Process
1. Establish clear, measurable outcomes of student learning from a given activity (student learning outcomes →
SLOs)
2. Ensure opportunities for learning → Curriculum Mapping
3. Establish method(s) for evaluating the degree to which students have
achieved the SLOs
4. Teach “to the” SLOs
5. Gather information about the degree to which students have achieved the SLOs
6. Interpret the information and make decisions about what to do to improve the results in the future
7. Implement the changes designed to
enhance learning (“close the loop”)
The first step:Faculty
members need to
clarify and make
explicit what they believe is
essential for students to
learn.
Student Learning Outcomes
A Student Learning Outcome is a written statement of the measurable achievement a participant will be able to demonstrate as a result of participation in a given learning activity.
Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs): Three Levels
Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs)
Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs)
Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
The Purpose of SLOs
To clarify for ourselves precisely what knowledge and skills we believe are essential or important for students to learn
To focus our teaching efforts
To shape the graded assignments we design
To inform the criteria we use to grade students’ activities
To enable us to assess how successful our students have been at mastering the desired learning
To communicate to students what we intend for them to learn so they can organize their efforts to achieving the desired outcomes
How to Write SLOs
Use This Precise Formulation:Students who successfully complete
[name the learning unit (e.g., Psych 101, the computer science major)] will be able to do the following:
[ONE observable, active verb][ONE observable, active verb][ONE observable, active verb][Etc.]
Examples
Students who successfully complete French 200 will be able to conjugate regular verbs in the imperfect tense in writing.
Students who successfully complete the BA in Music will be able to demonstrate technical proficiency in their chosen instrument during a live public performance.
Students who successfully complete English 123 will be able to write effectively.
Upon the successful completion of the Creative Expressions Area of Inquiry, students will be able to apply concepts from the humanities to describe artistic endeavors or participate in a fine art, such as creating a painting or choreographing a dance.
Avoidnon-observable
verbs
Rule #1:
know
learn
understand
comprehend
appreciate
study
become familiar with
be knowledgeable about
think
value
realize
become aware of
Non-observable Verbs
Translate Non-observable SLOs Into Observable
Ones
• Know the arguments
Not Observable Observable• Summarize the arguments
• Discuss reflections on the issues
• Think critically
• Understand the principles
• Comprehend the methods
• Appreciate art
• Reflect on the issues
• Identify assumptions implicit in theories
• Apply the principles
• Explain the methods
• Voluntarily choose to attend one or more art exhibits during the semester
Include only ONE
verb in SLOs
You may use “or” but avoid “and”
Rule #2:
Good:
Bad:
• Students who successfully earn a degree in communication studies will be able to write effectively.
• Students who successfully earn a degree in communication studies will be able to speak effectively
Students who successfully earn a degree in communication studies will be able to write or speak effectively
Good:
Students who successfully earn a degree in communication studies will be able to write and speak effectively.
More Examples of Good SLOs
• Students who successfully complete Math 300 will be able to use quantitative reasoning to solve problems.
• Students who successfully complete this course will be able to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of literary texts as demonstrated by a review they write on a novel from the Renaissance, Victorian, and contemporary periods.
• Graduates of CNU’s computer engineering BS program will be able to design hardware components that meet a variety of client needs.
• Students who earn a degree in music will be able to compose complex scores or play an instrument skillfully.
How many SLOs?
About three to six CLOs for a three-unit course
About three to five PLOs for a minor
About five to nine PLOs for a major
Second step in the assessment process:
Faculty members need to ensure students have opportunities to master the student learning outcomes.
Curriculum Mapping
Curriculum Mapping:
A method for aligning CLOs with PLOs
PLO-1 PLO-2 PLO-3 PLO-4 PLO-5 PLO-6 PLO-7 PLO-8 PLO-9
Music 101 x x x x
Music 202 x x x x x
Music 303 x x x x x
Music 404 x x x x x
Benefits
o Reveals gaps and redundancies in curriculum
o Improves program coherence
o Stimulates communication among faculty
o Enhances coordination among faculty
o Increases the likelihood that students achieve program-level outcomes
o Encourages reflective practice
Curriculum MatrixPLO-1 PLO-2 PLO-3
Apply the scientific method
Develop laboratory techniques
Diagram and explain major
cellular processes
Bio 101 I
Bio 202 D I/D
Bio 303 M I
Bio 404 M D/M
I = Introduce; D= Develop; M = Master
Assessment MatrixPLO-1 PLO-2 PLO-3
Apply the scientific method
Develop laboratory techniques
Diagram and explain major cellular
processes
Bio 101 FA
Bio 202 FA
Bio 303 SA FA
Bio 404 SA SA
FA = Formative Assessment; SA = Summative Assessment