Assessment of Learning in StudentCentered Courses

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Assessment of Learning in Student-Centered Courses

• Barbara Duch, MSERC
• Susan Groh, Chemistry Biochemistry

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Session Outline

• Classroom assessment whats important?
• Assessment methods and strategies
• Connecting assessment with learning objectives
  examples
• Other types of assessment

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• An assessment is an activity, assigned by the
  professor, that yields comprehensive information
  for analyzing, discussing, and judging a
  learners performance of valued abilities and
  skills.
• - Huba and Freed, Learner-Centered Assessment on
  College Campuses Shifting the Focus from
  Teaching to Learning, 2000

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Classroom Assessment Should

• be based on understanding how students learn
• accommodate individual differences
• be clearly explained to students (grading
  criteria)
• be valid and have a reliable process
• allow for timely feedback
• allow faculty and students to reflect on learning
• be an integral part of course development
• From Brown, Race, Smith (1996). 500 Tips
  on Assessment

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Assessment Decisions

• Learning drives everything.
• - Barbara Walvoord
• What do you want your students to learn?
• How will you tell that theyve learned it?

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What do you want your students to learn?

• Grading drives everything.
• - Students
• Learning objectives state and assess!
• Content issues
• Process/skill issues
• Attitudes

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How will you tell that theyve learned it?

• Summative assessment
• Traditional grading for accountability
• Usually formal, comprehensive
• Judgmental
• Formative assessment
• Feedback for improvement/development
• Usually informal, narrow/specialized
• Suggestive

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Types of Learning Objectives

• Content-oriented subject-specific
• Basic knowledge and understanding of specific
  concepts, techniques, etc. in the discipline
• Process-oriented global skills
• Effective communication verbal and written
• Acquiring and evaluating information
• Working effectively with others
• Higher-order, critical thinking

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Assessment and Learning Objectives
Bringing content and process together
Content Knowledge
Process Skills
Assessment
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What is a Rubric?

• A set of specific criteria against which product
  is to be judged
• Criteria reflect learning objectives for that
  activity
• Several achievement levels identified for each
  criterion
• Benchmark features indicating quality of work at
  each level are clearly described for each
  criterion

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Sample Rubrics (from Huba and Freed)

• Fig. 6-1 Formal Oral Communication
• Fig. 6-3 Economic Bill Writing Project
• Fig. 6-2 Engine Design Project
• Fig. 6-12 Problem-Solving
• Fig. 6-13 Habits of Mind

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Engine Design Project (Van Gerpen, 1999)

• Project for senior mechanical engineering
  students
• Teams of students formulate a problem that can be
  solved by a new engine
• Teams then design the new engine or component and
  report results

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Rubrics for Engine Design Project

• Specific areas addressed
• Formulation of Design Problem
• Utilization of Engineering Skills
• Extension/application of Engine Knowledge
• Team Skills
• Written Communication
• Oral Communication

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Sample Rubric Formulation of Design Problem
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Sample Rubric Engineering Skill Utilization
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Developing Rubrics for an Activity

• Criteria or desired elements rows
• Levels of achievement columns
• Other headings
• Expert/Advanced/intermediate/novice
• Accomplished/average/developing/beginning
• Accepted /with minor /major revision / rejected
• Clear description of characteristic
  performance/results for each level
• Numerical (weighted) rating scheme if desired

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Advantages of Rubric Use

• Clarifies expectations sets public standards
• Efficient, specific feedback concerning areas of
  strength, weakness
• Convenient evaluation of both content and process
  learning objectives
• Encourages self-assessment use as guideline
• Minimizes subjectivity in scoring numerical
  values facilitate use in judging
• Focal point for ongoing feedback for improvement

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Other Ideas for Rubric Use

• Have students participate in setting criteria,
  performance descriptions
• Use old student work as data
• Have students use rubric to rate own work submit
  rating with assignment
• Others?

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Assessment of Individual Contribution to the Group

• Input from both peers and instructor
• How often?
• Elements of constructive feedback
• Forms to use

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Assessment of the Instructor

• From the students point of view
• Listen carefully to student comments, complaints
  and suggestions
• From the instructors point of view
• Document the transformation of your course,
  giving your own perspective.

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Assessment of the Course

• Frequent feedback from students allows mid-course
  adjustments.
• Midterm feedback and/or student focus groups
• End of course ratings