Assessing Your Progress in the Classroom

1
Assessing Your Progress in the Classroom

• Deborah Morris and Lynne Crosby
• Directors of Program Development
• January 2006

2

• Please complete the
• Prior Knowledge Check handout while waiting for
  the workshop to start.

3
Workshop Objectives

• To provide an introduction to classroom
  assessment, and examples of different approaches
  to classroom assessment
• To become familiar with strategies for gathering
  and analyzing assessment data
• To identify strategies for engaging students in
  classroom assessment and promote its value
• To understand what kinds of unexpected results
  might occur, and develop strategies to respond
• To give us all an excuse to talk more about
  teaching and learning!

4
Has this happened to you

• You give an exam or quiz and almost every student
  misses a question you thought was easy?
• Your students turn in papers or projects and
  almost every one has some common problem?

5
Assessment addresses questions such as

• Are my students learning what I think I am
  teaching?
• Who is learning and who is not learning?
• What am I doing that is useful for these
  students?
• What am I doing that is not useful for these
  students?

6
LOEP Purpose

• The Learning Outcomes Enhancement Plan is an
  opportunity for faculty to investigate, assess,
  and reflect on ways to improve teaching practice
• Assessment and documentation of learning outcomes
  is an increasingly important aspect of
  institutional accreditation

7
LOEP Components

• Identification of learning outcome(s) to be
  enhanced
• Methods by which the learning outcomes will be
  assessed
• Actions to be taken that will (hypothetically)
  lead to the desired learning outcomes
  enhancement(s)
• When applicable, results of previous plans
• Resources needed to fully implement plan

8
Work together!

• Compare the two sample LOEPs and discuss their
  strengths and weaknesses

9
Classroom Assessment Cycle
10
Elements of a Complete Cycle of Classroom
Assessment Plan

• Goal, problem, or rationale
• Learning outcome(s) to be addressed
• Instructional methods
• Assessment methods
• Results
• Analysis, interpretation, and reflection
• Plan for next year

11
Learning Outcomes

• Statements that describe what students are
  expected to know and able to do as a result of
  participation in the teaching and learning
  process

• Two parts
• Action verb - e.g. list apply solve
• Content reference subject matter, topic, or
  concept to be addressed

12
Examples of Learning Outcomes

• FCCJ College Course Outlines (http//www1.fccj.edu
  /curriculum)
• Disciplinary or professional standards
• Affective outcomes not included on course
  outlines
• Do students value their learning?
• Do students see the relevance of their learning?
• Can students identify changes in their beliefs or
  ways of thinking as a result of their learning?

13
Work together!

• Compare and discuss the sample learning outcomes
  provided
• Use the LOEP Template A to write some learning
  outcomes you might address

14
Sample learning outcomes from submitted LOEPs

• Ability to avoid plagiarism in research
• Demonstrate the ability to argue persuasively
  using written materials to substantiate a point
• Understand the relationship between the
  computation of function values, points on a graph
  and ordered pairs in a table of values
• Demonstrate the ability to solve spatial problems
  using real world objects

15
Importance of well-defined outcomes

• Common language
• Clear expectations
• Guides instruction and implementation of various
  teaching strategies
• Enables students to self-assess
• Promotes valid assessment

16
Instructional Strategies

• What learning activities will you use to impact
  or enhance your targeted learning outcomes?
• Cooperative/collaborative learning
• Active learning, real-world applications
• Practice quizzes, presentations, scaffolding
• Peer review with multiple drafts
• Learning communities

17
Assessment Strategies

• What evidence will you gather to determine
  students achievement of the desired learning
  outcome?

18
Assessment Strategies

• Examine existing data
• Modify existing grading methods to provide better
  feedback
• Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs)

19
Assessment Strategies

• 1. Examine existing data
• Results on exam items
• Scores or ratings on assignments, papers, or
  projects
• Observations of student performance during
  activities

20
Assessment Strategies

• 2. Modify existing grading methods to provide
  better feedback
• Open-ended exam questions, or explain your
  answer with multiple-choice questions
• Performance-based activities can be
  scored/graded using a checklist or rubric
• Portfolios

21
Scoring Rubric
22
Assessment Strategies

• 3. Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs)
• Short, non-graded activities
• Often require students to reflect in writing on
  their thinking and learning
• Provide feedback to both you and students on
  their learning
• Can be general or linked to specific course
  activities (good for self-paced or online courses)

23
Preconceptions Check
24
Post-Paper Reflections

• After completing each paper in the course, have
  students respond to the following questions in a
  few sentences
• Paper 1 I'm most satisfied with . . .
• I'm least satisfied with . . . I'm having
  problems with . . .
• Paper 2 Why did you choose this particular
  organization for your paper? What would you do
  differently if you had more time?
• Paper 3 What in your writing process has changed
  since the beginning of the course?

25
Peer Review Feedback Form

• Rating scale
• 4 highly effective 3 effective 2 needs
  improvement 1 not effective

Comments
26
Examples of Direct Evidenceof Student Learning

• Exams and quizzes
• Ratings of student skills by their field
  experience supervisors
• Written work, presentations, or performances,
  scored using a rubric
• Portfolios
• Summaries and analyses of online discussion
  threads
• Exit and other interviews to assess
  communication skills
• Reflective writing to assess affective outcomes
  and values
• From Suskie, L. (2004). Assessing Student
  Learning. Bolton, MA Anker Publishing Co, Inc.
• And Gloria Rogers, Rose Hulman Institute of
  Technology

27
Examples of Indirect Evidenceof Student Learning

• Course grades
• Assignment grades (if not accompanied by a rubric
  or scoring guide)
• Questions on SIRS that ask about the course
  rather than the instructor
• Written surveys and questionnaires
• Exit and other interviews
• Focus groups
• From Suskie, L. (2004). Assessing Student
  Learning. Bolton, MA Anker Publishing Co, Inc.
• And Gloria Rogers, Rose Hulman Institute of
  Technology

28
Planning and Implementation

• Choose assessment methods that
• Are easy to use and summarize
• Are directly related to targeted learning
  outcomes
• Fit with, incorporate, or enrich existing
  instructional strategies
• Provide rich, useful information about student
  learning

29
Planning and Implementation

• Use multiple assessment methods to provide the
  most informative data
• Assess your targeted outcome during the course as
  well as at the end
• Use both direct and indirect methods of
  assessing outcomes

30
Assessment Methods

• Review the Assessment Methods Worksheet to plan
  your assessment activities for your course

31
Herding CATs
32
Case Studies Part One

• Group One Mathematics
• Group Two Political Science
• Group Three Nursing
• Group Four Biology/Information Literacy

33
Questions to Guide Analysis

• Questions about Your Students
• How many students are learning well and how many
  are not?
• Which students are learning well and which are
  not?
• What do successful learners do that other
  learners dont do, or dont do as well?
• What do less successful students do that might
  account for their failures?

34
Questions to Guide Analysis

• Questions about Course Content
• How much of the course content are students
  learning?
• Which elements of the course content are students
  learning?
• How well are students learning the various
  elements of the course content?
• How well are students integrating the various
  elements of the course content?

35
Questions to Guide Analysis

• Questions about Teaching
• How does my teaching affect student learning,
  positively and negatively?
• What, specifically, could I change about my
  teaching to improve learning inside the
  classroom?
• What, specifically, could I change about my
  teaching to improve learning outside the
  classroom?

36
Case Studies Part Two

• Group One Mathematics
• Group Two Political Science
• Group Three Nursing
• Group Four Biology/Information Literacy

37
Engaging Students in the Assessment Process

• When possible, choose assessment methods that
  also serve as a learning experience
• Help students practice skills they may have never
  tried before
• Use indirect methods of assessment along with
  direct methods to help students reflect on the
  value of what they are doing

38
Case Studies Part Three

• Group One Mathematics
• Group Two Political Science
• Group Three Nursing
• Group Four Biology/Information Literacy

39
Questions to Guide Interpretation

• Does your data indicate how well (or poorly)
  students achieved the learning outcome or goal?
• Can you interpret why you got the results that
  you did?
• What follow-up questions would help you
  understand the results?

40
Questions to Guide Reflection

• In what ways has your project affected your
  teaching in the class you focused on?
• In what ways has it affected your students
  learning in that class?
• What surprised you most in doing the project?
• What have been the most enjoyable aspects of the
  project?
• What have been the least enjoyable aspects?
• What would you do differently next time?
• From Angelo, T. A., Cross, K. P. (1993).
  Classroom Assessment Techniques. San Francisco,
  CA Jossey-Bass, John Wiley Sons, Inc.

41
Summary of Steps

• Planning
• Select course
• Review goals and desired learning outcomes
• Review trends, problems, previous data from
  course or section
• Select desired learning outcome(s) to assess
• Select appropriate, relevant CATs and/or other
  assessment tools/strategies to administer
• Develop timeline

42
Summary of Steps

• Implementation
• Introduce your students to Classroom Assessment
• Administer CATs/other assessment tools
• Collect feedback from students
• Share with students the initial results of CATS

43
Summary of Steps

• Analysis/Reflection
• Analyze the results of CATS, and other assessment
  tools implemented
• Work with colleagues to interpret results
• Consider how you will use the results to improve
  your teaching and your students learning

44
Summary of Steps

• Documentation
• Write up your plan and the process
• Describe the intended and actual implementation
• Describe the results and how you plan to use the
  results
• Cycle begins again
• start planning your next classroom assessment
  project

45
Work together!

• Use the LOEP Template A and materials in your
  binder to start a plan for a course

46
What can I accomplish with Classroom Assessment?

• Celebrate success
• Identify challenges and barriers to student
  learning
• Help determine if new or existing instructional
  strategies are effective
• Engage students in teaching and learning process
• Help students become more aware of their thinking
  and learning and its value

47
Looking Ahead

• Discipline Teams
• Campus Teams
• Faculty Fellows
• Program Assessment
• Assessment Council

48
Contact Information

• Deborah Morris
• damorris_at_fccj.edu 633-5909 MCCS 374
• Lynne Crosby
• lcrosby_at_fccj.edu 632-5066 MCCS 446
• Assessment Webpage
• http//www1.fccj.edu/program_development/
  assessment/index.html

49
Another CAT One-Minute Paper

• Please write brief responses to the following
• What was the most useful idea you gained from
  todays workshop?
• What questions or concerns do you still have?
  What additional resources or information would
  help you be successful?

50
Five Minute University