Assessing Learning Dr. Victoria L. Clegg Spring 2009

Assessment and Evaluation  Data-gathering strategies, analyses, and reporting processes that provide information that can be used to determine whether or not intended outcomes are being achieved.  Using assessment results to support decisions on maintaining, changing, or discarding instructional practices … or to support decisions about learners.

Three Basic Questions  What do I want the students to learn?  How will I know when they have learned?  How will I facilitate the students’ learning?

Before writing SLOs, think about:  What information or content do you want students to learn?  What do you want them to do with that information?  What skills or competencies do you want them to learn or develop?  What kinds of higher level thinking do you want them to engage in?

Before writing SLOs, think about:  How do you think they will use the information and skills?  If someone asks the students what they have learned, how do you want them to answer?  How do you expect students to demonstrate what they have learned and how well they have learned it?

1.What is the purpose of the assessment?

2.What constraints must be considered?

3.What learning processes are involved?

4.What emphasis should each topic and level of learning be given? Table of Specifications LEVELS OF LEARNING TOPICSApplyingAnalyzingEvaluating A10%-- B 30%10% C--20%30%

Four basic types of assessment:  “Paper-and-pencil”  Performance  Oral  Portfolios Susan M. Brookhart Duquesne University

Three kinds of feedback  Objective  Subjective  Descriptive feedback Susan M. Brookhart Duquesne University

CATL Library – Example Resources  Alternative Strategies for Evaluating Student Learning in New Directions for Teaching and Learning  Classroom Assessment Techniques by Thomas A. Angelo and K. Patricia Cross  Teaching & Learning in College edited by Gary S. Wheeler  Effective Grading by Barbara Walvoord and Virginia Johnson Anderson  Assessment for Excellence by Alexander Astin