Now That My Marking’s Done, Now What??? Brent Galloway Lori Stuber

Assessment can be a source of motivation and engagement for students.

Becoming is more important than being The journey is more important than the destination The learning is more valuable than the grade Our students live in a culture characterized by expectations of entitlement. In this culture, students learn to value what they have more than who they are, and success is measured by how much they have, not by how much personal effort and growth it takes to achieve something.

Identify Learning Targets/Outcomes Determine evidence to show learning of outcomes Plan the learning activities to teach the outcomes. Communicate criteria to students Interpret results to determine next steps Examine evidence to determine level of achievement Assessment: Formula for Success A Five Step Planning Process

Three Step Interview Interviewer Interviewer Respondent Respondent Recorder Recorder Topic #1: What are the essential knowledge, skills, and attitudes of your course/program and how do you/could you communicate these to the students?

Assessments Measure What Matters Most Assessments are a Source of Motivation and Engagement Assessments nurture continued growth Three Keys to Assessment Rich Instruction

Why Change Classroom Assessment Practices? For post secondary schooling to remain relevant to the 21 st century For post secondary schooling to remain relevant to the 21 st century To adequately prepare all students for an active role in an uncertain future; they need to be creative, critical thinkers To adequately prepare all students for an active role in an uncertain future; they need to be creative, critical thinkers To respond to changing societal demands of education and the demand for more accountability and transparency To respond to changing societal demands of education and the demand for more accountability and transparency

Education – Past and Present Past Schooling beyond basic skills and knowledge seen as required only by a few Schooling beyond basic skills and knowledge seen as required only by a few Learning believed to be the accumulation of bits of information best learned through repetition Learning believed to be the accumulation of bits of information best learned through repetition Learning ended after school was done Learning ended after school was done Present High school graduation seen to be the minimum education required for all; learn for life High school graduation seen to be the minimum education required for all; learn for life Students need to be proficient in critical thinking, problem solving and effective communication Students need to be proficient in critical thinking, problem solving and effective communication Learning viewed as a process of constructing understanding by fusing prior knowledge with new learning Learning viewed as a process of constructing understanding by fusing prior knowledge with new learning

Assessment – Past and Present Past -Used as a mechanism for creating an index of learning -Used as a mechanism for creating an index of learning -Teachers taught, tested and made judgments about student achievement -Teachers taught, tested and made judgments about student achievement -grades more important than feedback -grades more important than feedback -Norm referenced -Norm referenced Present -Assessment is a powerful process for enhancing learning -Assessment is a powerful process for enhancing learning -Assessment can either motivate or de-motivate -Assessment can either motivate or de-motivate -Informs teaching allowing for adjustments to meet individual learning needs and curricular needs -Informs teaching allowing for adjustments to meet individual learning needs and curricular needs -Criteria referenced -Criteria referenced

Changing Assessment Paradigms Assessment Assessment As Learning of Learning (Summative) Assessment for Assessment for Learning Learning (Formative) Assessment of Learning Assessment As Learning (Self Reflection) Traditional Paradigm Emerging Paradigm

Putting the Paradigm Shift in Perspective The heart of the paradigm shift in assessment is: The heart of the paradigm shift in assessment is: To gather rich, complex pieces of evidence To gather rich, complex pieces of evidence To provide the necessary scaffolding, practice, feedback and guidance to students to help them to reach their fullest potential To provide the necessary scaffolding, practice, feedback and guidance to students to help them to reach their fullest potential To acknowledge that students have various learning styles and other factors may impact on their performance To acknowledge that students have various learning styles and other factors may impact on their performance To consider most consistent to garner an accurate picture of the student To consider most consistent to garner an accurate picture of the student

Five Key Questions to Course Design with Assessment in Mind 1. What are the key learning outcomes that my students need to acquire in my course? (skills, knowledge, attitudes) 2. What evidence will I collect to demonstrate student achievement of these outcomes? 3. How will I provide students with feedback, guidance and an opportunity to improve their work? 4. How will I use the evidence I gather to determine the student’s final grade? What criteria will I use to determine this? 5. How will I clearly communicate my assessment and grading practices to the students? (words, numbers, percentages, letters)

What Evidence Will I Collect to Demonstrate Achievement? Tests Tests Projects Projects Seminars Seminars Debates Debates Essays/Reports Essays/Reports Reflection Logs Reflection Logs Portfolios Portfolios Presentations Presentations Research Papers Research Papers Labs Labs Quizzes Quizzes Exit Cards Exit Cards Journals Journals Models/Demonstrations Models/Demonstrations Posters Posters Interviews Interviews Self Evaluations Self Evaluations and much more and much more

How will I provide students with feedback, guidance and an opportunity to improve their work? Quizzes as practice Quizzes as practice Rubrics Rubrics Conference with students Conference with students Written Anecdotal responses Written Anecdotal responses Peer Assessment Peer Assessment Self Assessment Self Assessment Criteria Checklists Criteria Checklists Highlighted comments with no grade Highlighted comments with no grade Exit interviews Exit interviews and much more and much more

What criteria will I use to determine a student’s grade? Criteria informs our assessment allowing instructors to make reasoned judgments about the quality of student work and their degree of success at achieving curricular outcomes

Three Step Interview Interviewer Interviewer Respondent Respondent Recorder Recorder Topic #2: How could you assess these essential knowledge, skills and attitudes, and what kinds of critical evidence will you gather to demonstrate this?

To assist students in reaching their fullest potential we must design curriculum which seamlessly weaves together effective instruction, rich feedback, opportunities for practice and revision, and allows for risk taking. If you want the Sistine chapel, you need to prepare the scaffolding! Powerpoint adapted from the work of Garfield Gini-Newman, Lecturer, OISE/UT