RI Apr. 16, Going Beyond Grades Defining Assessments and Outcomes for Learning April 16, 2004 Dr. Spencer Benson Center for Teaching Excellence University of Maryland College Park, MD

RI Apr. 16, Learning Is a Life-long Process Womb Tomb

RI Apr. 16, Tentative Map Student Learning Background on Assessments Use of Assessment Some Electronic Tools for Assessment E-portfolios Discussion Q & A

RI Apr. 16, First Principle of Learning Students come the classroom with preconceptions about how the world works which include beliefs and prior knowledge acquired through various experiences. How can we use assessment to address this

RI Apr. 16, What is true for our students is true for us. We view assessment through the lens of our own experiences. We tend to use what we know or experienced, or expect. If they worked for us they must be OK. When we gain information we change. Knowledge and wisdom are wonderful things.

RI Apr. 16, Fish is Fish

RI Apr. 16, Fish is Fish

RI Apr. 16, 20048

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10 Birds

RI Apr. 16, Cows

RI Apr. 16, People

RI Apr. 16, Students are not US!!

RI Apr. 16, Second Principle of Learning To develop competence in an area of inquiry, students must: have a deep foundation of factual knowledge, understand facts and ideas in the context of a conceptual framework, and organize knowledge in ways that facilitate retrieval and applications. How do we assess these? Factual knowledge Understand ideas Ability to organize knowledge Think critically Ability to apply knowledge

"Teaching is leading students into a situation in which they can only escape by thinking"

RI Apr. 16, Assessment = Grades ? Assessment Grades There are many forms of assessment High stakes outcome performance based assessments Informal Checks Observations Quizzes Assignments Performance tasks for Understanding Dialogues Tests Projects Capstone projects

RI Apr. 16, Assessments There are many forms of assessment Formative Summative Informal Checks Observations Quizzes Assignments Performance tasks for Understanding Dialogues Tests Projects Capstone projects

RI Apr. 16, Two Simple Definitions Formative assessments The things we do to help learning occur Summative assessments The data points we take to see how much students have learned. How do we connect learning and assessment?

RI Apr. 16, Connections: How do accomplish it? TeachingAssessments Student Learning Course Structure

RI Apr. 16, Connections: How do accomplish it? Teaching Assessments Student Learning Course Structure

RI Apr. 16, Connections: Integrated-Connected Teaching pedagogies technology Assessments formative summative Student Learning content skill Course Structure Curriculum Structure

RI Apr. 16, Work Backwards Define the learning goals What do you want student to know or be able to do? Define the assessments How would you know that they (students) know or can do something? Design the learning activities that will help students accomplish the goals If you want student to know how to fish, take them fishing.

RI Apr. 16, Defining Outcomes Define the learning goals What do you want student to know or be able to do? This is often the most difficult task. It is do able ! NAS science standards ASM guidelines QUE project

RI Apr. 16, Define the learning goals What do you want student to know or be able to do? Define the assessments How would you know that they (students) know or can do ________ ? Design the learning activities that will help students accomplish the goals If you want student to know how to fish, take them fishing. Work backwards

RI Apr. 16, Define Summative Assessments How would you know that (students) know or can do something? What evidence would be acceptable? Types of evidence Grades on a test Demonstration of a skill Winning a competition Developing a portfolio Must be practical, doable, and can it be evaluated? Will it?

RI Apr. 16, Define the learning goals What do you want student to know or be able to do? Define the assessments How would you know that they (students) know or can do something? Design the learning activities that will help students accomplish the goals Work backwards

RI Apr. 16, Linking Learning and Assessment Using assessment as a teaching tool BSCI122 Microbes and Society Gen-Ed Science Course Goals: science literacy, science appreciation, the global nature of science Assessments Essay questions science in their own words Reading science in the news (writing) EAST HIV/AIDS poster project

RI Apr. 16, EAST HIV/AIDS Project (2004) Student teams (3-4 students) develop an information poster on HIV/AIDS in East Asian Countries China(rural), China(urban), South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Taiwan, Philippines, Thailand, Used a web-based tool Keep Tool Kit ( Carnegie Knowledge Media Lab) Common template

RI Apr. 16, Keep Template BSCI122

RI Apr. 16, Learning Is a Life-long Process Womb Tomb

RI Apr. 16, Technology for Teaching & Learning Communication Discussion Chat Motivation On-line quizzes Reality simulator Gaming simulators It can be a distracter Using a tool is not always good It take time and effort The key is to connect the activity to learning

RI Apr. 16, Technology Learning Activities Resources Calibrated Peer Review IMMEX KEEP tool kit EEP/index.htm EEP/index.htm

"Teaching is leading students into a situation in which they can only escape by thinking"

RI Apr. 16, A Taxonomy of Learning Important and integral components Reflection Information Knowledge Integration Information Knowledge Connections Social Information Knowledge Connections Social networks (broad context)

RI Apr. 16, E-Portfolios An electronic portfolio, or E-Portfolio, is a purposeful collection of artifacts and reflections that documents students learning, knowledge and growth. It is assembled, stored, and retrievable via various electronic means and can include a variety of media formats. It can be use as a means to document student learning and performance.

RI Apr. 16, E-Portfolio Elements Design Layout, content, reflection, artifacts Semantics Searchable, interconnectivity, LMS Factoring Enterprise systems, open source, access Community Connections Decentralization Ownerships, maintenance, portability Darren and Barbara Cambridge (AAHE)

RI Apr. 16, Some E-Portfolio Websites AAHE E-portfolio site dex.html dex.html UM-Madison List of University sites o/Links.htm o/Links.htm An E-portfolio scoring rubric bric.html bric.html

Thank You Spencer Benson, Ph.D. Director, Center for Teaching Excellence University of Maryland College Park - Phone Website - "Teaching is leading students into a situation in which they can only escape by thinking"