Bob Knipe Bob Knipe Dean, Learning Technologies Genesee Community College

How will you be able to tell (measurably, tangibly, observably, demonstrably) that your students really know (or can do, or will feel) what you want them to know (or do, or appreciate)?

* “what you want them to know” “what you want them to know” = your student learning outcomes (objectives)

The hard part: “Backward design” requires that rather than move from target to teaching, we first identify what counts as evidence of learning.

Backward design 1. Identify desired outcome 2. How will you know that they know it? 3. Design instructional activities

 Authentic: The skill, knowledge or attitude being measured is actually the desired one you have identified. Or as close to it as possible.

 Authentic: The skill, knowledge or attitude measured is actually the desired one you have identified. Or as close to it as possible. In other words, the assessment approximates the application.

 Authentic: In other words, the assessment approximates the application. If the skill, knowledge or attitude measured “isn’t really important…” then change the outcome statement.

Conventional vs. authentic assessment: Conventional Authentic Content is Covered Learning is demonstrated “Know” (math, history, nursing) ”DO” (math, history, nursing) What How Selecting a Response Performing a Task Contrived Real-life

Conventional vs. authentic assessment: Conventional Authentic Recall/Recognition Construction/Application Teacher-structured Student-structured Indirect Evidence Direct Evidence

 An authentic assessment will:  Last longer and be more meaningful  Correlate highly with student success in subsequent courses, program, career  Not result in “bulimic learning”  Be perceived by students as fair  Result in better student course evaluations!

ASSESSMENT (how will you know that they know it?) can be applied  To individuals  To small groups  To large groups

ASSESSMENT can be applied  To individuals  To small groups  To large groups

ASSESSMENT can be applied at the  Activity level  Unit level  Course level  Program level  Institutional level  System level  National or international level

ASSESSMENT can be applied at the  Activity level  Unit level  Course level  Program level  Institutional level  System level  National or international level

 Start with the active verb  What does the Student Learning Outcome or instructional objective ask the student to do?)

 Start with the active verb (what does the SLO ask the student to do?)  What are the characteristic responses we’re looking for?

 Start with the active verb (what does the SLO ask the student to do?)  Look for tangible evidence (measurable, observable, demonstrable)

 Start with the active verb (what does the SLO ask the student to do?)  Look for tangible evidence (measurable, observable, demonstrable)  What tasks & evidence anchor the assessment to the curriculum (what’s the context) ?

 Start with the active verb (what does the SLO ask the student to do?)  Look for tangible evidence (measurable, observable, demonstrable)  What tasks & evidence anchor the assessment to the curriculum (what’s the context) ?  How do we look for evidence of “understanding” (higher order skills)? (see Bloom, et al)

 Knowledge: Recall facts and concepts  Comprehension: Understand what the facts and concepts mean.  Application: Apply the understanding of facts and concepts in a given situation.  Analysis: Extract from a context the facts you need to know  Synthesis: Combine facts and concepts you understand to achieve a specified goal.  Evaluation Assess a situation where knowledge is partial or ambiguous.

 Looking for mastery (criterion referenced) or relative scale (normative referenced – “curve”) ?

 How important is “grading” ?

 Are a range of assessment strategies employed ?  Scrapbook or portfolio, not snapshot

 Are a range of assessment strategies employed ?  Scrapbook or portfolio, not snapshot  Are learning styles accommodated?

 Are a range of assessment strategies employed ?  Scrapbook or portfolio, not snapshot  Are learning styles accommodated?  Are disabilities accommodated (Universal Design)?

 More and varied assessment tools are preferable to fewer and monolithic assessment tools

 For asynchronous (online etc.) courses, assume ‘objective’ tests are open-book, open-note, done collaboratively

 Assessments can be learning activities

 Objective tests… aren’t

 Determine true costs and benefits of assessment activities  Sequential building toward 100% authenticity (explain  exemplify  show  demonstrate  lab  simulation  supervised practice  actual skill assessment)

 How assessments are used by others? What do you need to report, when, and to whom? Is this is a recurring assessment requirement (i.e. need for longitudinal data) ?

 Bad SLOs (dated, ambiguous, unrelated to desired outcome, etc.) can & should be rewritten

 Understand the requirements of the 2008 Higher Education Opportunities Act regarding learning assessment for online courses

Some Authentic Assessment resources:      

OK, let’s try it….