Aligning Course Goals, Assessment, and Instruction Tim Slater University of Wyoming Excellence in Higher Education Endowed Professor of Science Education Cognition in Astronomy, Physics & Earth sciences Research (CAPER) Team

CAPER T eam University of Wyoming SMTC Cognition in Astronomy, Physics, & Earth sciences Research Research Curriculum Faculty Training Evaluation

List the Big Three On a sheet of paper, write out the THREE (3) most important ways you want your students to be different after they take your course? –No, you don’t have to share these with anyone if you don’t wish to. –Yes, you actually have to write something down so you have something to edit.

What do people write down? ≈ 50%List one or more of several important scientific concepts ≈ 30%Cite improved attitudes toward science and/or how science & technology is interrelated to society ≈ 20%Describe how students attend critically and lifelong to news stories (or recognize junk science)

What evidence could you present to a skeptical colleague that you achieved your stated goals? Distribution of final course grades? The average of your final exam scores? Your course evaluation forms? “extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence” Work with those around you to generate some extraordinary evidence

So what? If you know how you want students to be different AND If you know what evidence will convince the most skeptical colleague THEN Implement the RULE OF FIVE 

 Rule of Five  If you want students to provide clear evidence that they have met your goal, then they need to have at least FIVE opportunities to interact with an idea before you ask them to generate the assessment evidence

Crude RULE OF FIVE Example GOAL: Students will be able to critically examine newspaper articles 1. 1.Select an article and describe why it is directly relevant 2. 2.Write a brief summary of an article 3. 3.Discern between two articles which one is scientifically-based 4. 4.Write a personal reaction to an article 5. 5.Create an hypothetical news release/article for a new scientific discovery KEY: Students need to have scaffolded interactions with at least five different articles in order to approach mastery 

Aligning Course Goals, Assessment, and Instruction You only have time to enact a few really life altering ideas Clearly stated goals are important for you and your students You have to establish BEFORE the class starts what clear evidence looks like  Students need repeated, scaffolded interactions with an idea to gain mastery – one activity is not enough Tim Slater, University of Wyoming,