AFFECTIVE ASSESSMENT A Concurrent Session W. James Popham University of California, Los Angeles A Concurrent Session KDE/ISLN/KLA Leadership Networks Joint Summer Conference Lexington, Kentucky June 20, 2011

Affective Assessment: A 21st Century Shortcoming?  

ASSESSING STUDENTS’ AFFECT

We MEASURE what we TREASURE.

The Predictive Nature of Students’ Current Affective Status Students’ Current Behavior Status Students’ Subsequent Behavior Predicts

Potential Attitude Targets: Positive attitudes toward learning Positive attitudes toward self Positive attitudes toward self as a learner Appropriate attitudes toward those who differ from us

Potential Interest Targets: Interest in specific subjects Interest in subject-related activities Interest in public affairs Interest in altruistic endeavors

Potential Value Targets: Honesty Integrity Justice Freedom

ASSESSING AFFECT: A THREE-PART STRATEGY Affective assessment instruments should be self-report inventories, completed by students under conditions of actual and perceived anonymity, from which group-focused inferences about students’ affective status can be accurately drawn.

ANONYMITY-ENHANCEMENT TACTICS Emphasize anonymity in directions. Provide a rationale for the assessment. Restrict responses to untraceable marks. Install an anonymous collection-procedure. Do not hover.

A traditional, unidimensional Likert inventory Two Measurement Tactics for Assessing Students’ Affect via Anonymous, Self-Report Inventories: A traditional, unidimensional Likert inventory A Likert-like, multidimensional inventory

Constructing A Traditional Likert Inventory Select the affective variable to assess. Create a set of favorable and unfavorable statements. Ask others to classify these as positive or negative. Determine number and nature of response options. Construct a preliminary version including directions. Try out the preliminary version. Score the inventories. Delete aberrant statements.

A DIFFERENCE IN DISCRIMINATION-ENGENDERING Day in and day out, school is always the most enjoyable part of my day. (Strongly Agree, Agree, Not Sure, Disagree, Strongly Agree) Although I sometimes find it disagreeable, most of the time, I enjoy school. (Strongly Agree, Agree, Not Sure, Disagree, Strongly Agree)

CONSTRUCTING A MULTIFOCUS INVENTORY Choose the affective variables to measure. Decide on how many items per variable. Generate positive/negative statement for each variable. Determine number and phrasing of response options. Develop directions and a presentation format.

Assessment/Instruction Utility: An Affective Target of Considerable Assessment/Instruction Utility: Students' confidence in their ability to perform important skills

CONSTRUCTING A CONFIDENCE INVENTORY Select suitable skills or bodies of knowledge. Decide on how many items per skill or body of knowledge. Identify and describe tasks (or activities) requiring the use of those skills or bodies of knowledge. Determine number and nature of response options. Develop directions, sample item(s), and presentation formats.

TO DELVE DEEPER INTO THE ASSESSMENT OF AFFECT Read darn near any of Jungle Jim’s books about assessment written during this or the previous century. He is so repetitive! E-Mail Address: wpopham@ucla.edu