assessing student learning jason adsit – university at buffalo
TRANSCRIPT
Some Trends and Topics
Internal and external pressures to develop a “culture of assessment” in higher education
Shift from a focus on teaching to a focus on student learning
Assessment: A Simple DefinitionEwell (2001): The methods that an institution or program employs to gather evidence about student learning.
Assessment: A Common DefinitionThe process of collecting and analyzing information from multiple sources in order to develop a better understanding of what students know, believe, and are able to do as a result of their educational experiences.
The Assessment Process (Suskie, 2009)
Establishing clear, well-formulated learning outcomes
Ensuring that students have sufficient opportunities to achieve the learning outcomes (through coursework, projects, examinations, etc.)
The Assessment Process (Suskie, 2009)
Systematically gathering and analyzing evidence and results to determine how well the students have achieved the expected outcomes
Using the results to better understand and improve the teaching-learning process
Background & Overview
Goals, Objectives, and Outcomes: What’s the difference?
What is a learning outcome? Why are learning outcomes
important? What are the core elements of a
learning outcome?
Outcomes
At the end of this session, participants will be able to…
…identify the core elements of learning outcomes
…explain how learning outcomes connect instruction and assessment
…classify the different types of learning outcomes using Bloom’s Taxonomy
…analyze the core components of learning outcome statements
…design learning outcomes for their own courses
…evaluate the effectiveness and impact of learning outcomes
Why are learning outcomes important? Help foster curricular coherence by
connecting classroom activities and assessment Guide instructional planning – content,
delivery, and activities/assignments Guide the learner – set priorities and
performance expectations Guide evaluation – establish a
framework (and set of benchmarks) for assessing learning
What is a learning objective? Goals Aims Standards Objectives Performance Criteria Benchmarks Measures Etc., etc.
What is a learning outcome? Clarifying the terminology:
University
School
Program/Major
Course
Unit/Lesson
What is a learning outcome?
A statement of the intended general aims of an instructional unit, course, or program
Global, general Not necessarily
measureable
A statement that describes what the learner is expected to know and be able to do as a result of engaging in a learning activity
Specific, targeted Measurable
Goal Outcome
Core elements of a learning outcome
Learning outcome: A statement (in specific and measureable terms) that describes what the learner will know and be able to do as a result of engaging in a learning activity
Core elements of a learning outcome
Learning outcome: A statement (in specific and measureable terms) that describes what the learner will know and be able to do as a result of engaging in a learning activity
Core elements of a learning outcome
Learning outcome: A statement …Outcome = Conditions +
Performance + Criteria
Conditions Given ‘x’ …Without ‘y’ …
Performance …the learner will (verb)…
Criteria/Standards Accuracy/QualityQuantityTime Constraints
Goals vs. Outcomes
At the end of the workshop, participants will understand the role and importance of learning objectives
Given a list of ten (10) statements, participants will be able to identify how each statement corresponds to Bloom’s taxonomy of cognitive behavior. Participants who correctly identify nine (9) or more statements will demonstrate sufficient knowledge of the topic
Goal 1 Outcome 1.1
Core elements of a learning outcome
Learning outcome: A statement (in specific and measureable terms) …
Measurable vs. Non-Measurable Terms
Non-Measurable Measurable
Appreciate Identify
Be familiar with Compare
Understand Justify
Believe Demonstrate
Core elements of a learning outcome
Learning outcome: A statement (in specific and measureable terms) that describes what the learner will know and be able to do …
Come to think of it, what is it that we want the learner to know and be able to do?
Classifying Outcomes
Bloom (1956) – Taxonomy of Educational Objectives (“Bloom’s Taxonomy”) Cognitive Domain – intellectual thinking or
skills Psychomotor Domain – physical skills or the
performance of actions Affective Domain – attitudes and values
Learning outcome domains “Knowledge, skills, and dispositions”
Cognitive Domain (Bloom, 1956)Level/Stage Definition – X is the ability
to…
Knowledge recall of previously-learned material
Comprehension grasp the meaning of the knowledge being learned
Application use learning materials in a new way – or for new situations
Analysis break material down into its parts so that its organizational structure may be understood
Synthesis combine previous experiences with new material to form new structures
Evaluation judge the value of material for a given purpose
Cognitive Domain (Bloom, 1956)
Level/Domain Definition – X is the ability to… Sample Learning Outcome Verbs
Knowledge recall of previously-learned material
Define, repeat, recall, list, record, outline, specify, state, label, match
Comprehension grasp the meaning of the knowledge being learned
Identify, explain, recognize, discuss, review, summarize
Application use learning materials in a new way – or for new situations
Apply, illustrate, show, translate, interpret, employ, use
Analysis break material down into its parts so that its organizational structure may be understood
Analyze, categorize, inspect, examine, calculate, classify, organize
Synthesis combine previous experiences with new material to form new structures
Formulate, arrange, assemble, create, organize, manage, predict
Evaluation judge the value of material for a given purpose
Evaluate, judge, appraise, estimate, compare, assess
Core elements of learning outcomes Example: At the end of this statistics
lesson, students will be know about the concepts of mean, median, and mode
How would you turn this into a learning outcome?
What changes might you make to the outcome to assess higher levels of learning (from Bloom’s taxonomy)?
Core elements of learning outcomes Example: At the end of this class,
students will understand and appreciate the role of the pharmacist in the community
How would you turn this into a learning outcome?
What changes might you make to the outcome to assess higher levels of learning (from Bloom’s taxonomy)?
Core elements of learning outcomes Example: At the end of this unit,
students will know about the causes of poverty in Africa
How would you turn this into a learning outcome?
What changes might you make to the outcome to assess higher levels of learning (from Bloom’s taxonomy)?
Core elements of learning outcomesLearning outcome: A statement (in specific and measureable terms) that describes what the learner will know and be able to do as a result of engaging in a learning activity
Learning Activities
Reverse-engineering your instruction:
Identify the learning outcomes Identify the appropriate learning
activities – and tailor them to the outcomes
Identify the appropriate assessments of student learning