Bob KnipeDean, Learning TechnologiesGenesee Community College

rgknipe@genesee.edu

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

= 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

Identify desired outcome

How will you know that they know it?

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 isnt really important then change the outcome statement.

Conventional vs. authentic assessment:

Conventional ----------------------------------------Authentic

Content is Covered---------------Learning is demonstratedKnow (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 meaningfulCorrelate highly with student success in subsequent courses, program, careerNot result in bulimic learningBe perceived by students as fairResult in better student course evaluations!

ASSESSMENT (how will you know that they know it?) can be applied

To individualsTo small groupsTo large groups

ASSESSMENT can be applied

To individualsTo small groupsTo large groups

ASSESSMENT can be applied at the Activity levelUnit levelCourse levelProgram levelInstitutional levelSystem levelNational or international level

ASSESSMENT can be applied at the Activity levelUnit levelCourse levelProgram levelInstitutional levelSystem levelNational 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 were 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 (whats 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 (whats the context) ?How do we look for evidence of understanding (higher order skills)?(see Bloom, http://www.odu.edu/educ/roverbau/Bloom/blooms_taxonomy.htm 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 snapshotAre learning styles accommodated?

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

For asynchronous (online etc.) courses, assume objective tests are open-book, open-note, done collaborativelyAssessments can be learning activities

Objective tests arent

http://www.ernweb.com/public/892.cfm

http://www.avc.edu/administration/organizations/slo/common/documents/ProsandConsofAssessmenttools.pdf

Determine true costs and benefits of assessment activitiesSequential 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:

http://wik.ed.uiuc.edu/index.php/Authentic_Assessment http://jolt.merlot.org/documents/vol1_no1_mueller_001.pdfhttp://jfmueller.faculty.noctrl.edu/toolbox/whatisit.htm http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/assess.cfm http://www.park.edu/cetl2/quicktips/authassess.html http://pareonline.net/getvn.asp?v=2&n=2

OK, lets try it.