1. Assessment in First Courses of Statistics: Today and Tomorrow Ann Ooms University of Minnesota

2. GAISE Recommendation 6 Use assessments to improve and evaluate student learning

3. GAISE Recommendation 6 Assessments: aligned with learning goals Focus Assessments: on understanding key ideas not just on skills, procedures, and computed answers.

4. GAISE Recommendation 6 Formative assessments to provide feedback to students e.g., quizzes, midterm exams, small projects Summative evaluations to determine what they learned course grades

5. GAISE Recommendation 6 Useful and timely feedback is essential for assessments to lead to learning Types of assessment may be more or less practical in different types of courses However, it is possible, even in large classes, to implement good assessments

6. Assessment Today Two surveys conducted online Goal surveys: evaluate ARTIST project Assessment Resource Tools for Improving Statistical Thinking NSF funded project PI: Joan Garfield, Bob delMas, Beth Chance RA: Ann Ooms

7. Assessment Today Introductory Statistics Educators: n=194 December 2004: ARTIST users: n = 99 Statistics Educators who use ARTIST item database June 2005: non ARTIST users: n = 95 Used stat ed list serves Combined data of 2 surveys

8. Demographics Years teaching experience: Mean: 14.99 (SD: 10.85) Range: 1 to 48 years Number of intro stats courses per year: Mean: 2.88 (SD: 2.06) Range: 0 to 17 courses

9. Demographics: Institution University56.3% 4-year College31.1% 2-year College5.3% Technical College.5% Other6.8%

10. Demographics: Department Mathematics54.0% Statistics17.6% Business7.0% Educational Psychology7.0% Psychology2.1% Other12.3%

11. Types of Assessment GAISE Recommendation: This should be done with formative assessments used during a course (e.g., quizzes and midterm exams and small projects) as well as with summative evaluations (course grades). Survey Question: Which of the following types of assessment do you use in your course?

12. Types and Use of Assessment TypeYesInfoGrade Exams97.9%2.1%97.9% Homework87.5%17.9%82.1% Projects73.0%8.6%91.4% Quizzes71.9%10.1%89.9% Participation58.3%42.9%57.1% Presentation16.6%50.0%

13. Assessment: Focus GAISE Recommendation: Assessments need to focus on understanding key ideas and not just on skills, procedures, and computed answers. Survey question: What percent of items on your in-class tests are primarily computational?

14. Percent of in-class tests items that are primarily computational

15. Assessment: Feedback GAISE recommendation: Useful and timely feedback is essential for assessments to lead to learning. Survey question: For which of the following purposes have you used assessment results? Which of the following actions have you taken based on assessment information?

16. Assessment: Purposes Identify misconceptions86.1% Provide diagnostic feedback73.7% Identify struggling students51.0%

17. Assessment: Actions Modified classroom activity85.6% Provided additional resources71.6% Developed a new classroom activity68.0% Modified assessment tools53.1% Modified assessment plan26.3%

18. Level of satisfaction with assessment methods

19. Confidence with writing good assessment items

20. Assessment Resources ARTIST: http://www.gen.umn.edu/artist/ http://www.gen.umn.edu/artist/ Database of over 1100 items focusing on assessment of Statistical literacy Statistical reasoning Statistical thinking 11 Topic scales: online tests for formative evaluation CAOS scale: online tests for summative evaluation Projects Resources, examples, articles.

21. Contact Information For more information, please contact Ann Ooms: ooms0001@umn.edu