1. Assessing Student Learning “I have learnt silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet strange, I am ungrateful to these teachers." …...Kahlil Gibran

2. Assessing Student Learning Presented by:

3. Objectives You will: 1.Consider how assessment principles affect the assessment process. 2. Examine 4 considerations for planning assessment including: yEstablishing objectives for the process. yEstablishing criteria for the process. yDeveloping assessment strategies that reflect established objectives and criteria. yOrienting feedback to provide A) encouragement and direction and B) grading information that is geared to objectives and criteria.

4. Assessment - Sally’s reaction to her ‘C’ grade in coat-hanger sculpture... Peanuts “Was I judged on the piece of sculpture itself? If so, is it not true that time alone can judge a work of art? Or was I judged on my talent? If so, is it right that I be judged on a part of life over which I have no control? If I was judged on my effort, then I was judged unfairly for I tried as hard as I could! Was I judged on what I had learned about this project? If so, then were not you, my teacher, also being judged on your ability to transmit your knowledge to me? Are you willing to share my ‘C’? Perhaps I was being judged on the quality of the coat hanger itself out of which my creation was made. Is this also not unfair? Am I to be judged by the quality of coat-hangers that are used by the dry-cleaning establishments that returns our garments? Is that not the responsibility of my parents? Should they not share my ‘C’?”

5. Assessment Principles OngoingValid & Reliable Comprehensive CommunicatedVariety of Methods

6. ObjectivesCriteria Feedback Strategies Assessment Planning

7. Assessment Planning -ObjectivesObjectives Yours Learners’ Institution’s Clear outcomes Evolving vision Time/Resources Role Grades reported & justified Criteria logic & rationale Personal learning Make changes Instructor’s feedback

8. Assessment Planning- Criteria “I always wanted to be somebody, but I see now I should have been more specific.”...Lily Tomlin “Clear, specific, descriptive statements of observable actions, speech, written expression and created products.”

9. Assessment Planning -Criteria By the end of this course, I want my students to write a clear, coherent, well-organized and well- informed essay that gives the reader a sense of focus and that is also creative-that is, it does not merely state the obvious or sound cut-and-dried. Instead, the student shows creativity by making unusual connections, looking at something in a fresh way, noticing unusual relationships or aspects of the topic, pushing beyond surface observations, challenging what others take for granted, or taking a risk with a rhetorical technique, an unpopular idea, or a difficult topic.

10. Assessment Planning -CriteriaCriteria Knowledge Comprehension Application Analysis Synthesis Evaluation Different levels of learning …Bloom’s Taxonomy

11. Assessment Planning -Strategies “If we’re going to be damned, let’s be damned for who we really are.”...Captain Jean-Luc Picard

12. Assessment Planning -Strategies zMatch assignments to objectives and criteria zChoose meaningful assignments yAllow learners to demonstrate what they know in real-life situations yBuild in choice

13. Assessment Planning -StrategiesStrategies Balance Activities Performance vs. Explanation On-the-spot vs. Over Time Written vs. Oral/Visual Individual vs. Group Final Product vs. Process

14. Assessment Planning -Feedback “A ‘No’ uttered from deepest conviction is better and greater than a ‘Yes’ merely uttered to please or what is worse, to avoid trouble.”...Mahatma Gandhi

15. Assessment Planning -Feedback A grade represents…. zThe quality of products prepared/ submitted by a learner over a period of time? zThe quality the learner is finally able to produce by the end of a course? zThe amount of knowledge the learner is able to remember/produce at the end of a course? zThe percentage of course skills the learner can be counted upon to use when necessary?

16. Assessment Planning -Feedback zSeparate commenting from grading zDo not give to all what only some need zUse only necessary grade levels zFrame comments zDon’t waste time on careless work zUse what they know zAsk them to organize www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infotrac/equitgrading.html

17. Assessment Planning -Feedback Student Assignment Checklist I revised this paper at least once. I spent at least 5 hours on this paper. I started work on this paper at least 3 days ago. I tried hard to do my best work on this paper. I proofread the paper at least twice for grammar and punctuation. I asked at least one person to proofread this. I ran the paper through a spelling check.

18. Assessment Planning -Feedback “Students will forget what you said, and they will forget what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” …S. Piccinin

19. Assessment Planning -FeedbackFeedback Specific Behavioural DevelopmentalNon-emotional Clear Balanced Well-timed“I” Statements

20. About this session… I liked….. I wish….. I will use….