CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT TECHNIQUES Departmental Workshop Wayne State University English Department January 11, 2012

Presenters Shenika Hankerson Whitney Hardin Thomas Trimble

Overview Assessing our teaching is critical to improving our teaching. Assessing our teaching also makes teaching easier and can improve job satisfaction. Today’s workshop is intended to provide: introduction to key concepts examples of specific classroom assessment strategies an opportunity to practice in a small group setting

7 Assumptions of Classroom Assessment Angelo, Thomas A., and K. Patricia Cross. Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Teachers. San Francisco: Josey-Bass, Print. 1. The quality of student learning is directly, although not exclusively, related to the quality of teaching. 2. To improve their effectiveness, teachers need first to make their goals and objective explicit and specific. 3. To improve their learning, students need to receive appropriate and focused feedback early and often. 4. The type of assessment most likely to improve teaching and learning is that conducted by faculty to answer questions they themselves have formulated in response to issues or problems in their own teaching. 5. Systematic inquiry and intellectual challenge are powerful sources of motivation, growth, and renewal for teachers. 6. Classroom assessment does not require specialized training. 7. Collaborating with colleagues and actively involving students, faculty enhance learning and personal satisfaction.

Key Concepts Assessment of Learning Outcomes vs. Assessment of Teaching Outcomes Formative vs. Summative Assessment

Learning Outcomes vs. Teaching Outcomes Learning outcomes focus on student behaviors and competencies rather than teacher behaviors-what will students be able to do? I will teach the concept of rhetorical situation vs. Students will analyze the rhetorical situation for writing assignments, including audience, purpose, and context Assessing learning outcomes seeks to discern how students are doing

Formative vs. Summative Assessment Formative assessments are low stakes measures of student learning during instruction Quizzes, blog posts, class discussion, journal entries, small assignments, first drafts, etc. Results are used to modify instruction as it happens Summative assessments are high stakes measures of student achievement at the end of instruction Final drafts, exams, presentations Results are used to evaluate student work (assign grades) and to modify the next iteration of instruction

Teaching Outcomes Teaching outcomes focus on instructor behaviors and their relationship to student learning Assessing teaching outcomes seeks to discern how instructors are doing Is instruction clear? Is it appropriately sequenced and paced? Is the level and amount of feedback appropriate?

Sample Strategies

Strategies (Shenika) Unit Assessment 1. Evaluative Response- Mid-Unit 2. Evaluative Response- Unit Conclusion Each Unit Sequence Assignments 1. Reading Response: Discussion Board (Blackboard) 2. Homework 3. Peer Workshop: First Draft Essay Evaluative Response 4. Final Draft Essay Evaluative Response

Reading Response: Discussion Board The SQ3R Reading Method Student Instructor Peers What content is unclear? What questions do you have in relation to the chapters and the assigned essay? What information did you find useful? How do you plan to utilize this information? What advice or helpful information would you like to share?

Peer Workshop: First Draft Essay Conclusion of the Peer Workshop: Respond in paragraph form: 1. What is the strongest aspect of your essay? 2. What is the weakest aspect? Why? 3. What do you still need to complete? Are you having difficulty composing the incomplete content? If so, why?

Final Draft Essay Written Reflection EssayProvide a Personal Perspective Regarding: The Composing Process The Unit The Composing Process (Essay) The Readings (Helpful, Ineffective) Classroom Activities (Helpful, Ineffective) Overall Suggestions for Future Purposes

Strategies (Whitney) Low Stakes End-of-class responses Not for credit, anonymous Example: What helped? What hindered? Example: How do you feel about this way of conducting peer review? Have you experienced other methods you liked better? Should we stick with this or try something new next time? Reflecting on individual assignments For credit (same as a response), semi-anonymous Example: Collaborative writing Example: New assignments

High(er) stakes Asking students to construct rubric for project Group work, for credit, presented to class Objectives How well have they understood what’s important to the project? How well have I communicated primary/secondary/tertiary concerns? The “Jim Brown” Asks students to revise another paper as their own. For credit –usually 5% of final grade Objectives Like rubric –how well has assignment been understood? How well have I been modeling useful feedback? How comfortable are students with substantial changes/working with someone else’s writing?

Strategies (Thomas) 1. 5-Minute Check-In 2. Blog 3. End-of-Unit Survey

5-Minute Check-In 1. Hand-out 3x5 cards near end of class session. 2. Present students with 2-3 questions (written on the board or screen) that can be answered anonymously in 5 minutes. 3. Ask students to leave the cards on a desk as they leave. Sample questions: What went right today? What could have been better today? What concept from today’s class still needs explanation?

Blog For your blog, answer both of the following two questions. Please use complete sentences and paragraphs. 1) What is the most difficult part of this week’s reading? 2) What is the most interesting part of the reading? Rubric 3 points=both questions answered and "most difficult" response is specific and actionable (i.e., we can talk about it and figure it out) 2 points="most difficult" part is not specific/actionable and/or only one of the two questions have been completed 1 point=blog post does not demonstrate the reading has been completed 0 points=blog post has not been completed on time Higdon, Jude and Chad Topaz. “Blogs and Wikis as Instructional Tools: A Social Software Adaptation of Just-in-Time Teaching.” College Teaching. (Spring 2009) 57:2:

End-of-Unit Survey Use Survey Monkey or Blackboard survey tool Anonymously administer at end of unit/project Sample Questions: Did our progress through this project move along too fast, too slow, or was it just about right? As an instructor, am I talking too fast, too slow, or just about right? On a scale of 1 to 5, how helpful were the assignments that led up to the project draft? What part of the project needed better explanation or practice?

Activity

Discussion