This document discusses how to utilize student assessment data to inform curricular decision-making. It outlines how categorizing exam questions in ExamSoft allows institutions to analyze student performance data by categories like subject matter, difficulty, or teaching method. This provides insights into what topics students find most difficult and what teaching approaches are most effective. The document recommends institutions categorize existing and new exam questions so they can identify curricular strengths and weaknesses and make informed choices for new curriculum models.

1. UTILIZING ASSESSMENT DATA
TO INFLUENCE CURRICULAR
DECISION-MAKING
Dan Thompson, M.S.
Coordinator of Instructional Design,
Assessment
and Educational Technology
Oklahoma State University Center for Health
Sciences

2. SESSION OBJECTIVES
At the completion of this session, participants will be
able to:
1. Utilize ExamSoft categories to acquire student assessment performance
data
2. Recognize methods of utilizing formative and summative assessment
data to identify curricular strengths and weaknesses
3. Apply information learned from student assessment data to make
informed decisions on curricular development

3. INTRODUCTION
 As institutions prepare to alter or implement a new curriculum,
usable data needs to be compiled to help make the most well-
informed decisions possible
 Key to learn from current curriculum before making decisions
on a new model to implement
 Many institutions collect internal data from surveys and focus groups and
conduct external research
 Internal quantitative data utilizing student assessments is a key component to
review
 Student performance data can be acquired retroactively for all ExamSoft items
 This will lend insight into which teaching methods are most successful, which
topics are most difficult for students, which question types are most difficult, etc.
 This information can assist in making decisions about the type
of new curriculum and teaching methods implemented

4. WHAT ARE CATEGORIES?
 Each question in ExamSoft can be tagged into categories that
will allow us to identify the exact subject matter, difficulty level,
author, type of teaching method implemented, style of
question, etc.
 Items can be placed into an unlimited number of categories
 Stats can be acquired based on each category to learn the
appropriate information that will assist in creating a new
curriculum.

5. HOW TO CATEGORIZE QUESTIONS
 Questions can be easily categorized when the question is
being created in ExamSoft
 Questions that have already been created and used in
assessments can be categorized as well
 Statistical analyses of these questions can be done retroactively
 Categories will be pre-made, which will allow question
creators to simply click on the categories and add them for
each question
 Categories work as a folder structure if needed

7. WHY CATEGORIZE? – RATIONALE/BENEFITS
 Makes reporting on assessment content and how we assess students
much easier
 Can categorize questions by the new curriculum objectives/competencies
to ensure the appropriate material is covered as an institution
 Provides insight on curricular integration and order

8. WHY CATEGORIZE? – RATIONALE/BENEFITS
 Quantity of exam items from each discipline/class meeting
 Student preparedness boards/licensure examinations
 Content
 Style of question
 Question difficulty
 As with most curricular changes, many disciplines will see their
contact hours altered
 The impact of this can be lessened with how assessment items are utilized
 Most importantly – recognize what you do well!!
 Many curricular change processes focus on what needs to change instead of what
needs to stay the same

9. MOVING FORWARD
Typically requires educational staff and faculty to
complete
Each institution has their own unique strengths and
weaknesses
 Using internal assessment data will help specifically identify this information
 Compare with board/licensure scores
 Proactively improve instruction

10. THANK YOU!!
Questions/comments?
dan.thompson@okstate.edu

11. For More Information:
Call: 1.866.429.8889
Email: info@examsoft.com
Visit: learn.examsoft.com