This provides a general understanding of Assessment, its purpose and use

1. Assessments
 Dr. Jennifer Pankowski
1

2. Assessment
 Assessment can occur at different times
during the semester and there are many
different types of assessment like formal
or informal; summative or formative;
rubric. This session will review different
types of assessment and review
assessment techniques that you are using
in your courses.
2

3. Video Clip
 Spies Like Us
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gk5R
9GmIsAs

4. Warm-Up
 1. What is the purpose of assessment?
 2. What are your assessment strengths?
 3. What questions do you have about
assessment?
4

5. Assessment and Evaluation
 Assessment is a process of determining
"what is."
 Evaluation uses evidence generated
through assessment to make judgments of
relative value.
 "If you don't have any goals, you don't have
anything to assess"
5

6. Video Clip
 The Paper Chase: Socratic Method
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qx22
TyCge7w
6

7. 7
Potential Impact of Assessments
 Find out what and how your students are
thinking
 Clarify your goals
 Get feedback to make mid-course corrections
 Become exposed to how students learn your
discipline and identify means to respond to
different learning styles
 Help students become self-aware of their
learning
 Leave behind a trail of information that can be
use for post-course improvement (for students
and teacher)

8. 8
Five Dimensions of Learning
 Declarative Learning (What)
 Procedural Learning (How)
 Conditional Learning (When & Where)
 Reflective Learning (Why)
 Metacognitive Learning (How to Learn)

9. Validity
Needs a Clear Purpose
9
Face validity:
do the assessment items appear to be
appropriate?
Content validity:
does the assessment content cover
what you want to assess?
Criterion-
related validity:
how well does the test measure what
you want it to?
Construct validity:
are you measuring what you think
you're measuring?

10. Reliability
 The length of the assessment – a longer assessment generally
produces more reliable results.
 The suitability of the questions or tasks for the students being
assessed.
 The phrasing and terminology of the questions.
 The consistency in test administration – for example, the
length of time given for the assessment, instructions given to
students before the test.
 The design of the marking schedule and moderation of
marking procedures.
 The readiness of students for the assessment – for example,
a hot afternoon or straight after physical activity might not be
the best time for students to be assessed.
10

11. More Than 1 Type of
Assessment
11

12. Assessing the Objective
12
Formative=Ongoing
Gather feedback that can be used by
the instructor and the students to
guide improvements in the ongoing
teaching and learning.
Example: Early course evaluations,
quizzes, scaffolding essays with an
outline
Summative=Summary
Measure the level of success or
proficiency that has been obtained at
the end of an instructional unit, by
comparing it against some standard or
benchmark.
Example: Post unit exams, portfolio
assignments
Formal
Have data which support the
conclusions made from the test. We
usually refer to these types of tests as
standardized measures.
Example: Standardized exams with
mathematical scores.
Informal
Not data driven but rather content
and performance driven.
Examples: Performance
assessments(recital), single subject
designs

13. Formative
 Formative Assessment
 Formative assessment provides feedback
and information during the
 instructional process, while learning is
taking place, and while learning is
 occurring. Formative assessment
measures student progress but it can
 also assess your own progress as an
instructor.
13

14. Ongoing Assessments for
Students
 1. Journal entry
 2. Short answer test
 3. Open response test
 4. Oral responses during class discussion
 5. Portfolios
 6. Exhibition
 7. Culminating product
14

15. Summative
 Summative assessment takes place after
the learning has been completed
 and provides information and feedback
that sums up the teaching and
 learning process. Typically, no more formal
learning is taking place at
 this stage, other than incidental learning
which might take place through
 the completion of projects and
assignments. 15

16. Using a Rubric
 A rubric is a scoring tool that explicitly
describes the instructor’s performance
expectations
16

17. Types of Rubrics
Holistic
gives a single score or rating for an
entire product or performance based
on an overall impression of a student’s
work
Analytic
divides a product or performance into
essential traits or dimensions so that
they can be judged separately—one
analyzes a product or performance for
essential traits
17

18. 18

19. 19

20. Steps to Rubric Development
 Determine learning outcomes
 Keep it short and simple (Include 4 – 15 items; use
brief statements or phrases)
 Each rubric item should focus on a different skill
 Focus on how students develop and express their
learning
 Evaluate only measurable criteria
 Ideally, the entire rubric should fit on one sheet of
paper
 Reevaluate the rubric (Did it work? Was it sufficiently
detailed?)
20

21. Terms Used to Measure
 Needs
Improvement…Satisfactory…Good…Exemplary
 Beginning…Developing…Accomplished…Exemplary
 Needs work…Good…Excellent
 Novice…Apprentice…Proficient…Distinguished
 Numeric scale ranging from 1 to 5, for example
21

22. Benefits of Rubrics- Instructor
 reduce the time spent grading
 help instructors more clearly identify
strengths and weaknesses across an entire
class and adjust their instruction
 help to ensure consistency across time
and students
 reduce the uncertainty which can
accompany grading
 discourage complaints about grades
22

23. Benefits of Rubrics-Student
 understand instructors’ expectations and
standards
 use instructor feedback to improve their
performance
 monitor and assess their progress as they
work towards clearly indicated goals
 recognize their strengths and weaknesses
and direct their efforts accordingly
23

24.  Paper
 Example 1: Philosophy Paper This rubric was designed for student papers in a range of courses in philosophy
(Carnegie Mellon).
 Example 2: Psychology Assignment Short, concept application homework assignment in cognitive psychology
(Carnegie Mellon).
 Example 3: Anthropology Writing Assignments This rubric was designed for a series of short writing assignments
in anthropology (Carnegie Mellon).
 Example 4: History Research Paper. This rubric was designed for essays and research papers in history (Carnegie
Mellon).
 Projects
 Example 1: Capstone Project in Design This rubric describes the components and standards of performance from
the research phase to the final presentation for a senior capstone project in design (Carnegie Mellon).
 Example 2: Engineering Design Project This rubric describes performance standards for three aspects of a team
project: research and design, communication, and team work.
 Oral Presentations
 Example 1: Oral Exam This rubric describes a set of components and standards for assessing performance on an
oral exam in an upper-division course in history (Carnegie Mellon).
 Example 2: Oral Communication This rubric is adapted from Huba and Freed, 2000.
 Example 3: Group Presentations This rubric describes a set of components and standards for assessing group
presentations in history (Carnegie Mellon).
 Class Participation/Contributions
 Example 1: Discussion Class This rubric assesses the quality of student contributions to class discussions. This is
appropriate for an undergraduate-level course (Carnegie Mellon).
 Example 2: Advanced Seminar This rubric is designed for assessing discussion performance in an advanced
undergraduate or graduate seminar.
24