Posts tagged assessment
Generalizability of Course-Embedded Assessments
Jan 12th
Current, common methods used by #highered #assessment professionals when sampling and evaluating student work for general education or program level outcomes assessment projects may not provide results that can be reliably generalized. Even if sampling work from 1500 students in an institution with only 4500 students total, the results may not be indicative of the institution’s true level of performance in teaching general education or program outcomes.
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Loading ...Reliability of Course-Embedded Assessment
Jan 6th
A recent article published by Inside Higher Ed focuses on a study that suggests student motivation on low-stakes, standardized exams used for institutional assessment may impact the reliability of results. That has serious implications for institutions using the results of those exams to report institutional effectiveness regarding student achievement of institutional outcomes. That article and study is an important read for institutional assessment professionals.
“But my institution relies more heavily on course-embedded assessment, so it’s not as relevant to my institution.” Not so fast… I believe the results of that study also have implications for institutional administration of outcomes assessment projects relying on course-embedded assessments.
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Invited Presentation: Effective Classroom Assessment
Jan 5th
I have a speaking engagement coming up next Friday at Howard College in San Angelo. I’ve been developing a custom presentation to address the specific needs described in my conversations with the colleague that invited me to present. As usual, the development process takes on a life of it’s own and the presentation slowly emerges during the weeks that I spend preparing it.
Most of the topics I’ve planned to include have been in place for some time, but the organization of it has been evolving quite a bit. At the moment, the presentation will be a series of issues and challenges I’ll pose to faculty to improve assessment in courses. Of course, there will be interaction expected; there’s a question and pause every fourth slide or so… It’s more about them than it is me.
Current assessment issues to be included are below along with questions I may ask along with a short summary or a link to a previous blog post where I’ve discussed the issue. I’m always open to discussion and comments.
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Making Turnitin assignments play nice with Blackboard Outcomes
Jan 1st
Being primarily responsible at my institution for general education, program, and course level outcomes assessment, a project I helped to initiate this academic year has been the implementation of Blackboard Outcomes that integrates deeply with the Blackboard Learn LMS. In short, Blackboard Outcomes makes it possible to collect electronically samples of student work so that they may be evaluated – also electronically – against a rubric (e.g. AAC&U LEAP Value rubrics) as part of an institutional or programmatic outcomes assessment project. With the evidence collection and evaluation process occurring electronically, the reporting process is also greatly streamlined. Naturally, as we’ve implemented the tool, I’ve encountered a few features that I’d like to have that are not currently available. One feature that is needed is for Blackboard Outcomes to be able to collect samples of student work submitted to Turnitin assignments. The full product enhancement suggestion I submitted is below. If you work with Blackboard Outcomes, I’m interested in your feedback, and your also making the same suggestion to Blackboard.
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Student Centered Evidence Assessment Projects in Blackboard Outcomes
Dec 31st
Being primarily responsible at my institution for general education, program, and course level outcomes assessment, a project I helped to initiate this academic year has been the implementation of Blackboard Outcomes that integrates deeply with the Blackboard Learn LMS. In short, Blackboard Outcomes makes it possible to collect electronically samples of student work so that they may be evaluated – also electronically – against a rubric (e.g. AAC&U LEAP Value rubrics) as part of an institutional or programmatic outcomes assessment project. With the evidence collection and evaluation process occurring electronically, the reporting process is also greatly streamlined. Naturally, as we’ve implemented the tool, I’ve encountered a few features that I’d like to have that are not currently available. The most significant of those for Blackboard Outcomes is the ability to specify students from which samples will be collected. The full product enhancement suggestion I submitted is below. If you work with Blackboard Outcomes, I’m interested in your feedback, and your also making the same suggestion to Blackboard More >
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...What college course learning outcomes SHOULD be…
Oct 11th
I have suggested previously that NO college level course should have learning outcomes that are written at the lower cognitive levels. Working from Bloom’s Taxonomy, a college level course learning outcome should NOT be to define, explain, describe, discuss, list or identify. College level courses should require students to analyze, apply, synthesize and evaluate new knowledge and concepts. They should be expected to use new knowledge, concepts and skills not simply remember or comprehend them.
The question or issue typically raised is almost always similar to, “Students must acquire basic skills and knowledge before they can operate at higher cognitive levels regarding that content.” That is absolutely true. However, my argument is that basic skills and knowledge are pre/requisite to achieving higher order outcomes; students that achieve higher order outcomes of a course will have implicitly demonstrated mastery of the pre/requisite skills. So, listing the lower order skills as outcomes is both unnecessary, and from an assessment perspective, undesirable. More >
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Measuring Outcomes for Institutional Assessment
Aug 15th
The previous post highlighted differences between Outcomes vs. Objectives for Institutional Assessment. As promised, I hope to further clarify the differences by engaging the next step in the institutional assessment planning process: defining and planning assessment methods for a previously developed outcome. Describing the assessment methods and measures, that may be used will further distinguish between outcomes, assessment, and objectives/tasks within institutional assessment.
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Outcomes vs Objectives for Institutional Assessment
Aug 4th
I’ve written previously about the difference between outcomes and objectives. During a recent institutional effectiveness workshop, I’ve come to the conclusion that the same issue exists when assessing administrative units. From what I’ve experienced and seen, current institutional effectiveness and continuous improvement practices for the administrative assessment efforts lead to the same blending of outcomes and objectives that I’ve observed and noted on the instructional side of the house. A few examples and an explanation of how to approach it differently . . .
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Lower level learning outcomes in college level courses?
Jul 31st
Bloom’s Taxonomy is exactly that – a taxonomy, not a heirarchy. And, students of many ages are capable of higher order thinking skills (e.g. my then 9yo daughter) like application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation; of course, students will exhibit different levels of proficiency and different levels of complexity in their thinking.
Here’s my question… Should there be any college level course that has learning outcomes that are predominantly, or worse yet, entirely at the lower levels of thinking per Bloom’s Taxonomy? Is there any instance in which the outcome of the course should not be an ability to analyze, apply, synthesize or evaluate content related to the discipline? More >
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Incentives for Course Feedback?
Mar 4th
I work closely with end of course evaluation surveys. At one institution, I administer the online survey system through which we survey students, and for the other institution, I rely heavily and place high value on feedback from students to help me continuously improve the course. My question is, “How much is that feedback worth?” More >
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