Posts tagged highered
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 ...My thoughts, as faculty, on #LectureFail
Mar 15th
The Chronicle of Higher Education asked,
Is it time for more widespread reform of college teaching?
This series explores the state of the college lecture, and how technologies point to new models of undergraduate education.
Last month, we began inviting students across the countries to fire up their Web cameras or camera-phones to send us video commentaries about whether lectures work for them.
Chronicle.com/LectureFail displays a number of student comments, including a compilation, along with several faculty responses.
As a faculty member, as I watched several of the videos, I found my beliefs and attitudes to be more in line with the students than my faculty colleagues. Personally, lectures are boring… for me… as a faculty member. I don’t like them, and pedagogically and historically, I find them to be an outmoded approach to teaching and learning. Why?
(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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Revising my grading rubric for discussion forum participation
Feb 29th
After three iterations of the course I’m teaching, I’m revisiting and potentially revising the grading rubric I’m using to assess learner participation in discussion forums. Back in August, I described the types of discussions in which my students in COSC 1401 Introduction to Computers are asked to participate and posted the grading rubric for assessing their participation. I have been using that rubric the last three terms (I’m teaching primarily 8 week terms; two last fall and one so far this spring). But, it’s not quite a perfect fit to how the discussions have progressed and how I want to grade them. So, I’m revising. I’m interested in your thoughts on this rubric. More >
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Learning Outcomes ARE NOT Learning Objectives
Aug 8th
The simple fact that Learning Outcomes are NOT the same as Learning Objectives is a key principle to “Developing Effective Learning Outcomes & Objectives.” As noted in that presentation outline,
The differences lie in the level of specificity each provides and the relationship of each to assessment methods and instructional activities. Failure to understand and accommodate the differences can restrict academic freedom of faculty and complicate institutional efforts to manage curriculum and assessment.
Using the course I teach – COSC 1401 Introduction to Computers – I want to briefly illustrate the difference and the relationship between a learning outcome and a learning objective. More >
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Leveraging Quality Matters Certified Courses
Aug 6th
Short version: An institution that facilitates and supports Quality Matters (QM) centered reviews of online courses could leverage those courses by licensing a QM certified course from the faculty developer on a semester-to-semester basis and distribute that QM certified course to any faculty – including or perhaps especially adjuncts – teaching the course. For me, that would be a win-win-win solution for the institution, the faculty developer and all other faculty teaching the same course.
Long version and a few issues are described below. After I explain all of this, please comment and tell me what sort of things I don’t know about QM or licensing issues etc that preclude an institution from doing this ;-) More >
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