190 likes | 351 Views
Assessment 101. Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) Workshop Spring 2011 Facilitators: Dr. Kara Penfield, Director of Academic Assessment; Isis Artze -Vega, PFF Coordinator. Today’s workshop will…. … describe the relevance of assessment to colleges and universities
E N D
Assessment 101 Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) Workshop Spring 2011 Facilitators: Dr. Kara Penfield, Director of Academic Assessment; Isis Artze-Vega, PFF Coordinator
Today’s workshop will… • … describe the relevance of assessment to colleges and universities • …provide an overview of assessment in education • …familiarize you with various types of assessment • …discuss the role of faculty in the assessment process • …introduce techniques and assessment tools
What is assessment? Generally speaking… “Assessment is the process by which information is obtained relative to some known objective or goal descriptions” (Kizlik, 2011). In education… “Assessment is the systematic collection, review, and use of information about educational programs undertaken for the purpose of improving learning and development” (Paloma & Banta, 1999).
Relevance to Higher Education Today • Increased demands for accountability • in all levels of education. • In 2006, Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings proposed changes to the college accreditation process & recommended mandatory testing to measure college student learning. • Why? • Soaring college costs, signs that college students aren’t learning key competencies & skills, and the lack of data to examine the outcomes of higher education • The govt. & general public are also interested in accountability and assessment because they are investing considerable funds and want to ensure their investment is worthwhile.
Another key distinction… Program Assessment Classroom Assessment
Let’s talk a bit about your own experiences with classroom assessment.
Two Main Types of Assessment • SUMMATIVE • Gathering info. at end of course or program to assign grades, meet accountability demands • Provides a final judgment • Often used to determine future action • Ex: Exam • FORMATIVE • Gathering info. about student learning with goal of improvement • Provides feedback • Ex: Non-graded quiz
Examples of formative assessment • Homework exercises • Discussion responses • Journal entries • Pretests
Formative assessment also includes CATs • CATs are classroom assessment techniques • Main goals: Better understand how your students are learning & improve your teaching • Examples: • Background knowledge probe • Minute paper • Muddiest point • One-sentence summary • Angelo, T. A., & Cross, P. (1993). Classroom assessment techniques: A handbook for college teachers. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass
Classroom Assessment Cycle Focus on a goal, choose a technique Formulate appropriate response, try it out Teach the lesson, assess student learning, analyze the feedback
Examples of summative assessment • 4 Common formats: • Selected response items • Multiple choice, True/false, Matching, • Short answer • Fill in the blank, One or two sentence response • Extended written response (papers, essays, lab write-ups, portfolios) • Performance assessment
Components of Program Assessment • Mission • Intended outcomes • Assessment measures • Results • Interpretation • Plan for improvement
Common Intended Outcomes • Oral and written communication • Field-specific content knowledge • Ability to think critically
Common Measures • Rubric Assessment • Capstone Projects • Conference Presentations • Design Exhibits • Clinical Rotations • Student Perception Surveys • Structured Group Interviews (Focus Groups)
Interplay b/w classroom & program assessment • The components of program assessment (slide 14) can be used in the classroom • Student products (essays, etc.) can be used in both… viewed through different lenses • Capstone projects & courses • General Education
“Assessment is more than a response to demands for accountability, more than a means for curricular improvement. Effective assessment is best understood as a strategy for understanding, confirming, and improving student learning.” Higher Learning Commission