Going Beyond Grades Defining Assessments and Outcomes for Learning

1. Going Beyond GradesDefining Assessments and Outcomes for Learning April 16, 2004 Dr. Spencer Benson Center for Teaching Excellence University of Maryland College Park, MD RI Apr. 16, 2004

2. Learning Is a Life-long Process Tomb Womb RI Apr. 16, 2004

3. Tentative Map • Student Learning • Background on Assessments • Use of Assessment • Some Electronic Tools for Assessment • E-portfolios • Discussion Q & A RI Apr. 16, 2004

4. First Principle of Learning • Students come the classroom with preconceptions about how the world works which include beliefs and prior knowledge acquired through various experiences. • How can we use assessment to address this RI Apr. 16, 2004

5. What is true for our students is true for us. • We view assessment through the lens of our own experiences. • We tend to use what we know or experienced, or expect. • If they worked for us they must be OK. • When we gain information we change. • Knowledge and wisdom are wonderful things. RI Apr. 16, 2004

6. Fish is Fish RI Apr. 16, 2004

7. Fish is Fish RI Apr. 16, 2004

8. RI Apr. 16, 2004

9. RI Apr. 16, 2004

10. Birds RI Apr. 16, 2004

11. Cows RI Apr. 16, 2004

12. People RI Apr. 16, 2004

13. Students are not US!! RI Apr. 16, 2004

14. Second Principle of Learning • To develop competence in an area of inquiry, students must: have a deep foundation of factual knowledge, understand facts and ideas in the context of a conceptual framework, and organize knowledge in ways that facilitate retrieval and applications. • How do we assess these? • Factual knowledge • Understand ideas • Ability to organize knowledge • Think critically • Ability to apply knowledge RI Apr. 16, 2004

15. "Teaching is leading students into a situation in which they can onlyescape by thinking"

16. Assessment = Grades ? • Assessment  Grades • There are many forms of assessment • High stakes outcome performance based assessments Informal Checks Observations Quizzes Assignments Performance tasks for Understanding Dialogues Tests Projects Capstone projects RI Apr. 16, 2004

17. Assessments • There are many forms of assessment Formative ----------------------------Summative Informal Checks Observations Quizzes Assignments Performance tasks for Understanding Dialogues Tests Projects Capstone projects RI Apr. 16, 2004

18. Two Simple Definitions • Formative assessments • The things we do to help learning occur • Summative assessments • The data points we take to see how much students have learned. • How do we connect learning and assessment? RI Apr. 16, 2004

19. Connections: How do accomplish it? Course Structure Student Learning Teaching Assessments RI Apr. 16, 2004

20. Connections: How do accomplish it? Student Learning Course Structure Teaching Assessments RI Apr. 16, 2004

21. Connections: Integrated-Connected Curriculum Structure Course Structure Student Learning content skill Teaching pedagogies technology Assessments formative summative RI Apr. 16, 2004

22. Work Backwards • Define the learning goals • What do you want student to know or be able to do? • Define the assessments • How would you know that they (students) know or can do something? • Design the learning activities that will help students accomplish the goals • If you want student to know how to fish, take them fishing. RI Apr. 16, 2004

23. Defining Outcomes • Define the learning goals • What do you want student to know or be able to do? • This is often the most difficult task. • It is do able ! • NAS science standards • ASM guidelines • QUE project • http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwque/ RI Apr. 16, 2004

24. Work backwards • Define the learning goals • What do you want student to know or be able to do? • Define the assessments • How would you know that they (students) know or can do ________ ? • Design the learning activities that will help students accomplish the goals • If you want student to know how to fish, take them fishing. RI Apr. 16, 2004

25. Define Summative Assessments • How would you know that (students) know or can do something? • What evidence would be acceptable? • Types of evidence • Grades on a test • Demonstration of a skill • Winning a competition • Developing a portfolio • Must be practical, doable, and can it be evaluated? Will it? RI Apr. 16, 2004

26. Work backwards • Define the learning goals • What do you want student to know or be able to do? • Define the assessments • How would you know that they (students) know or can do something? • Design the learning activities that will help students accomplish the goals RI Apr. 16, 2004

27. Linking Learning and Assessment • Using assessment as a teaching tool • BSCI122 Microbes and Society • Gen-Ed Science Course • Goals: science literacy, science appreciation, the global nature of science • Assessments • Essay questions “science in their own words” • Reading science in the news (writing) • EAST HIV/AIDS poster project RI Apr. 16, 2004

28. EAST HIV/AIDS Project (2004) • Student teams (3-4 students) develop an information poster on HIV/AIDS in East Asian Countries • China(rural), China(urban), South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Taiwan, Philippines, Thailand, • Used a web-based tool • Keep Tool Kit ( Carnegie Knowledge Media Lab) • Common template RI Apr. 16, 2004

29. Keep Template BSCI122 RI Apr. 16, 2004

30. Learning Is a Life-long Process Tomb Womb RI Apr. 16, 2004

31. Technology for Teaching & Learning • Communication • Email • Discussion • Chat • Motivation • On-line quizzes • Reality simulator • Gaming simulators • It can be a distracter • Using a tool is not always good • It take time and effort • The key is to connect the activity to learning RI Apr. 16, 2004

32. Technology Learning Activities Resources • Calibrated Peer Review • http://cpr.molsci.ucla.edu/ • IMMEX • http://www.immex.ucla.edu/ • KEEP tool kit • http://www.carnegiefoundation.org/KML/KEEP/index.htm RI Apr. 16, 2004

33. "Teaching is leading students into a situation in which they can onlyescape by thinking"

34. A Taxonomy of Learning • Important and integral components • Reflection • Information  Knowledge • Integration • Information  Knowledge  Connections • Social • Information  Knowledge  Connections  Social networks (broad context) RI Apr. 16, 2004

35. E-Portfolios • An electronic portfolio, or E-Portfolio, is a purposeful collection of artifacts and reflections that documents students’ learning, knowledge and growth. It is assembled, stored, and retrievable via various electronic means and can include a variety of media formats. • It can be use as a means to document student learning and performance. RI Apr. 16, 2004

36. E-Portfolio Elements • Design • Layout, content, reflection, artifacts • Semantics • Searchable, interconnectivity, LMS • Factoring • Enterprise systems, open source, access • Community • Connections • Decentralization • Ownerships, maintenance, portability • Darren and Barbara Cambridge (AAHE) RI Apr. 16, 2004

37. Some E-Portfolio Websites • AAHE E-portfolio site • http://webcenter1.aahe.org/electronicportfolios/index.html • UM-Madison • http://portfolios.education.wisc.edu/ • List of University sites • http://wiscinfo.doit.wisc.edu/ltde/ORFI/eportfolio/Links.htm • An E-portfolio scoring rubric • http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/eportfoliorubric.html RI Apr. 16, 2004

38. Thank You Spencer Benson, Ph.D. Director, Center for Teaching Excellence University of Maryland College Park Email - sbenson@umd.edu Phone - 301-314-1288 Website - http://www.cte.umd.edu "Teaching is leading students into a situation in which they can onlyescape by thinking"