Assessment of Service Assessment of Service Learning ProjectsLearning Projects

Not necessarily the “answer” but some Not necessarily the “answer” but some questions and suggestionsquestions and suggestions

David MogkDavid Mogk

Dept. of Earth SciencesDept. of Earth Sciences

Montana State UniversityMontana State University

ASSESSMENT—What is it? ASSESSMENT—What is it?

Collection of evidence to answer a Collection of evidence to answer a question or solve a problemquestion or solve a problem

Diane Ebert-MayDiane Ebert-May

I use “evaluation” to assign “value”—I use “evaluation” to assign “value”—good/bad; final grade, ….good/bad; final grade, ….

Resources (Assessing Student Learning)Resources (Assessing Student Learning)Starting Point Module on Assessment Starting Point Module on Assessment

http://serc.carleton.edu/9114http://serc.carleton.edu/9114

Cutting Edge Observing and Assessing Student Learning http://serc.carleton.edu/9142

Why do Assessment? Why do Assessment? AccountabilityAccountability

To administration, funding agency, community clientTo administration, funding agency, community client

To DemonstrateTo DemonstrateChange—from initial state to final productChange—from initial state to final productImpacts (on students, community)Impacts (on students, community)Benefits (e.g. to convince skeptical colleagues; Benefits (e.g. to convince skeptical colleagues;

To Achieve Buy-in from students; To Achieve Buy-in from students; to recruit future partners…to recruit future partners…

To review, reflect upon, revise, To review, reflect upon, revise, and improve on-going projectsand improve on-going projects

How Will the Assessment be UsedHow Will the Assessment be Used (and by whom, and for what purpose)?(and by whom, and for what purpose)? Formative—

”road checks”, are we on course? (feedback for project leaders)?

Summative—measures of success (for project

leaders, administrators, benefactors)

Longitudinal—long term impacts

(faculty, institutions, community)

What Type of Evidence “Counts”?What Type of Evidence “Counts”?

Approaches (multiple, independent lines of evidence—like your research!)Self-reporting; (journals, interviews…)External Observers (surveys, evaluation forms) Automated (e.g. web statistics)Quantitative; rubrics; how many…?Narrative/anecdotalPre- Post- activity to measure Δ;

baseline neededComparative

demonstrating changes pre- and post-projectOutcomes-based

demonstration of quality of products/results

What Are Your Project Goals? What Are Your Project Goals? Assessments must be well-aligned with goals

(How will you know….)

For Students Content Mastery? (e.g. compare with GCI?) Skill Mastery?

technical, communication, quantitative, graphic, information access and vetting, interpersonal skills

Affective AspectsEngagement with science, connection to community, pride

in work, personal growth—self-confidence…. Willingness to undertake service projects in the future? Ownership? Responsibility?

For Department/Institution/Course/Curriculum

Recognition of institutional contribution to community? Met course goals (syllabus); contributed to curriculum?

For Community Mission Accomplished? Lasting benefits?

Hard-Earned AdviceMake sure that the expectations of all parties

are aligned!Your standards are clearly articulatedStudents know what to expect (uncertainty is the

great killer of these types of projects)What will the product look like, how it will be

evaluated? Provide examples!Community partners know what the expected

product will be. No Surprises!Assessments

Must be built into the plan from the beginning, not an afterthought

Can be embedded, and can be done continuously through the life cycle of the project;

Intervene early if things go awry!

Some Strategies I’ve UsedSemester-long SL Project

Small groups: periodic self evaluation and peer evaluation

to make sure all are satisfied that all are contributing Equal participation is different than equitable—let students

play to their natural strengths; all contribute in different ways! Group captain reports to me; responsible for group product I intervene when needed. In the working world, fortunes sink or float according to ability

to work in groups with diverse backgrounds/abilities

Road checks; timetable w/ goals Info by X date; text by Y date; final product by Z date….. Consequences for missed deadlines.

Quality of final product Product score based on rubric All get same credit if all did work; credit distributed

proportionally if peer reports show someone “slacked”

Collaborative/Cooperative Collaborative/Cooperative Learning Learning

Using Cooperative Learning to Teach Using Cooperative Learning to Teach Mineralogy (and other courses too!), Mineralogy (and other courses too!), Srogi and BalocheSrogi and Baloche

http://serc.carleton.edu/23852http://serc.carleton.edu/23852 Starting Point Module on Cooperative Starting Point Module on Cooperative

LearningLearning http://serc.carleton.edu/10838http://serc.carleton.edu/10838

Preparing Students for Collaborative Preparing Students for Collaborative Case StudiesCase Studies

http://serc.carleton.edu/1381http://serc.carleton.edu/1381

SL Public Presentations SL Public Presentations

Poster or oral presentationsPoster or oral presentations Scoring rubric for content and presentation Scoring rubric for content and presentation

(my standards)(my standards)Text, voice, graphics…Text, voice, graphics…

External judges (professional standards)External judges (professional standards)Scientific accuracy, ….Scientific accuracy, ….

Community Review formsCommunity Review formsInterest, value….Interest, value….

Solicited letters from community partnersSolicited letters from community partnersEvaluate the quality of the productEvaluate the quality of the productEvaluate the processEvaluate the process

Assessment is important at Assessment is important at many levels… many levels… Use the right tool for the job Use the right tool for the job StudentsStudents

Learning outcomesLearning outcomesPersonal developmentPersonal development

ProjectProjectFormative—project stayed on courseFormative—project stayed on courseSummative—measurable outcomes were Summative—measurable outcomes were

achieved achieved Longitudinal—long-term impactsLongitudinal—long-term impacts

CommunityCommunityReal benefits were realizedReal benefits were realized