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Going Beyond GradesGoing Beyond GradesDefining Assessments and Outcomes for Defining Assessments and Outcomes for

LearningLearning

April 16, 2004

Dr. Spencer BensonCenter for Teaching Excellence

University of Maryland College Park, MD

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Learning Is a Life-long ProcessLearning Is a Life-long Process

Womb

Tomb

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Tentative Map Tentative Map

Student Learning Background on AssessmentsUse of Assessment Some Electronic Tools for

AssessmentE-portfoliosDiscussion Q & A

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First Principle of LearningFirst 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

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What is true for our students is true What is true for our students is true for us. 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.

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Fish is FishFish is Fish

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Fish is Fish Fish is Fish

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BirdsBirds

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CowsCows

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PeoplePeople

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Students are not US!!Students are not US!!

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Second Principle of LearningSecond 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

"Teaching is leading "Teaching is leading students into a situation in students into a situation in which they can onlywhich they can onlyeescape by thinking"scape by thinking"

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Assessment = Grades ?Assessment = Grades ?

Assessment GradesThere 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

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AssessmentsAssessments

There are many forms of assessment

Formative ----------------------------Summative

Informal Checks Observations Quizzes Assignments Performance tasks for Understanding Dialogues Tests Projects Capstone projects

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Two Simple DefinitionsTwo Simple Definitions

Formative assessments The things we do to help learning occur

Summative assessmentsThe data points we take to see how

much students have learned. How do we connect learning and

assessment?

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Connections: How do accomplish Connections: How do accomplish it? it?

Teaching Assessments

Student Learning

Course Structure

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Connections: How do accomplish Connections: How do accomplish it? it?

Teaching

Assessments

Student Learning

Course Structure

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Connections: Integrated-Connections: Integrated-Connected Connected

Teachingpedagogiestechnology

Assessmentsformative

summative

Student Learningcontent

skill

Course Structure Course Structure Curriculum Curriculum Structure Structure

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Work Backwards Work Backwards Define the learning goals

What do you want student to know or be able to do?

Define the assessmentsHow would you know that they (students) know or

can do something?

Design the learning activities that will help students accomplish the goalsIf you want student to know how to fish, take them

fishing.

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Defining Outcomes Defining Outcomes

Define the learning goalsWhat do you want student to know or be

able to do?This is often the most difficult task.It is do able !

NAS science standardsASM guidelinesQUE project

http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwque/

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Define the learning goalsWhat do you want student to know or be able to do?

Define the assessmentsHow would you know that they (students) know or

can do ________ ?

Design the learning activities that will help students accomplish the goalsIf you want student to know how to fish, take them

fishing.

Work backwards Work backwards

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Define Summative Define Summative AssessmentsAssessments

How would you know that (students) know or can do something?What evidence would be acceptable?

Types of evidenceGrades on a test Demonstration of a skillWinning a competitionDeveloping a portfolio

Must be practical, doable, and can it be evaluated? Will it?

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Define the learning goalsWhat 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

Work backwards Work backwards

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Linking Learning and Linking Learning and Assessment Assessment

Using assessment as a teaching toolBSCI122 Microbes and Society

Gen-Ed Science Course Goals: science literacy, science appreciation,

the global nature of science

AssessmentsEssay questions “science in their own words”Reading science in the news (writing)EAST HIV/AIDS poster project

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EAST HIV/AIDS Project (2004)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

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Keep Template BSCI122

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Learning Is a Life-long ProcessLearning Is a Life-long Process

Womb

Tomb

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Technology for Teaching & Technology for Teaching & LearningLearning Communication

EmailDiscussionChat

MotivationOn-line quizzes

Reality simulatorGaming simulators

It can be a distracterUsing a tool is not always good

It take time and effort The key is to connect the activity to learning

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Technology Learning Activities Technology Learning Activities ResourcesResources

Calibrated Peer Review http://cpr.molsci.ucla.edu/

IMMEXhttp://www.immex.ucla.edu/

KEEP tool kithttp://www.carnegiefoundation.org/KML

/KEEP/index.htm

"Teaching is leading "Teaching is leading students into a situation in students into a situation in which they can onlywhich they can onlyeescape by thinking"scape by thinking"

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A Taxonomy of LearningA Taxonomy of Learning

Important and integral componentsReflection

Information KnowledgeIntegration

Information Knowledge ConnectionsSocial

Information Knowledge Connections Social networks (broad context)

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E-Portfolios 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.

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E-Portfolio Elements E-Portfolio Elements Design

Layout, content, reflection, artifactsSemantics

Searchable, interconnectivity, LMSFactoring

Enterprise systems, open source, accessCommunity

Connections Decentralization

Ownerships, maintenance, portability Darren and Barbara Cambridge (AAHE)

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Some E-Portfolio WebsitesSome E-Portfolio Websites

AAHE E-portfolio sitehttp://webcenter1.aahe.org/electronicportfolios/

index.htmlUM-Madison

http://portfolios.education.wisc.edu/List of University sites

http://wiscinfo.doit.wisc.edu/ltde/ORFI/eportfolio/Links.htm

An E-portfolio scoring rubrichttp://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/eportfolior

ubric.html

Thank You Thank You Spencer Benson, Ph.D.Director, Center for Teaching ExcellenceUniversity of Maryland College Park

Email - sbenson@umd.eduPhone - 301-314-1288Website - http://www.cte.umd.edu

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