SLOs & AssessmentSLOs & Assessment

How do you assess SLOs, and how How do you assess SLOs, and how exactly do you use it to shape exactly do you use it to shape

practice? practice?

What is assessment for?What is assessment for?

1) To judge colleagues or 1) To judge colleagues or help us all help us all improve.improve.

2) To evaluate error or to 2) To evaluate error or to form better form better practices.practices.

3) To pass an exam or 3) To pass an exam or continue continue improvement.improvement.

The SLO movement sees assessment as a The SLO movement sees assessment as a mechanism for “better practices”; for mechanism for “better practices”; for continued, long-term improvement with continued, long-term improvement with respect to teaching/learning.respect to teaching/learning.

How does assessment work?How does assessment work?

1) Haphazard or 1) Haphazard or guided. guided.

2) Intuitive or 2) Intuitive or based on evidence.based on evidence.

3) Based on whim or 3) Based on whim or clearly conceived clearly conceived targetstargets..

The SLO movement asks us to assess The SLO movement asks us to assess in a way that is guided, is based on in a way that is guided, is based on evidence, and uses clearly conceived evidence, and uses clearly conceived targets. targets.

What does “evidence” mean here?What does “evidence” mean here?

How can I assess art? A meaningful How can I assess art? A meaningful piece of poetry? A philosophical piece of poetry? A philosophical insight? insight? These questions tend to assume These questions tend to assume “evidence” means “numerical data.” “evidence” means “numerical data.” We need not assume this.We need not assume this.

What does “evidence” mean here?What does “evidence” mean here?

Evidence could be:Evidence could be:A) Student journals, papers, quizzes, & A) Student journals, papers, quizzes, & exams.exams.B) Student presentations. B) Student presentations. C) Feedback cards at the end of a C) Feedback cards at the end of a lesson. lesson.

What does “clearly conceived” What does “clearly conceived” targets mean?targets mean?

Ask these questions:Ask these questions:

1) What is the point of this class?1) What is the point of this class?

2) What logical abilities, analytic skills, 2) What logical abilities, analytic skills, affective states, memories or synoptic affective states, memories or synoptic connections do I want them to take from connections do I want them to take from this class? this class?

You ask questions like this, and you create You ask questions like this, and you create targets. You then assess if the targets targets. You then assess if the targets were hit. were hit.

How do teachers develop as teachers?How do teachers develop as teachers?

A) They reflect upon their practice, their art, as they drive home at night, after class, etc.

B) They listen to student whispers, complaints, and compliments.

C) They assess their students.

The SLO Paradigm Asks Us to The SLO Paradigm Asks Us to Engage in Authentic AssessmentEngage in Authentic Assessment

Authentic Assessment:Authentic Assessment: Assessment Assessment that truly seeks to find out the truth that truly seeks to find out the truth about whether or not our students have about whether or not our students have learned what we think they learned; learned what we think they learned; whether or not they actually know the whether or not they actually know the course material and can apply it; and course material and can apply it; and whether or not our course assessment whether or not our course assessment methods and projects are actually methods and projects are actually valid. valid.

Two Types of AssessmentTwo Types of Assessment

SubjectiveSubjective

Student opinion Student opinion polls and surveys polls and surveys administered in administered in class or online.class or online.

ObjectiveObjective

PapersPapers

TestsTests

QuizzesQuizzes

ProjectsProjects

Portfolios Portfolios

Exit examsExit exams

Both Types of Assessment Both Types of Assessment Are Useful. For example…Are Useful. For example…

Create an interesting project that really Create an interesting project that really forces students to demonstrate that they forces students to demonstrate that they have learned X. have learned X.

Grade and gather performance data. Review Grade and gather performance data. Review data with students. Review data with data with students. Review data with colleagues.colleagues.

Ask students to fill-out an anonymous poll Ask students to fill-out an anonymous poll on what they really thought about the on what they really thought about the assignment and what they, in their own assignment and what they, in their own words, got out of it.words, got out of it.

Make changes or keep things the same.Make changes or keep things the same.

Make Assessment Criteria Make Assessment Criteria Transparent and AvailableTransparent and Available

Create rubrics for projects and tests and Create rubrics for projects and tests and give them to students.give them to students.Discuss the assessment criteria on the Discuss the assessment criteria on the rubrics with the students. Get them to rubrics with the students. Get them to dialogue about and internalize the criteria dialogue about and internalize the criteria used to evaluate them. Try to gain their used to evaluate them. Try to gain their buy-in and ownership.buy-in and ownership.Have students apply the criteria, say, by Have students apply the criteria, say, by using it to grade the work of colleagues. using it to grade the work of colleagues.

Create and Close the Loop: Create and Close the Loop: Next Slide…Next Slide…

Return to the SCC SLO Website for Return to the SCC SLO Website for Links to Assessment ResourcesLinks to Assessment Resources