The Role of Assessment in the Teaching and Learning Process

What are the benefits?

Assessment Goal:

“Assessment …is a rich conversation about

student learning informed by data.

Ted Marchese

“The ultimate reward from assessment occurs when

faculty use assessment evidence to improve their

programs.”

Catherine Palomba

Assessment at its best!

We design instructional strategies to assist students to learn.

We assess the results. Based on those results, we try something

new and different and see those results --- that is the real goal of assessment – to show us where students are doing well and not doing well so we can made adjustments that help students succeed.

The REAL Bottom Line in Assessment:

We CARE about student success!!!!

Gaining the benefits of assessment requires a solid foundation.

You must ‘begin at the end’ by asking the questions:

“What is it that I want students to be able to do when they exit my course?”(These should be your student learning outcomes for the course)

AND…

More foundation

How will I know what students know/can do?(This is the essential assessment question.)

Look ‘inside’ the course to identify ‘core elements’ that can be assessed.

Decide on the best form of assessment and design an embedded assessment tool.

Data Collection: Keep it simple!

Identify particular questions/activities/assignments that will be used for assessment.

Use rubrics, grading sheets, etc. so you have a record (and so expectations are clear to students).

Know your benchmarks – be realistic - what is success?

Think ahead to what you will need to do with the data you collect – will it answer the questions that need answering?

Analyzing the data

To aggregate or not? Overall question: Was the benchmark attained? Breakdown: Look at the percentage who exceeded,

met, approached, or did not meet the benchmark (SUNY categories – other standards are useful too).

Ex. From SUNY Information Management: “Understand and use basic research techniques”: 44-17-30-9 n=222

Drilling down – what else?

Key analysis question: Where are students doing well and where are students having problems?

Analyze the sub-sections of your assessment tool. Ex. On the SOC 101 grading sheet, the benchmark was met but students consistently did poorly on the ‘Review of the Literature’.

What then?

Review your tool --- are the directions clear, is it a valid measure of what you want to measure, are the questions well-formulated?

Review your use of class time --- are you providing enough assistance/time to help students succeed on this task?

Review your instructional strategies---are there different ways to teach the material?

Recognize factors that affect student success---are there some beyond your control?

Make changes and assess again---it is a process!

Where does this fit in the big picture?

Course-level assessment is linked to program-level assessment ---- every student learning outcome (course level) should link to at least one program outcome (What are we saying a graduate of the program can do when s/he receives his or her degree? These are program-specific outcomes). So, course-level assessment documents program goal/outcome attainment.

More of the big picture

Institutional-level outcomes/competencies (What do we say that ALL graduates can do when they receive their degree?). Course level assessment should link to program outcomes which should link to college-wide outcomes --- so it is a comprehensive package --- and the base is course-level assessment --- the action is in our classrooms!!!

And, the even bigger picture

SUNY --- General Education assessment, Assessment of the Major/Program, and Strengthened Campus-based Assessment.

Middle States --- Comprehensive Assessment Plan, incorporating all three levels of assessment; documented evidence that assessment has had impact on the teaching and learning process; an assessment of the assessment process.

So, what were those benefits??

Shift from a teacher-centered classroom to a student-centered/learning-centered classroom.

Discussions with colleagues about the teaching and learning process.

Collaboration on what works and what needs to be changed.

Clearer knowledge of what underlies our teaching. Better understanding of the linkages between what is

done in the classroom and the big picture.

A Final Quote:

“Without dialogue, assessment is an empty andintellectually unfulfilling mechanical process removedfrom the profession of teaching and the process oflearning. However, with dialogue – raising questions,seeking answers, interpreting evidence, implementingchanges, and examining their effects – assessmentbecomes integral to our work. Internally drivenassessment engages us in improving our students’learning.”

Peggy Maki

For more information

Ruth E. Andes, Ph.D.

Genesee Community College

College Road

Batavia, NY 14020

(585) 343-0055, Ext. 6308

reandes@genesee.edu