This work is supported by a National Science Foundation (NSF) collaboration between the Directorates for Education and Human Resources (EHR) and Geosciences (GEO) under grant DUE - 1125331

Designing and Aligning Assessments

David SteerThe University of Akron

InTeGrate Assessment Team Leader

Webinar goals

• Know what we mean by “summative assessment” in the context of InTeGrate

• Design an aligned summative assessment strategy by …– deconstructing a goal into critical elements– linking critical elements to cognitive levels– matching elements to summative assessments– selecting appropriate type of scoring rubric

Types of Assessment• Diagnostic– Purpose to determine current state of learning

(Pre-tests/surveys/self assessments)

• Formative– Purpose to monitor student learning– Immediate feedback– Low Stakes

• Summative– Purpose to evaluate learning

• Measured against a benchmark or standard• High stakes (graded)• Appropriate for cognitive level

Why Summative Assessments• Measure progress toward meeting course/unit

goals: Linked to InTeGrate Guiding Principles– Higher Level Blooms– Administered at end of course/unit– Used by all developers testing curriculum– Have grading (and student) rubrics– Can have multiple components

Student responses from these assessments will be provided to InTeGrate to document learning

InTeGrate Guiding Principles• Connect geoscience to grand challenges facing society • Develop students' ability to address interdisciplinary

problems • Improve student understanding of the nature and

methods of geoscience and developing geo-scientific habits of mind

• Make use of authentic and credible geoscience data • Foster systems thinking

Designing Summative Assessments• Consider the goal being assessed

– What are the critical elements of that goal?• Probably linked to your learning objectives

The handout shows a data-related goal from your curriculum.

Find your goal. If your group has not developed goals, select one related to your curriculum.

List the critical elements students should know and be able to do that are related to that goal.

Type the first item on your list in the chat box

Designing Summative Assessments• Consider the goal being

assessed– What constitutes learning for

each element?• Based on cognitive levels addressed

Analyze the last five elements we just wrote down.

List the level of Bloom’s addressed by those elements.

Now do the same with your own list

Designing Summative Assessments• Consider the goal being

assessed– How is each element best

assessed?• Essays• Lab Report• Writing Assignment• Project or Performance• Concept Map• Exam question(s)

See examples here: http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/assess/types.html

Let’s analyze the highest-level Blooms element on our list.

How might we assess that element? Make your own list.

Type the first item on your list in the chat box

Designing Summative Assessments• Consider the goal being

assessed– Develop rubrics

• Holistic: set of descriptions used to assign a score to the whole

• Analytic: Set of components that are independently evaluated (sum for score)

See examples at: http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/assess/rubrics.html

Consider the assessment you just chose.

What type of rubric is most appropriate and how would you assign scores?

This work is supported by a National Science Foundation (NSF) collaboration between the Directorates for Education and Human Resources (EHR) and Geosciences (GEO) under grant DUE - 1125331

Designing and Aligning Assessments

We have time for discussion and/or questions