Less Assessment, M AKING P ROGRAM A SSESSMENT W ORK FOR Y OU More - PDF document

3/15/13 ¡ PowerPoint slides for the Keynote Session in Less Assessment, M AKING P ROGRAM A SSESSMENT W ORK FOR Y OU More Learning The Ohio State University 9:30 to 10:45 AM, Friday 8 March 2013 Aligning Learning Outcomes and Dr. Tom Angelo, Adjunct Professor of Higher Education La Trobe University – Melbourne, Australia Grading Standards with Program and Course-level Assessment and Feedback A Quick, Simple Opinion Poll A Quick, Simple Opinion Poll - 2 1. Do you ever feel you spend too much time 3. If spending less time and effort on on assessment and grading, considering assessment for more learning in the the student learning outcomes you see? ¡ long term required some short-term investment, would you consider making some changes? ¡ 2. If you could achieve the same or better learning outcomes and spend less time on assessment and grading, would that be advantageous for you? Why Assess Learning? - 2 Why Assess Learning? - 1 Formative purposes Summative purposes • To focus learners’ attention • To compare learners against each other • To illuminate and undermine misconceptions • To compare learning outcomes against standards • To increase motivation to learn • To certify competency • To provide learners with feedback • To award qualifications • To improve performance • To ration resources • To promote self-monitoring & self-assessment • To provide accountability • To develop independent, lifelong learning 5 ¡ 6 ¡ 1 ¡

3/15/13 ¡ “From the students’ point of view, the assessment To do assessment as if learning matters most, is the curriculum." we must privilege the formative purposes. Ramsden, Paul. (2003). Learning to Teach in Higher Education, 2nd Edition. 7 ¡ 8 Handout Page 1 – Lower half Handout Page 1 – Lower half Terms/Concepts � Some key terms/concepts that might be of use � Please mark each item on the list with Surface and deep learning Intended Learning outcomes (ILOs) a plus sign, minus sign, or question mark Backward Design Strategic alignment Use the plus ( + ) if you know what it means Bus Test, Parrot Test, Car Park Test Cognitive load Use the minus ( – ) if you do not know Metacognition Formative and Summative assessment Use the question mark (?) if you’re unsure Novice-Expert differences The 80/20 Rule (aka, the Pareto Principle) 10 9 A “Balcony” Question If you answered “yes” . . . If you followed directions: You’ve demonstrated how a Did you read and think simple formative assessment can promote metacognition. about the list on page 1 any differently than you would have if you had simply been asked to “read it”? 11 12 2 ¡

3/15/13 ¡ Page 2 Students’ prior knowledge Five Dimensions of Higher Learning and beliefs are among % Then? % Now? the most powerful ____ Declarative Learning _____ influences on their learning ____ Procedural Learning _____ ____ Conditional Learning _____ Consequently, assessing ____ Reflective Learning _____ that prior knowledge can ____ Metacognitive Learning _____ provide powerful leverage 13 14 Applications Card – p. 12 Which of those five dimensions Interesting Possible needs and deserves the most IDEAS/TECHNIQUES APPLICATIONS focus if we aim to foster: Critical thinking? Problem-solving? Professional practice? 16 ¡ Backward Design – Page 3 “You can’t fix by analysis Summative Assessments what you bungled Formative Assessments by design.” Major Learning Assignments Diagnostic Assessments Light, R., Singer, J. & Willett, J. (1990). By Design. Cambridge, MA: Harvard U. Press. Intended Learning Outcomes 17 18 3 ¡

3/15/13 ¡ Page 4 Page 5 Clarifying Intended Learning Outcomes A Simple Grading Grid/Minimal Rubric 19 ¡ 20 ¡ Thinking Otherwise about Grading What are common core program/graduate outcomes applicable to all disciplines which could actually be explicitly assessed? Expect Mastery, § Ethical Practice/ § Writing Awareness Ensure Competence, and § Speaking § Social Responsibility § Critical Thinking Promote Excellence. § Global Citizenship § Problem-solving B = Mastery § Sustainability § Teamwork § Lifelong Learning C = Competence, and § Inquiry/research A = Excellence 22 21 What standards should Graduates be expected to achieve by How can student’s best be assisted to meet those standards the end of their course and how can those standards best be within existing curriculum? developed? The ‘Stairway to Success’ Model Cornerstone Mid-point Capstone Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Stage 5 Year Standard Not Standard Year 3/4 Capstone Standard Met 3 Met Exceeded Year 2/3 d o f e Year Standard Not Standard y v e t i Mid-point Standard Met l i h a c u A 2 Met Exceeded Q d r a d Year 1 n a t S Year Standard Not Standard Cornerstone Standard Met 1 Met Exceeded Evaluation Points at which students would be evaluated as Standard Exceeded; Standard Met; or Standard Not Met. La Trobe University Setting graduate capability standards and evaluating outcomes La Trobe University Setting graduate capability standards and evaluating outcomes 4 ¡

3/15/13 ¡ Page 6 Applications Card – p. 12 An Example of Program Assessment Interesting Possible Embedded in Course Assessment IDEAS/TECHNIQUES APPLICATIONS 25 ¡ 26 ¡ Page 7 If we want to promote critical thinking . . . Macroeconomics Essay Grading Grid What might be some implications for our (Avoiding Low Ceilings) assessment and feedback practices? 27 ¡ 28 Developing Critical Thinking Critical Thinking appears to . . . Approaches Well-Supported by Research Require a great deal of time and effort Step-by-step Guided Practice Cause discomfort and unhappiness Generate conflicts and tension Authentic Problem-solving Pose risks to relationships with Structured Collaboration family, friends, and work colleagues Focused Communication Be relatively easy to avoid Formative Feedback Be strikingly rare in everyday life 29 30 5 ¡

3/15/13 ¡ Impeding Critical Thinking Impeding Critical Thinking Approaches Contraindicated by Research Could any of these factors be issues for students in your courses/programs? Focus on rote learning Focus on rote learning Information overload Information overload One-shot assignments/assessments One-shot assignments/assessments Personally meaningless assignments Personally meaningless assignments Norm-referenced (curved) marking Norm-referenced (curved) marking Assessment fatigue Assessment fatigue 31 32 Applications Card – p. 12 The Parking Lot Test Interesting Possible IDEAS/TECHNIQUES APPLICATIONS Choose one of your possible applications. Prepare to answer the three questions below about that specific application: • What is it? • Why do you think it might be useful? • How do you think you might use it? 33 ¡ 34 ¡ “It’s not what we do, Questions? Comments? but what students do that’s the important thing.” thomas.a.angelo@gmail.com Biggs, J. & Tang, C. (2007). Teaching for Quality Learning at University, 3 rd Edition. 6 ¡