Assessing student learning GSUTC 2014

McLaughlin Library ● www.lib.uoguelph.ca

Assessing Student Learning in

Seminars

Graduate Student University Teaching

Conference

August 2014

http://www.lib.uoguelph.ca/


What is your level of familiarity with

learning outcomes?

“What’s a learning

outcome?”

“I’ve written a few.”

“I have Bloom’s taxonomy

memorized!”



Outcome versus Objective

• During this workshop, participants will: • Discuss the importance of assessing student learning.

• Consider a learner-centered planning and

assessment model.

• Explore how activity-based assessment can be used

to assess student learning.

• Brainstorm a variety of activities that link learning

outcomes to assessment.



Outcome versus Objective

• By the end of this workshop, participants

will be able to: • Identify immediate and long-term assessment

methods of student learning.

• Evaluate and select appropriate assessment activities

based on their applicability to participant’s own

instruction and student need.



Learner-Centered

Assessment Model



Justification for Model

• Lesson planning should be learner-centered• This model keeps learner needs central to the

process of planning, implementing, and assessing a lesson or a unit.

• Lesson planning should be cyclical in nature: • A lesson or unit always requires reexamination

and redevelopment

• Students needs are always changing, and lessons must be adapted to better accommodate and assist students in their learning



1. Needs Assessment

• Student needs are • Determined through regular classroom activities

(activity-based assessments)

• Determined upon completion of the first iteration (any iteration) of a lesson

• Needs assessments should be ongoing and regular• Constant process of reevaluating student needs

based on instruction and assessment

• The purpose of conducting assessment is, partly, to determine student need



Examples of Needs Assessments

• Pre-assessment (pre-test) activities

• Mind maps

• Stop light

• Questioning via a large group discussion

• Post-assessment activities (these also

demonstrate student need)

• 1 minute papers

• Muddiest point discussions



2. Develop Learning Outcomes

• What is a learning outcome versus a learning objective?

• Learning Outcomes: • express what the students/participants should be

able to do upon completion of the workshop, program, course or class (Battersby, 1999).

• “are direct statements that describe the essential and enduring disciplinary knowledge and abilities that students should possess, and the depth of learning that is expected upon completion of a program or course” (Kenny and Damarais, 2010).



3. Develop Assessment Strategies

• What are assessment strategies?

• “Methods of collecting information about the

progress of students in specific learning

activities.”

(MacKeracher, paraphrased from Angelo and Cross, 1993).



Activity- Assessing Student

Learning

Small group discussion:

• A. Why do it?

• B. What are the benefits?

• C. What are the complexities?

• D. What are some types of assessment?

(provide examples of each type)



Assessment

• Provides information on what learning

outcomes students are able to achieve

• Provides information on how well students

are achieving learning outcomes



Importance of Activity-Based

Assessment (see Handout Section 2)

• It is formative • Helps learners self-correct

• Clarifies good performance and expectations

• It is engaging • Encourages interaction, discussion and

participation

• It allows for student reflection• Allows students to reflect on their progress and

learning (self-assessment)

• Motivates students and promotes self-esteem




Assessment

• It shapes your teaching

• Allows teachers to be aware of student need

and adapt teaching to meet those needs

• Allows teachers to gauge student attainment

of learning outcomes

• “Provides opportunities to close the gap

between current and desired [student]

performances”(Nicol and Macfarlane-Dick,

2006).




Assessment

• Every student should have the capacity to achieve the learning outcomes; however, the way in which they achieve the outcomes and the time it takes them to achieve the outcomes will differ from student to student.

• This is why formative assessment and in-class activity-based assessments are necessary and important.



Activity:

Evaluating Activity-Based

Assessment Techniques (see Handout Section 3)



Bloom’s Taxonomy

(What does the activity assess?)

• This will help you to match or align your

activity to your learning outcomes.

• Knowledge

• Understand

• Apply

• Analyze

• Evaluate

• Create



Assessment Strategies(How to assess student learning during CATs)

• What should you, as the instructor, be doing to assess student learning during classroom activities?

• Monitoring and observation

• Collection of any work produced (e.g. 1 minute papers)

• Informal record keeping

• Student feedback forms

• Questioning • Muddiest point

• Concept Checking Questions (CCQs)

• Pre-Post Needs Assessments • Start of Class – create a list of student concerns

• End of Class – return to list and ensure all concerns are addressed



Learning Outcomes

By the end of this seminar,

students will be able to:

Classroom Assessment

Technique

What are you doing during

the CAT?

1. Identify the main concepts in

the assigned reading.

Pro and Con Grid

- Students identify the

advantages and

disadvantages raised by the

author

- Students work independently

and then in a large class

discussion

2. Develop a critical opinion of

the assigned reading.

- Answering critical thinking

questions in pairs, then

presenting their findings



Activity:

Aligning Learning Outcomes to

Assessment (see Handout Section 4)



References

• Program Planning Model

Caffarella, Rosemary and Daffron, Sandra. (2013). Planning Programs for Adult Learners: A Practical Guide, Third Edition. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

Sork, Thomas and Newman, Mike. (2004). Program Development in Adult Education and Training.Dimensions of Adult Learning. Retrieved from http://site.ebrary.com/lib/athabasca

• Learning Outcomes and Assessment

Battersby, Mark. (1999). “So, What’s a Learning Outcome Anyway?” Centre for Curriculum, Transfer, and Technology.

Kenny, Natasha and Dasmarais, Serge. (2010). A Guide to Developing and Assessing Learning Outcomes at the University of Guelph.


http://site.ebrary.com/lib/athabasca


References • Activity-Based Instruction

Angelo, Thomas and Cross, Patricia (1993). Classroom assessmenttechniques: A handbook for college teachers (2nd edition) as

paraphrased by MacKeracher, Dorothy.“ClassroomAssessment Techniques.” Centre for Enhanced Teaching and Learning, UNB Fredericton.

MacKeracher, Dorothy. “Classroom Assessment Techniques.”Centre for Enhanced Teaching and Learning, UNB

Fredericton.

• Bloom’s Taxonomy

Center for University Teaching, Learning and Assessment, http://uwf.edu/cutla/SLO/ActionWords.pdf


http://uwf.edu/cutla/SLO/ActionWords.pdf


Contact Information

• Laura SchnableggerEnglish-as-an-Additional Language Specialist

Learning and Curriculum Support Team

Learning Commons, McLaughlin Library, University of Guelph

[email protected]

519-824-4120 ext. 52086


mailto:[email protected]

Assessing student learning GSUTC 2014

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