Evaluating Student Evaluating Student Work And Work And

Providing Feedback Providing Feedback

ALISE/WISEALISE/WISE

PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia

January 8, 2008January 8, 2008

Ellen DetlefsenEllen Detlefsen

• Associate Professor, School of Information Associate Professor, School of Information SciencesSciences

• Training Program Faculty, Department of Training Program Faculty, Department of Biomedical Informatics, School of Medicine Biomedical Informatics, School of Medicine

• Chief, Information Dissemination Unit, Chief, Information Dissemination Unit, NIMH ACISR/Late Life Mood Disorders NIMH ACISR/Late Life Mood Disorders Center, School of MedicineCenter, School of Medicine

• University of Pittsburgh - 135 N. Bellefield University of Pittsburgh - 135 N. Bellefield Avenue, Pittsburgh PA 15260Avenue, Pittsburgh PA 15260

• ellen@sis.pitt.eduellen@sis.pitt.edu  /   / detlefseneg@upmc.edudetlefseneg@upmc.edu

My “blended” coursesMy “blended” courses

• With mixed enrollment of students With mixed enrollment of students who are F2F, Fast/Track, and WISE who are F2F, Fast/Track, and WISE participantsparticipants

• LIS 2586 Health Sciences Information LIS 2586 Health Sciences Information Sources & Services Sources & Services

• LIS 2587 Applications of Medical LIS 2587 Applications of Medical InformaticsInformatics

• LIS 2970 Information Sources, Services, & LIS 2970 Information Sources, Services, & Technology for an Aging WorldTechnology for an Aging World

My expectations for My expectations for myself aremyself are

• to be readily accessible in person to be readily accessible in person and by emailand by email

• to keep my syllabi up-to-date, using to keep my syllabi up-to-date, using very current examples from medical very current examples from medical practicepractice

• to maintain a sense of humorto maintain a sense of humor• to remember that my students are to remember that my students are

adults with lives outside the adults with lives outside the classroom and computerclassroom and computer

• to value diversity and inclusionto value diversity and inclusion

Avoiding a “chilly Avoiding a “chilly classroom”classroom”

• I value equality of opportunity, human I value equality of opportunity, human dignity, and racial/ethnic/cultural dignity, and racial/ethnic/cultural diversity.  Be assured that I will promote a diversity.  Be assured that I will promote a safe and conducive environment for safe and conducive environment for learning. ...If there is something I can do to learning. ...If there is something I can do to make the class more hospitable, please let make the class more hospitable, please let me know.me know. [credit to a Women’s Studies colleague] [credit to a Women’s Studies colleague]

• Gender-inclusive language is required in Gender-inclusive language is required in all course work. The use of respectful all course work. The use of respectful language in any situation is not a matter of language in any situation is not a matter of political correctness but one of simple political correctness but one of simple courtesy courtesy [credit to Arlene Taylor][credit to Arlene Taylor]

In working with studentsIn working with students

• I have always tried to I have always tried to • encourage independent and critical encourage independent and critical

thinkingthinking• promote professional communication skills promote professional communication skills

through assignments that mimic real world through assignments that mimic real world job tasks job tasks 

– MemorandaMemoranda– ReviewsReviews– Reflection papersReflection papers– Structured abstractsStructured abstracts– Group assignmentsGroup assignments– Poster sessionsPoster sessions– ““Publishable” papers for a specific journalPublishable” papers for a specific journal

• NO term papersNO term papers• NO examsNO exams

From my syllabi….From my syllabi….

• A Note on Grading:A Note on Grading: My grading practices My grading practices are grounded in the pragmatic notion are grounded in the pragmatic notion that, in a professional school, the that, in a professional school, the instruction should be provided in a instruction should be provided in a manner that prepares students to enter manner that prepares students to enter the profession with enthusiasm for the the profession with enthusiasm for the field and a realistic skill set for their first field and a realistic skill set for their first professional position. professional position.

• In real terms, this means that I grade In real terms, this means that I grade student work with a professional metric student work with a professional metric that emphases meeting expectations that emphases meeting expectations rather than achieving a certain numerical rather than achieving a certain numerical score or letter gradescore or letter grade

The grading metricThe grading metric

• ++  = Extra Credit++  = Extra Credit ((extra-ordinary work)

• √+   = Excellent (outstanding insight into subject matter; exceptional clarity of presentation)

•  √     = Good (fulfills all course requirements; competent treatment of subject matter; clear presentation)

• √-    = Fair (partial understanding of subject matter; presentation does not conform to instructions or is hard to follow)

• √--  = Poor (poor understanding of subject matter; confusing presentation; assigned work is partly incomplete)

•ø = Fail (lack of basic understanding of subject matter; assigned work is not turned in)

Pearls for practice?Pearls for practice?

• Bury tasks in the slides and videoBury tasks in the slides and video• Students must “find” the clue in order to earn Students must “find” the clue in order to earn

extra credit or do a follow-up activityextra credit or do a follow-up activity

• Use a People’s Choice awardUse a People’s Choice award• Have students review each other’s work and Have students review each other’s work and

“vote” for their favorite review “vote” for their favorite review

• Answer email within 24 hoursAnswer email within 24 hours• Keep electronic “office hours”Keep electronic “office hours”

• Send an email memo twice each termSend an email memo twice each term• Provide students with summary of work to date, Provide students with summary of work to date,

with hints for improvementwith hints for improvement