Helping students know what they know

Involving students in assessment

Presenter Director of Learning

Outcomes and Assessment Hutchinson Community

College Hutchinson, Kansas

Dr. Martha S.M. Robertsonrobertsonm@hutchcc.edu

Objectives To describe Hutchinson Community

College’s plan to integrate learning assessment to all units.

To outline how HCC plans to increase awareness among all stakeholders, including students, of assessment as a means to strengthen learning and increase success.

To identify ways to incorporate assessment into the culture of the institution.

Knowing What They KnowThe third circle from the inside is where learning takes place. Spending time on the

inner circle is a waste of time.

Spending more than a brief period on the second circle produces little benefit.

Spending time on the fourth circle, other than trying to move students into the third circle is not productive.

Know they know

Don’t know they know

Know they don’t know

Don’t know they don’t know

Who should assess?

Why should they assess?

What should they assess?

How should they assess?

Who should use assessment?

Why should they use assessment?

What assessment should they use?

How should they use assessment?

The assessment plan

Is it good for students?

What percent of the upper-level administrators at your institution has each of the following attitudes about assessment to improve student learning and success? Fully committed Willing to comply Resistant Dead set against Completely ignorant

Demands for Assessment

External › Public› Accrediting Agencies

Internal› Administrators › Faculty › Students

What percent of the faculty at your institution has each of the following attitudes about assessment to improve student learning and success? Fully committed Willing to comply Resistant Dead set against Completely ignorant

Assessment Requirements Public

› Easy to access and interpret. Accrediting agencies

› Specific student learning outcomes using reliable, valid sources that produce consistent data.

Administrators › Not time-consuming to administer and grade, that are easily

collected and stored, and that are low in cost. Faculty

› Academic freedom, autonomy in the classroom, freedom from mandates that take time away from instruction.

Students› Not concerned other than how affects grade.

What percent of student affairs personnel at your institution has each of the following attitudes about assessment to improve student learning and success? Fully committed Willing to comply Resistant Dead set against Completely ignorant

Assessment Plan Goals Balanced Address diverse

interests of various stakeholder groups

Unobtrusive as possible

Useful to all concerned.

What percent of students at your institution has each of the following attitudes about assessment to improve student learning and success? Fully committed Willing to comply Resistant Dead set against Completely ignorant

Assessment Options

Course grades› Not acceptable to government and accrediting

agencies Nationally recognized, standardized test

› Not acceptable to administration because of cost

Locally developed test› Not acceptable to faculty because of the

additional time required to administer and grade

Knowing What We Want them to Know and Do

Keeping Students Informed

Student Learning Outcomes Institution-wide

› Critical Thinking› Accessing Information› Communicating

Writing Speaking

› Demonstrating Interpersonal Skills

Program Course Non-Academic

Before Assessment Outcomes Assessment

methods Method of evaluating

student performance Required level of

achievement

Documenting Assessment Course Matrix

› Example Program Curriculum Map

› Example Institution-Wide Matrix

› Example Reporting Instrument

› Example

Knowing what they know After assessment

› Upload assessment and faculty and professional staff evaluation to electronic portfolio

After reflection› Reminder to review and reflect

on portfolio artifacts by advisor each semester

After graduation› Review and reflection on

program and/or institution-wide outcomes

Finding If They Know What They Know

Metacognition

Students’ Role College can gather

assessment information without students’ being aware that they are participating in a process to assess their achievement of learning outcomes

Information is richer and more meaningful when students are active participants in the process.

Developing Awareness Placement Assessment

› Reading› Writing› Mathematics

College Orientation› Learning Styles› Study Skills

Intrusive Advising

Involving Students Assess prior knowledge

› Classroom Assessment Techniques Identify learning outcomes

› Syllabus Outline how outcomes will be assessed

› Syllabus Relate how performance will be evaluated

› Key, Checklist, Rubric Encourage self reflection

› Portfolio

Discussing Assessment ED105 : Success

Seminar/College Orientation› Discussion of Assessment› Introduction to electronic

portfolio Individual Courses

› Syllabus› Course Outcomes Matrix› Reminder on electronic portfolio

Program Advisors› Review of portfolio

Metacognition

Critically examining one’s strategies Evaluating the effectiveness of one’s work Revising one’s thinking or work when

self-examination so warrants Putting together what one has learned

into a coherent whole

Portfolios Course level

› Assessment instruments› Instructor feedback on

assessment› Student response

Program level› Artifacts› Reflection

Institution-wide level› Artifacts› Reflection

Electronic Portfolio ANGEL

› A New Global Environment for Learning

All courses Web supported› Outcomes› Assessment Assignments› Grades› Feedback

Upload to ANGEL e-portfolio

ePortfolio Evaluation

Random Sample Rubrics

› Thinking Critically› Accessing Information› Communicating

Speaking Writing

› Demonstrating Interpersonal Skills

Norming the raters

Resultso Common

Languageo Consistencyo Flexibilityo Autonomyo Improved

CommunicationAcademic AffairsStudent AffairsOperational AffairsStudents