LeMoyne-Owen CollegeDecember 16, 2009

Mimi Czarnik, Professor of English and Dean of Humanities

Becky Burton, Associate Professor of Biology

Alverno College, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Implementing Assessment-as-Learning

and Assessment Design

Criteria

Standards of what we expect in student performance

Indicators that ability and/or knowledge is present in a performance

Collectively, a picture that students can use to imagine an acceptable performance

A learning objective when students discover they do not meet a particular criterion

Characteristics of More Effective Criteria

Are observable: Explain, analyze, compare, design

Use qualifiers: Effective, appropriate, complete

Are clear to the student Reflect outcomes

Characteristics of Less Effective Criteria Are format requirements,

directions, steps, or tasks, such as: Select a species to investigate Must be 3-5 pages

Can only be met in one way Select the best answer for each multiple

choice question

Assessment Criteria: Environmental Impact Statement

The student:  Clearly articulates the proposed action, its

purpose and need, and its predicted impact  Thoroughly evaluates alternative actions  Collaboratively organizes and presents

plans as an integrated, coherent whole  Uses her knowledge to ask and respond to

stakeholder questions effectively  Self-assesses accurately

Assessment Criteria: English Demonstrates close reading of the novel, by

making specific accurate references to literary elements such as plot, character, and symbol.

Effectively uses three literary critical perspectives to develop a detailed, sophisticated response to the novel.

Accurately identifies values underlying arguments of both sides of controversy over the novel, projecting the consequences and implications of teaching Sula and removing it from the curriculum.

Comes to an informed decision about whether or not to keep Sula in the curriculum, articulating reasons for her decision.

Effectively engages students with differing viewpoints in meaningful discussion.

Assessment Criteria: ChemistryCompetence: Analysis Major Outcome: Uses different strategies and

models of chemistry to analyze and synthesize data.

Course Outcome (Biochemistry): Analyzes data, obtained through experiments, based on relationships between observations and inferences resulting from experiments.

Assessment Criteria: History

Competence: Valuing

Major Outcome: Identifies and communicates implications of the values which underlie her own and other historians’ work.

Course Outcome (Historical Analysis): Create independent interpretation of the past with a conscious regard for the way her own assumptions influence her interpretation of evidence.

  

Self assessmentSelf assessment is the ability of a

student to observeobserve, analyzeanalyze, and judge judge her performance on the basis of criteria and determine how she can improveimprove it. The process of self-observation leading to self-judgment leading to self-correction is a multi-dimensional process.

Alverno College Faculty, 1994

Self assessment

Feedback Strategies

Observing the learner in action? Analyzing performance? Making judgments about

performance using standards or criteria and explicit evidence?

Development of a learning plan? Meaningful communication of

feedback to the learner?

Does my feedback plan include:

Practice Writing Criteria

Choose one of your course outcomes from this afternoon’s work.

Write one or two criteria for this outcome. Criteria must be observable and assessable.