SCIS ID Workshop:Learning Objectives & Exam

Development

John Ollerenshaw & Marguerite KooleEducational Media DevelopmentAthabasca University

Outline1. Introduction

2. Sample unit

3. What are learning objectives?

4. Advice for writing learning objectives

5. Review the objectives in the sample unit

6. Exams & the AU mandate

7. What makes a fair exam?

8. Review the sample exam

Sample Unit

Browse through the sample unit Pay attention to the learning

objectives What would you correct?

Learning Objectives

“A learning objective is a statement that tells what learners should be able to do when they have completed a segment of instruction” (Smith & Regan, 1999, p. 84).

Exam Development

University mandate

Norm-reference exams

Criterion-referenced exams

Validity, reliability & practicality

AU Mandate Athabasca University, Canada’s Open

University, is dedicated to the removal of barriers that restrict access to, and success in, university-level studies and to increasing equality of educational opportunity for adult learners worldwide.

Types of Exams Criterion-

referenced

Determine competency

Identify gaps or areas of remediation

Based on unit objectives

Not concerned with curves

Fits with AU mandate

Norm-referenced

Used for ranking and comparison of students in order to restrict entry into programs or courses

Not helpful in determining gaps

Use curves

Does not fit with AU mandate

What makes a good exam?

Review the sample exam What’s wrong with the exam?

Validity Does the question/exam measure

what it is supposed to measure?

Are the questions consistent with the objectives?

Are the questions representative of the range of objectives?

Are the objectives adequately sampled?

Reliability Does the exam consistently measure what

it is supposed to measure?

Eliminate guessing? number of items per objective = reliability Use an odd number of questions per

objective.

Statistics Chronbach’s alpha

Practicality Conditions & scenarios close to real life

or those presented in unit of learning

Consideration for Cost Marking time Lag time

Does the student have enough time to complete the exam?

Other stuff . . .

Is the value of each question clearly indicated?

Are the instructions clear?

Sample Exam

Review the sample exam Use the exam checklist

Things to remember . . .

All readings, commentary, exercises, activities, and exam questions should be based on learning objectives!

More information: In Moodle, you will find annotated copies of the

sample unit and exam as well as other related resources. Please follow the instructions below.

Log into http://www.athabascau.ca/moodle

Select zCourse COMP ID

Create a new account

Enrolment key: SCISid.