Assessment 101

By Amy Harris and Jenny Dale, UNCG Libraries

Spring 2013

Your Presenters

Amy Harris Houk, Information Literacy Program Coordinator and Reference Librarian

Jenny Dale, Coordinator of First-Year Programs UNC Greensboro University Libraries

A Quick Review of Assessment

Two main types: formative and summative • Formative: formal or informal ongoing

assessments used to improve teaching and student learning

• Summative: formal assessment used to determine program effectiveness and/or student learning

What types of assessment do you do in your work?

A. Formative B. Summative C. Both D. Neither

Assessment v. Evaluation

Assessment: formative, process oriented, measured individually

Evaluation: summative, product oriented, comparative

Characteristics of Classroom Assessment

Learner-Centered Teacher-Directed Mutually Beneficial Formative Context-Specific Ongoing Rooted in Good Teaching Practice (Angelo & Cross, 1993)

Student Learning Outcomes

• Should be measurable • Use action verbs (such as Bloom's taxonomy) • 2-3 SLOs per class session is a good number • University Libraries' SLOs are here:

http://library.uncg.edu/info/help/Information_Literacy_learning_outcomes.pdf

Which of the following would be the LEAST measurable SLO?

A. The student will be able to identify the characteristics of a scholarly article.

B. The student will be able to evaluate a website for accuracy, authority, bias, and currency.

C. The student will understand the importance of research.

D. The student will cite a magazine article using APA style.

Tips for Creating Good Assessments

• Good learning outcomes is key • Keep it simple • Use a combination of multiple-choice and

open-ended questions • Use assessment as an opportunity to start

classroom discussion

Questions or comments so far?

Now, on to the tools!

What tools do you use for assessment?

A. Clickers B. Polling software C. Learning management system D. Paper E. Other

Clickers

Advantages • Useful for just-in-time

assessment • Easy to discuss results

in class • Lots of research

available on impact on student learning

Disadvantages • Cost • "clicker fatigue"

For more information about using Clickers

• Derek Bruff has done extensive research into the use of clickers: http://derekbruff.org/?cat=122

• CRS bibliography: http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/docs/classroom-response-system-clickers-bibliography/

• Chronicle article: http://chronicle.com/blognetwork/castingoutnines/2012/04/10/peer-discussion-or-peer-pressure/

Google Forms

Advantages • Available for free

through Google • Variety of question

types • Can be embedded

anywhere • Results are fed into a

Google Spreadsheet

Disadvantages • Difficult to see results

instantly • Easy to get carried

away

Poll Everywhere

Advantages • Allows quick polls

without a clicker • Can use with computer

or phone • Works with multiple

choice or short answer questions

• Instant results

Disadvantages • Free account has some

limitations • Less useful in

traditional classrooms

Let's Try One!

http://tinyurl.com/assess101

Blackboard/Other LMS

Advantages • Survey function allows

for assessment separate from grades

• Students go there anyway

• Can be created, exported and reused

Disadvantages • Must be course

instructor or added by course instructor

• No instant feedback

Creating a Survey in BB

• Open a class for which you are Instructor, TA, or Course Builder

• Click on "Quizzes" (left navigational bar) • Hover over "Create Assessment" • Click on "Survey" • Click "Create New Survey"

Creating a survey in Moodle

• Survey module – Very specific types of surveys available

• Use the Feedback module OR the Questionnaire module to create custom surveys – http://docs.moodle.org/23/en/Survey_FAQ – A core module combining all three of these

modules is planned for future releases

No tech options

• One-minute paper / Muddiest point • Exit ticket • Paper survey • Worksheet • Fist to five • Voting cards

Questions? Suggestions for Other Helpful Tools?