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COURSE-Based
Review and Assessment
Methods for Understanding Student Learning
Contributing Authors: Martha L. A. Stassen, Director of Assessment; Kathryn Doherty and Mya Poe, Research Associates
R Publication supported in part through a grant from the Presidents Reserve, University of Massachusetts
This handbook is one of two campus publications designed by the Office of Academic Planning and Assessment (OAPA) to guide the practitioner through
the steps of student learning assessment. COURSE-Based Review and Assessment: Methods for Understanding Student Learning offers strategies for
assessing student learning at the course level and is particularly useful to instructors developing assessment strategies for their courses. The companion
publication PROGRAM-Based Review and Assessment: Tools and Techniques for Program Improvement focuses on the assessment at the department or
program level and is particularly useful to department or program chairs, as well as others interested in program assessment, to guide program review and
improvement. Both publications are available through OAPA.
The contributing authors are grateful for the many UMass colleagues who provided their suggestions on earlier versions of this handbook. Wed also like
to acknowledge the contributions of colleagues at other institutions of higher eduction whose work is referenced throughout this handbook.
Contents
Chapter 5 Assessing Student Learning Over the Course of the Semester . . . . . . . . .35
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Across higher education there is a growing demand for systematic and thought
ful student learning assessment. In general, however, state legislators, state higher
education boards, and administrators have been more enthusiastic about assess
ment than have academics. In part, faculty members ambivalence towards
assessment is fueled by their perceptions that much of what is done in the name
of assessment is of little use to them in improving their own teaching, student
learning, or the curriculum.
Indeed, until fairly recently, much of assessment has focused more on issues of
external accountability than on developing assessment activities that directly
improve educational practices. Among the reasons why the assessment effort has
had little effect on the teaching-learning process is that faculty have not been ade
quately involved in identifying relevant assessment questions or in developing
appropriate assessment methods that could indeed inform teaching and learning.
This lack of faculty involvement is unfortunate because, at its best, course-
based assessment can facilitate student learning by:
Helping you clarify your teaching goals and what you
Our hope is that this handbook will serve as a useful tool in helping you develop
course-based assessment strategies that help your students learn. Please consider
it as only one catalyst for your own ideas. I hope the information provided here
will help you see assessment not as a chore, but as an opportunity to use your
own inquiry skills to investigate the teaching and learning questions you find
most relevant, compelling, and intriguing. And, as always, please contact our
Director of Assessment
Understanding why
If youre new to assessment, Chapter 1 provides an overview of what we mean by
assessment and an introduction to its uses in the classroom. The introductory
phase of assessment involves building a base of understanding about the benefits
and tools of assessment, and about what you want to learn from the process. It
is here that you identify why and what you want to assess.
Chapter 1
What is assessment?
Assessment and grading
Chapter 1 Why assess?
At A Glance What is course-based assessment?
Assessment challenges at research universities
Assessment: your students and you
Questions and answers
a learner-centered,
teacher-directed approach
What is Assessment?
The word assessment has taken on a variety of meanings within higher
designed to improve
education. The term can refer to the process faculty use to grade student course
student learning in the
assignments, to standardized testing imposed on institutions as part of increased
individual classroom.
pressure for external accountability, or to any activity designed to collect infor
Wright, B. D. (1991) mation on the success of a program, course, or University curriculum. These varied
uses have, unfortunately, moved us away from a focus on the central role that
assessment should play in educational institutions the gathering of information
to improve institutional practices.
Why Assess?
An effective instructor understands that it is not enough to present course material to students and hope
that they get it, assuming that some will and some will not. Learning occurs when there is an interplay
between the teaching process and the outcome. When assessing learning, the instructor identifies specific
goals and objectives for each course, systematically gauges the extent to which these anticipated outcomes
actually occur and determines to what degree learning takes place.
Assessment also: makes the learning process more effective and consistent by systematically linking assign
ments, course structure and grading practices to intended learning goals; helps instructors become better
teachers by offering specific feedback on what is working or not working in their classrooms; and provides
systematic feedback to students about their own progress.
A. Assessment activity is not yet an explicit part of the faculty reward system but
is taking on more institutional importance. Assessment can also benefit you
professionally by improving your teaching skills and facilitating your interac
tions with students, which are important to the faculty reward structure. In
addition, many grant funding agencies now require strong assessment compo
nents to any projects designed to improve teaching and learning.
Course-embedded
assessment involves Suggestions for Getting Started
taking a second look at At its most basic, the assessment process can be broken down into three parts:
materials generated in the 1. establishing student learning goals and objectives for the course
classroom so that in
2. measuring whether these goals have been met
addition to providing a
basis for grading students, 3. using the results to improve teaching and learning in the course
these materials allow You already go through these steps, at some level, whenever you develop a new
faculty to evaluate their course or consider revising an existing one. In formal assessment, these steps become
teaching. more systematic and detailed to ensure clearly articulated links between what you
Palomba, C. A. & want students to learn and your understanding of what they actually do learn.
Banta, T. W. (1999) In this chapter, we will walk you through each of these steps. Before you
begin, take some time to reflect on the course you will be assessing.
Goals describe broad learning outcomes and concepts (what you want students to learn) expressed in
general terms (e.g., clear communication, problem-solving skills, etc.).
Objectives describe specific learning behaviors that students should exhibit in the context of the
course. Objectives are the specific skills, values and attitudes students should exhibit that reflect the
broader goals (e.g., for students in a freshman writing course, this might be students are able to
develop a cogent argument to support a position). Often in the assessment literature, objectives
and outcomes are used interchangeably.
The University of Iowa maintains an on-line version of the Cross and Angelo (1993) Teaching Goals
Inventory (http://www.uiowa.edu/~centeach/tgi/). On the site, you can rate the importance of a host of
learning goals and submit the results. You are provided with a summary report of the relative importance
you place on various types of goals.
WORD POWER
Concrete verbs such as define, argue, or create are more helpful for
assessment than vague verbs such as know, understand or passive verbs
such as be exposed to. Some examples of action words frequently used in
objectives are included in the table below.
Knowledge Comprehension Application Analysis Synthesis Evaluation
define classify apply analyze arrange appraise
identify describe compute appraise assemble assess
indicate discuss construct calculate collect choose
know explain demonstrate categorize compose compare
label express dramatize compare construct contrast
list identify employ contrast create decide
memorize locate give examples criticize design estimate
name paraphrase illustrate debate formulate evaluate
recall recognize interpret determine manage grade
record report investigate diagram organize judge
relate restate operate differentiate perform measure
repeat review organize distinguish plan rate
select suggest practice examine prepare revise
underline summarize predict experiment produce score
tell schedule inspect propose select
translate shop inventory set-up value
sketch question
translate relate
use solve
Adapted from California State University, Bakersfield, PACT Outcomes Assessment Handbook (1999).
Biology
Course Goal
Students will learn and demonstrate use of the scientific method for original
scientific research.
Objectives
- The student will demonstrate that s/he has formulated an hypothesis, designed a
good experiment, controlled variables, operationally defined terms and interpreted data
appropriately
- The student will demonstrate understanding of the scope and sequence of the scientific
report format by outlining and completing a report based on one of the in-class
experiments.
adapted from California State University Multi-Campus Team Drafts (1998).
English Composition
Course Goal
Students will learn to acknowledge and adjust to a variety of writing contexts.
Objectives
- The student will demonstrate through discussion, planning and writing an awareness that
audiences differ and that readers needs/expectations must be taken into account as one
composes text
- The student will demonstrate in writing the ability to draft and revise work with a sense of
purpose and an awareness of audience
adapted from California State University Multi-Campus Team Drafts (1998).
Management
Course Goal
The student will identify those activities that are most likely to distinguish effec
tive, well-managed technology development programs from ineffective programs.
Objectives
- The student will outline the six components of an effective management
development program.
- The student will develop a formal evaluation checklist to assess program success.
adapted from Diamond, Designing and Assessing Courses and Curricula (1998).
Religion
Course Goal
The student will demonstrate an understanding of the theological foundation of
the course.
Objective
- When given a definition of the term religion, the student will identify which of the
following characteristics is emphasized: feeling, ritual activity, belief, monotheism,
the solitary individual, social valuation, illusion, ultimate reality, and/or value.
adapted from Diamond, Designing and Assessing Courses and Curricula (1998).
Mathematics
Course Goal
The student will be able to apply course concepts to mathematical 2
problem-solving models.
Objectives
- The student will be able to solve algebraic and quadratic equations
- The student will demonstrate the ability to explain each step in the problem solving process
Economics
Course Goal
Students will use economic theory and modeling to explain government
policies and their effects.
Objectives
- Students will choose one topic relevant to current economic events and explain its relevance
in terms of economic principle and theory
- Students will develop and run a statistical model analyzing the current rate of inflation in
Physics
Course Goal
The student will be able to state and apply physical concepts in their own words
and to discuss what they dont know.
Objectives
- The student will select one physical law and design an experiment to demonstrate
its application
- The student will write a report on the experiment, including a section addressing
unanswered questions
Education
Course Goal
As a result of taking this course, the student will be able to evaluate and apply
educational theory and philosophy to the reality and challenge of todays system
of education.
Objectives
At the conclusion of this unit, the student will be able to:
- discuss the philosophical foundation of education
- identify popular theories of education and teaching
- begin to apply philosophy and theory of education to their own development as an educator
- assess the contribution and development of the other members of the assigned task group
Examples on this page have been adapted from Walvoord & Anderson, Effective Grading (1998).
noteworthy
As you continue to go through this workbook, keep in mind that existing assignments can be made more
valuable by self-consciously linking them to the objectives they are designed to assess. For example, the
grade for a final exam can be made more meaningful in determining the extent of student learning if each
construct or section of the exam is tied to specific, identified learning objectives for the course and discrete
scores for each of these constructs is recorded separately.
WORKSHEET
Worksheet for your course
Q. I teach more than one course a semester. Does it make sense to incorporate
classroom-based assessment into only one of my courses or should I do it for
each course I teach?
2. Do I care about the knowledge students bring into the classroom with them at the start of the Yes No
semester compared to the learning they will take away with them at the end?
3. Does the extent of progress or improvement over a period of days or weeks matter? Yes No
4. Do I want to assess the level of students reflective thinking about a particular reading assignment? Yes No
5. Am I interested in specific areas of learning that I have identified as particularly relevant or Yes No
important?
If you answered yes to questions 1, 2 or 3, you should plan on using an assessment method that gauges
student learning over time. If you answered yes to questions 4, 5, or 6, you will need an assessment
method that evaluates student learning at a particular point in time. Of course, it is quite possible that all the
questions are of interest to you and you may want to incorporate both types of assessment in your model.
Specific ways to assess learning on both a short- and a long-term basis are discussed throughout this chapter.
Chapters 4 and 5 look at these methods in greater detail.
Angelo and Cross also recommend that you maximize the positive impact of
classroom assessment by letting students know:
what the assessment results were
how you interpreted them
what you intend to do in response
As Wright (1991) puts it, classroom assessment has the potential to increase
interest in learning and change attitudes and behaviors when students become
more involved, self-reflective learners (p. 585).
2. Its a Two-Way-Street
Beyond grades, students are also intelligent consumers. Help them understand
why assessment matters and how it can help you become a more effective
teacher and help them become more efficient learners. Explain how you will use
the data to adjust the course as it goes along and to fine tune it before you offer
it again. Let them know that their input will help future students who take this
course. This will help students:
- invest in the process
- see the big picture outside of the immediate effect assessment will have on them
- Show them how to use the data to alter and/or improve their own performance
A. While administering a final exam at the end of the semester will give you an
idea of students learning at that point in time, standard year-end evaluations
are final judgments that do not allow time for instructional change and may
not provide real insight into student learning on specific goals and objectives.
At specific points in time assessment offers both you and your students the
chance to change direction, rethink priorities or keep going with whats
successful. Over time assessment, unlike final exams, shows the progression
of thought and provides the ability to document learning outcomes.
Q. How can I learn more about different assessment methods and how to
implement them?
A. Chapters 4 and 5 in this handbook will give you a basis for understanding
and beginning to implement classroom-based assessment techniques. These
chapters outline several specific methods and describe how to implement them,
how to collect and keep track of what you find out, and how to evaluate the
results in order to fine tune course content and instruction if necessary.
3
For example, an essay for an English course might be analyzed for primary traits
and levels of achievement as follows:
Primary trait analysis
The instructor would then check off the score for each of the five primary
traits listed as important for the assignment, with a minimum total score of 5
(poor) and a maximum total score of 25 (excellent). In this way, PTA can reduce
some of the subjectivity in grading and facilitate more reliable tracking of student
progress on important course objectives throughout individual assignments.
This example of a PTA rubric is very simple. Others are more complex, pro
viding definitions of what an Excellent introduction to an essay would look
like and sometimes assigning varying numbers of points to different traits based
on their importance in the assignment. (See Appendix 4-A for more information.)
4
Minute paper
The minute paper may be one of the most widely-used and accepted methods of
classroom assessment. This method offers a quick and easy way to assess student
learning at a particular point in time. Credited to Angelo & Cross (1993), the
minute paper not only provides helpful feedback but requires little time or effort
to administer. Several minutes before the end of class, you might stop your lec
ture or end the discussion to ask students to take one or two minutes to answer,
in writing, several questions about the days work. These questions might include
What is the most important thing you learned in todays class? or Do you
still have questions about the material we covered today? Students respond on
a sheet of paper and hand them in before leaving.
You can use the minute paper to assess:
- Student recall and understanding
- Student evaluation of what they recall
- Student ability to self-assess their learning and understanding
Muddiest Point
The muddiest point exercise (Angelo & Cross, 1993) is a variation of the minute
paper. Administered during or at the end of a lecture or class discussion, the
muddiest point exercise asks students to think about what went on in class that
day and to write about what was the muddiest (least clear) point in that days
class.
This exercise:
- asks the student to reflect on the class lecture or discussion
- asks the student to decide what was understood and what was unclear
- asks the student to self-assess learning and to identify what did/did not work
One way to address the potential for confusion on key points is to incorporate
into your course syllabus pre-planned times to assess students for their
muddiest point. You can also use a more informal approach and assess for
confusion or misunderstanding when you sense there may be a problem.
Chain Notes
To respond to Chain Notes, students in a lecture course pass around a large
envelope on which the teacher has written one question about the class and/or
teaching of the class. The students have all been given index cards beforehand.
When the envelope reaches a student, he or she spends less than a minute writing
a response to the question, then drops the card in the envelope and passes it on.
This assessment technique results in a rich, composite record of each individual
students reactions to the class in action. In this way, Chain Notes allow teachers
a view of their class through all their students eyes.
Chain Notes are most useful in large lecture or lecture-discussion classes where many students
have little direct contact with the teacher. 4
When you review the cards in the envelope, categorize them into relevant groups:
engaged/not engaged; interested/not interested; question/praise/neutral comment,
etc. Try to detect patterns in responses. Discuss these patterns in your feedback to
students. Ask for suggestions to promote more effective teaching and learning.
adapted from Angelo & Cross, Classroom Assessment Techniques (1993).
Use the Classroom Opinion Poll to evaluate student learning over a period of
time or over the course of a semester by creating a pre- and post-assessment poll.
This assessment method will help you determine whether and how students opin
ions have changed in response to class discussions and assignments.
adapted from Angelo & Cross, Classroom Assessment Techniques (1993).
Reading Reaction
We often ask students to read and synthesize a wide variety of material during a
course. Because the reading for one course is only part of the entire reading load
a student may carry, the reading is often done in a hurry with the main purpose
not to learn but to get through it. This poses two problems:
1. The student is not reading to understand and gain knowledge, but reading to
complete an assignment.
2. The student may not have the time or inclination to think critically about the reading,
The reading reaction paper forces students to slow down the reading process and
asks them to actually think about what they have read. It may be administered
as a short homework assignment to be completed after the reading has been
done or as an in-class assignment to stimulate class discussion. Typically, a read
ing reaction paper asks students to respond (or react) to the reading (i.e., what
did the author say, did you agree with what was written, why/why not, etc.) in
one page or less (typed or handwritten). Part of the class that day can be used to
discuss student reactions to the reading, or the papers can simply be passed in to
provide feedback on student levels of understanding. Either way, it is a good idea
to record at least a pass/fail grade for these exercises to ensure student commit
ment to the task.
The reading reaction paper helps students learn by:
- building skills needed for critical thinking and argument construction
- encouraging students to take charge of a reading assignment and to judge its worth
- asking students to think instead of simply taking in the words as they read
This technique can be particularly effective when you have clearly stated objec-
tives/grading criteria (using a scoring rubric like the PTA) of the paper and ask
students to evaluate their own paper using these criteria. The purpose of the
paper reaction task is to:
- assess student ability to reflect on what they have learned and how well they have
- allow the instructor greater insight into student thought processes as they relate to
- open up the opportunity for discussion about the assignment in general, the papers
noteworthy
Punctuated Lectures, Chain Notes, and Classroom Opinion Polls are particularly useful for faculty teaching
large lecture classes.
- adopting assessment techniques designed to give you (and your students) quick,
effective and constructive feedback on the teaching and learning process
Appendix 4-A
Samples, Examples and Worksheets At a Glance: Student Background Knowledge Probe
Primary Trait Analysis
Minute Paper
Misconception/Preconception check
Muddiest Point
Name:
Address:
What preparation have you had (courses, work experience, etc) that you believe will help you do well in
this class?
What do you already know? To help you (and me) understand the level of knowledge and experience with
English literature that you bring to this course, please complete the following table by first listing the
Shakespeare plays with which you are familiar and then indicating whether you read them, saw them per
formed in a theater, or saw them at the movies or on television. 4
Name of Play Read In Theater Movies/TV
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
For example, A 4 thesis is limited enough to treat within the scope of the essay and is clear to the reader; it enters the
dialogue of the discipline as reflected in the students sources, and it does so at a level that shows synthesis and original
thought; it neither exactly repeats any of the students sources nor states the obvious.
4. Try out the scale with a sample of student work or review with colleagues and revise.
The following worksheet will help you identify the performance levels and an appropriate scoring rubric. List up to four
of the primary traits you identified above and the scoring criteria you would use for each trait. Weve provided an example
below and left room for you to continue with your own.
Rating/Scoring Level
1.
2.
3.
4.
adapted from Walvoord, B.A., & Anderson, V.J., Effective Grading (1998).
The Misconception/Preconception Check shows not only how an instructor can quickly gauge a students
initial knowledge or understanding, but how to catch students interest in a particular subject. This technique
can also be an end-of-the-semester exercise used to assess the accuracy of student understanding after
completing the course.
In thinking about one of the courses you teach, which topics do you believe might be most likely to cause confusion or muddiness?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Can you think of ways to adjust your teaching methods to anticipate and address this potential confusion?
2.
3.
4.
Use the following table to help you think about possible muddiest points and when you might want to assess
student understanding of these topics.
2.
3.
4.
Primary Trait Analysis (PTA), described in Chapter 4, can also be used to assess
student learning over the course of the semester. Primary Trait Analysis links spe
cific goals or objectives to varying levels of achievement (e.g., excellent, good, fair,
poor). To use PTA over the course of the semester, track individual components, or
primary traits, across several assignments. PTA is particularly useful for long-term
tracking of results as the scores from the PTA rubrics are easily quantifiable and
can provide clear data on student progress across key traits for course assignments.
Systematic Progression
of Assignments
Systematic progression of assignments refers to a group of assignments that has
been scheduled throughout the semester to track student progress on specific
learning objectives as they occur. These often (or may) focus on one particular
learning objective the instructor is particularly interested in studying. Each
assignment is connected both to the one before and to the one after to maintain
a formal record of student progress. Ways to develop this record include:
- breaking down a large term project into individual components spread out over the
course of the semester, evaluated separately, and then evaluated as a final product
noteworthy
The Appendix to this chapter includes examples of these assessment methods.
Pre/Post-Test Survey
Pre- and post-test surveys are another way to assess student learning from the start
of the course until the end. A pre-test survey can be used at the beginning of the
semester to capture the extent of student knowledge and understanding about key
course concepts they will study that semester. It can also be used to measure students
attitudes and values relevant to course concepts and predictive of their response and
position on course materials. Using a follow-up post test (either the same as the pre
test, or somewhat different) at the end of the semester and comparing results from the
two can be an effective way to demonstrate student achievement over time.
noteworthy
Pre/post-test surveys are similar to the misconception/preconception task discussed in Chapter 4, but look
for general knowledge and background rather than inaccurate or judgmental ideas.
- An opportunity for students to reflect on their own progress as they review their portfolio
A key piece in portfolio work is getting students to analyze and reflect on their
portfolio what can they see that theyve learned, what doesnt it tell them
about what theyve learned, and how can they document the progression of their
ideas and work from the beginning of the semester until the end. As one student
wrote in a final paper that asked her to reflect back on a series of six essays
written over the semester:
One of the most valuable aspects of this course, for me, has
been the opportunity to look back on the work that I have
completed. Through these papers, I can see how my ideas have
changed, how my writing has improved and how my under
standing of course material is reflected more in the last two
papers than in the first
Portfolio work offers not only an opportunity for the instructor to see the pro
gression of students performance over time, but can also help the student see the
value of reflecting back on her own work.
Q. After assessing student learning outcomes over the course of the semester,
what if my results show that students are not learning in some areas? Who
will see the data?
Q. I can see the value of collecting data on student learning as the semester
moves along, but Im unclear what the data will mean as well as what to do
with the results once I have them.
A. At times it may seem like collecting the data is the easy part while knowing
what to do with the results is another story. However, data from classroom
assessment can be invaluable to improving teaching and learning, and
improving curriculum quality. The results can go to whom you choose, and
can be used for a variety of purposes, from professional growth to institutional
evaluation. How and why you use the data depends on your purpose in
assessing. Chapter 6 discusses using the results in greater detail.
Content
_____ 1. Summarize (in a paragraph or two for an anthropologist unfamiliar with this particular group of people) what Mead
considers to be some of the most important features of Samoan culture (5 points)
_____ 2.a. What is Meads objective in writing this ethnography? (5 points)
_____ 2.b. What methods or techniques does she use to obtain the information expressed in the ethnography? (5 points)
_____ 2.c. What are the categories of Samoan culture that Mead uses in her description? (5 points)
_____ 2.d. Whose viewpoints or perspective is expressed: the ethnographers; or that of the individual members of the society
studied; or someone elses and how? What are the advantages and disadvantages of such a stance? (4 points)
Organization
_____ The organization of ideas, including appropriate use of evidence and inferences (3 points)
Mechanics
_____ Mechanics: proofreading, punctuation, grammar, and spelling (3 points)
_____ Summarize Wolfs explanation as to how cultural changes occur. Note that this summary should be directed not to Wolfs
views in general, but specifically to the causes of cultural change (8 points)
_____ Then summarize Sahlins position on the relation of history and culture (e.g., What is the connection between history and
culture?) (8 points)
_____ Choose either Sahlins or Wolfs position as your own, and defend its superiority against the opposing point of view. In
this portion, the essay should be explicitly comparative, demonstrating why a feature of Wolfs view is better than the
same feature in Sahlins view or vice versa (8 points)
_____ Clarity of argument: good organization of ideas to make a compelling case (3 points)
_____ Mechanics: spelling, grammar, punctuation, proofreading (3 points)
Results
At the end of the semester, the instructor analyzed students scores and found: 5
students raw scores generally went up over the course of the semester for both criteria:
organization and mechanics.
the variability across students grades decreased as well, suggesting that peer critiques gave students the
opportunity to see examples of organization and mechanics by their peers who scored well on these two
criteria and led to less differentiation in performance across the class.
personal correspondence, R. Faulkingham, University of Massachusetts
OAPA Handbook COURSE-Based Review and Assessment UMass Amherst 39
Systematic Progression of Assignments
Tracking student learning through a series of course assignments can provide a wealth of information on how well
course goals and objectives are being met. For example, a faculty member teaching a junior-level accounting
course decided to study the extent to which her students were able to report on the results of their in-class
auditing assignments. She put together a series of assignments as follows to track expected skills and knowledge.
One-page audit report (at Help students learn to expand Moderate understanding of
week 6 and week 8) on introductory exposure to accounting practice and ability
writing audit reports. to explain the results of this
practice to layperson.
Technical writing skills.
Two-page audit report with Offer students the opportuni Solid understanding of
charts and tables (week 10) ty to create more formal, accounting practice and
explanatory report in greater increased ability to translate
detail and help them learn to results in a format that will be
provide examples from easily accessed by the reader.
accounting and use effective
graphs and charts.
Two essay exams, one at Ask students to write short Evaluate particular broad
mid-term and one at the end essay questions related to course concepts that are
of the semester. course concepts and lectures. interconnected through each
class discussion and each
assignment outlined earlier in
this table.
Chapter 6
of Classroom Assessment
Where to begin
Chapter 6
Collection and analysis
At A Glance Reporting your results
Questions and answers
Effective assessment
must begin with real
Where to Begin
Knowing WHY you are assessing is key to deciding WHAT to do with the data
concerns of the stake
after you collect it. Assessment data can be gathered for a variety of reasons:
holders and result in
Classroom-based improvement in teaching and learning
useful information and
Department-based review
recommendations relat
Institution-wide program review requirements
ed to the purpose of the
External accreditation initiatives
assessment.
Farmer, D.W. & Each of these reasons has its own reporting needs. Assessment data collected for
Napieralski, E. A. the purpose of improving teaching and learning at the classroom level may need no
(1997) formal report at all, particularly if you are undertaking the assessment on your
own initiative. The key factor here is to understand what the data are telling you
and to know what you will do with that information once you have it. When you
collect assessment data for campus-wide program review requirements, or external
accreditation you may be asked to prepare and submit a report describing the data,
what you found and how you will use it to improve your course (see OAPAs
Program-Based Assessment Handbook for more information about program
assessment.) Whether you assess for your own edification, for internal review or for
external accreditation, assessment begins with collecting and analyzing the data.
OAPA Handbook COURSE-Based Review and Assessment UMass Amherst 43
Collection and Analysis
Identifying how you can use the results of your assessment data to improve teaching and learning in your
course is essential to the assessment process. The first step is organizing the information you have collected.
Think about what you were assessing and what assessment method you used. What type of data did that
method yield? For example, if you decided to assess student knowledge at the beginning of the course you
may have chosen to use a Student Background Probe as an initial assessment tool. This probe provides a
variety of data, both qualitative and quantitative, on each student in your class and offers a good starting
point from which to implement other evaluations and assessments.
After you determined the types of data you collected through the background knowledge probe, you will
want to analyze the data and determine what these results tell you. There are a variety of ways to analyze
your data, ranging from informal eye-balling analysis to more formal statistical manipulation. You may
find the following worksheet helpful in organizing the information youve collected.
Analyzing Your Data (the first entry offers examples of answers you may give)
Student knowledge Student Quantitative 60% of students Challenge those I thought more
of course content background probe survey data and have some who know, bring students would
prior to beginning open-ended pre-knowledge. those who dont already know the
course response 40% have none. up to speed. information I
asked for.
A final step in this process is to take your plans, or what you will do with the results from the data now
that you have them, and make them more specific. For instance, the table above tells you that, based on
your data from the background knowledge probe, you need to challenge students who have more initial
background knowledge than others. You now have the opportunity to adjust your instruction and course
requirements in response to assessment results. How will you do this? Using an action plan, such as the one
following, can help in the process.
An Action Plan (entries 1 and 2 offer examples of answers you may give)
3.
1.
3
2.
3.
4 1.
2.
3.
5 1.
2.
3.
Using an action plan such as the one above can help you determine and frame your experience with assessment in
terms of these results. This information can help you determine what you liked about the process, what you
didnt like and what you found out. A plan like this can also be useful if you are thinking about adjusting your
instructional methods during the semester, or at the beginning of the course when you teach it again, based on the
results of your assessment work. Collecting and analyzing the data, then deciding in a concrete way what you will
do with the data in the context of course instruction and student learning can help you to document your own
effectiveness in the classroom as well as to identify areas of assessment that might be more broadly useful.
OAPA Handbook COURSE-Based Review and Assessment UMass Amherst 45
WORKSHEET
Assessment Matrix
adapted from Palomba, C. A., & Banta, T. W., Assessment essentials (1999).
A. Collecting assessment data can only be a positive step. First, the results are
yours, to release or to keep private. Second, collecting data on student learning
outcomes can be used to improve your teaching and your course, which will
result in additional data the second time around, continuing the opportunity
for improvement and re-evaluation. Third, the more we get assessment out on
the table for discussion and the more faculty we involve in the process, the
more productive and effective our discussion will be.
A. Once you have collected the data, you should analyze it in the context of the
goals and objectives you have set for the class and the learning outcomes you
identified for each assignment. If you need more help in analyzing the data,
check out the on-campus resources listed in the back of this handbook.
This section offers a variety of on-campus and On-line websites are listed to give you further
on-line resources, as well as a reference list of opportunity to explore how assessment is being used
articles and publications cited in this handbook, to at other large research institutions across the country.
provide additional assistance as you move deeper These websites are particularly useful in providing
into the assessment process. specific examples and how-to models as well as in
On-campus resources are given to provide you sharing how the assessment experience is playing out
with a real person to contact should you have in higher education today.
questions, concerns or need additional information References from the literature offer more in-depth
or support. discussion of handbook topics.
On-Campus On-Line
Office of Academic Planning and Assessment American Association for Higher Education
362 Whitmore Administration Building www.aahe.org
Martha L. A. Stassen California State University - San Bernardino
Director of Assessment http://academic-affairs.csusb.edu
(413) 545-5146 www.co.calstate.edu/aa/sloa
mstassen@acad.umass.edu ERIC Assessment Clearinghouse
http://www.umass.edu/oapa http://ericae.net/
Internet Resources for Higher Education Outcomes Assessment
Office of Institutional Research http://www2.acs.ncsu.edu/upa/archives/assmt/resource.htm
237 Whitmore Administration Building Ohio University
Marilyn H. Blaustein www.cats.ohiou.edu/~insres/assessments/ncaplan.html
Director of Institutional Research Penn State
(413) 545-0941 www.psu.edu/dus/uac/assessme.htm
blaustein@oirp.umass.edu Southern Illinois University
http://www.umass.edu/oapa www.siue.edu/~deder/assess
University of Cincinnati - Raymond Walters College
Center for Teaching www.rwc.uc.edu/phillips/index_assess.html
301 Goodell Building University of Colorado - Boulder
(413) 545-1225 www.colorado.edu/pba/outcomes
cfteach@acad.umass.edu University of Michigan
http://www.umass.edu/cft www.umich.edu/~crltmich/crlt.faq.html
University of Nebraska
www.unl.edu/svcaa/priorities/assessment.html
University of Wisconsin - Madison
www.wisc.edu/provost/assess.html
Virginia Tech
http://aappc.aap.vt.edu
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