ASSESSMENT 101

Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) WorkshopSpring 2011Facilitators: Dr. Kara Penfield, Director of Academic Assessment; Isis Artze-Vega, PFF Coordinator

Today’s workshop will…

… describe the relevance of assessment to colleges and universities

…provide an overview of assessment in education

…familiarize you with various types of assessment

…discuss the role of faculty in the assessment process

…introduce techniques and assessment tools

What is assessment?

Generally speaking…“Assessment is the process by which information is obtained relative to some known objective or goal descriptions” (Kizlik, 2011).

In education… “Assessment is the systematic collection, review, and use of information about educational programs undertaken for the purpose of improving learning and development” (Paloma & Banta, 1999).

Relevance to Higher Education Today

Increased demands for accountability in all levels of education.

•In 2006, Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings proposed changes to the college accreditation process & recommended mandatory testing to measure college student learning.

Why? •Soaring college costs, signs that college students aren’t learning key competencies & skills, and the lack of data to examine the outcomes of higher education

•The govt. & general public are also interested in accountability and assessment because they are investing considerable funds and want to ensure their investment is worthwhile.

Another key distinction…

Classroom Assessment

Program Assessment

CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT

Let’s talk a bit about your own experiences

with classroom assessment.

Two Main Types of Assessment

FORMATIVE• Gathering info. about student learning with goal of improvement• Provides feedback• Ex: Non-graded quiz

SUMMATIVE• Gathering info. at end of

course or program to assign grades, meet

accountability demands•Provides a final judgment• Often used to determine

future action• Ex: Exam

Examples of formative assessment

oHomework exercisesoDiscussion responsesoJournal entriesoPretests

Formative assessment also includes CATs

CATs are classroom assessment techniques• Main goals: Better understand how your students

are learning & improve your teaching

Examples:o Background knowledge probeo Minute papero Muddiest pointo One-sentence summary

Angelo, T. A., & Cross, P. (1993). Classroom assessment techniques: A handbook for college teachers. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass

Classroom Assessment Cycle

Phase I: Plan

Phase 2: Implement

Phase 3: Respond

Focus on a goal, choose a

technique

Teach the lesson, assess

student learning, analyze

the feedback

Formulate appropriate

response, try it out

Examples of summative assessment

4 Common formats:

o Selected response items

oMultiple choice, True/false, Matching,

oShort answer

oFill in the blank, One or two sentence response

o Extended written response (papers, essays, lab write-ups, portfolios)

o Performance assessment

PROGRAM ASSESSMENT

Components of Program Assessment

MissionIntended outcomes

Assessment measuresResults

InterpretationPlan for improvement

Common Intended Outcomes

Oral and written communication

Field-specific content knowledge

Ability to think critically

Common Measures

Rubric AssessmentCapstone ProjectsConference PresentationsDesign ExhibitsClinical Rotations

Student Perception SurveysStructured Group Interviews (Focus Groups)

Different Levels

Federal Govt.Regional

Accreditors

Institution

Colleges/schools

Classroom

Interplay b/w classroom & program assessment

•The components of program assessment (slide 14) can be used in the classroom

•Student products (essays, etc.) can be used in both… viewed through different lenses

•Capstone projects & courses

•General Education

“Assessment is more than a response to demands for accountability, more than a

means for curricular improvement. Effective assessment is best understood

as a strategy for understanding, confirming, and improving student

learning.”

Higher Learning Commission