Blended by Design: Classroom Assessment Techniques & Rubrics

VERONICA DIAZ, PHDMARICOPA CENTER FOR LEARNING AND INSTRUCTION

JENNIFER STRICKLAND, PHD

PARADISE VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Classroom Assessment Techniques

sponsored by the maricopa center for learning and instruction

What is Web 2.0

CATs: What are they?

A method used to gather information on how well students are learning key concepts

A method to provide immediate feedback to students regarding their performance

Thomas A. Angelo and K. Patricia Cross, Classroom Assessment Techniques, A Handbook for College Teachers, 2nd Ed.

CAT Characteristics

Learner-centeredTeacher-promptedMutually beneficialFormative Fast to administer Fast to interpret Non threatening Ongoing

Basic CAT Steps

1. Choose a learning goal to assess

2. Choose an assessment technique

3. Apply the technique

4. Analyze the data and share the results with students

5. Respond to the data, i.e., make modifications as necessary

5 Suggestions for CATs

Customize CATs to address your specific needs and learning environment (f2f/online)

Should be consistent with your instructional philosophy

Test out a CAT and assess their effectiveness

Allow extra time to carry out and respond to the assessment

Let students know what you learn from their feedback and how you and they can use that information to improve learning

CAT Examples

Minute paperChain notesMemory matrixDirected paraphrasingOne-sentence summaryExam evaluationsApplication cardsStudent-generated test

questions

Can be easily modified or converted to an online environment

Exercise

1. Review the CATs and pick one

2. Identify the goal for your CAT

3. Develop or adapt an existing CAT for your blended course

4. Explain why this CAT is helpful/necessary in this particular area of the course

5. Explain why/where you would use this CAT in a f2f or online environment

6. How and when will students receive feedback on the CAT

Assessment Resources

http://kerlins.net/bobbi/education/teachonline/cats.html

http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/assess-2.htm

http://www.ntlf.com/html/lib/bib/assess.htm

http://www.ntlf.com/html/sf/vc75.htm

Take a Break

Rubrics

Rubrics Specifically state the

criteria for evaluating student work

Are more specific, detailed, and disaggregated than a grade and can help students to succeed before a final grade

Can be created from Language in assignments Comments on students’

papers, or Handouts intended to help

students complete an assignment

Development Steps

Identify what you are assessing (e.g., critical thinking)

Identify the characteristics/behavior of what you are assessing (e.g., presenting, problem-solving)

Decide what kind of scales you will use to score the rubric (e.g. checklists, numerical, qualitative, or numerical-qualitative)

Describe the best work you could expect using these characteristics: top category

Describe the worst acceptable product using these characteristics: lowest category

More Steps

Develop descriptions of intermediate-level products and assign them to intermediate categories: 1-5: unacceptable, marginal,

acceptable, good, outstanding 1-5: novice, competent, exemplary Other meaningful set

Test it out with colleagues or students by applying it to some products or behaviors and revise as needed to eliminate ambiguities

Rubric Tips

Develop the rubric with your students Use same rubric that was used to

gradeUse examples to share with students,

so they can begin to understand what excellent, good, and poor work looks like

Have students grade sample products using a rubric to help them understand how they are applied

In a peer-review process, have students apply the rubric to eachother’s work before submitting it for official grading

Benefits

Allows assessment to be more objective and consistent

Focuses instruction to clarify criteria in specific terms

Clearly shows the student how their work will be evaluated and what is expected

Promotes student awareness of about the criteria to use in assessing peer evaluation

Source: California State University

Rubric Resources

http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/rubrics.shtml http://www.calstate.edu/AcadAff/SLOA/links/rubrics.shtml http://www.iuk.edu/~koctla/assessment/rubrics.shtml http://www.csupomona.edu/~uwc/non_protect/student/CSU-

EPTScoringGuide.htm http://condor.depaul.edu/~tla/html/

assessment_resources.html http://www.winona.edu/AIR/rubrics.htm http://www.engin.umich.edu/teaching/assess_and_improve/

handbook/direct/rubric.html http://www.seattleu.edu/assessment/rubrics.asp http://wsuctproject.wsu.edu/ctr.htm

Rubric Template: http://edweb.sdsu.edu/triton/july/rubrics/Rubric_Template.html

Activity

Take 15-20 minutes to develop a rubric for a portion of your module

Share your rubrics

Blended Learning Myths and Truths

Adapted from Thomas F. Kelly, Ph.D.

True

Initially, the time demands of the faculty member increase because instructional materials must be developed for both distributed and face-to-face instruction

(Graham et al., 2005)

Faculty time commitment is greater for blended learning preparation, delivery, and revision.

False

Researchers at the University of Central Florida have observed, during six years of analysis, that students enrolled in blended courses consistently obtain grades of A, B, or C at a rate of up to 6% higher than that of students in comparable face-to-face or fully online courses

(Dziuban et al. 2001)

Blended course delivery of instruction is not as effective as teaching students face-to-face.

False

In a blended format, students are highly engaged in the course progress, both with their classmates and with their instructor

(Gould, 2003)

Blended teaching lacks a cohesive sense of community.

True

The research shows that although most classes in any discipline can be taught using a blended learning format, there are a few classes that would be more conducive to traditional face-to-face lecture, such as an introduction to drawing course.

Blended teaching is not appropriate for all courses.

True

Blended course development requires careful scheduling of assignments, and the creation of effective distance learning components demands a “focused preparation” of course material. Therefore, instructors come to reevaluate how their course materials and instructional strategies achieve course competencies and objectives

(Gould, 2003)

Content is better in the blended course.

False

Qualitative assessments of better student learning are supported by quantitative data from the University of Central Florida (UCF). UCF reports that students in blended courses achieve slightly better grades than students in traditional face-to-face courses or in totally online courses.

Cheating in a blended course is a common threat to the quality of blended courses.

False

In a blended format, students are highly engaged in the course progress, both with their classmates and with their instructor

(Gould, 2003)

Teacher-student interaction is difficult when using blended learning technology to deliver instruction.

False

“…often accomplished through an off-the-shelf Course Management System, such as Blackboard, but it can also be accomplished via something as simple as email, or as information-rich as streaming video”

I need special materials to teach blended courses.

True

Support to teach blended courses motivates and gives confidence to faculty members to use technology in their classrooms, while the lack of technology resources and technology support frustrates them , especially as reliance on technology increases

(Morote, 2004)

Adequate technical support systems are a major concern to faculty delivering blended courses.

False

Research shows that colleges and universities have sufficient computer labs open to student use. Public libraries and other places, like coffee houses, also have connectivity to the internet.

Students need access to a home computer to be in a blended course.

It is critical to commit the time necessary to redesign a traditional course into a blended course. “A busy instructor should allocate a six month lead time for developing a blended course for the first time.”

Approximately how much time would it take to develop an effective blended course?