Laura W. Gariepy Virginia Commonwealth University

Using Quick Assessment Methods to Generate Meaningful Data from One-Shot Instruction Sessions

Laura W. Gariepy Virginia Commonwealth University

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A little about the classes I teach…

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Overview • Developed exercise(s) to assess student

learning based on specific learning outcomes

• Developed analytic rubrics to assess student responses (Wiggins, 1998)

• Administered exercises to students before, during, or after classes

• Assessed student responses (ongoing)

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Why this approach? • Authentic assessment: assesses

artifacts of learning • Rubrics utilize descriptive criteria to

assess complex student answers in manageable chunks (Oakleaf, 2009)

• Mutually beneficial for students and for me

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Students experience

active learning

opportunity; we get the

information we’re after

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Plug: Megan Oakleaf and RAILS

• Assistant Professor at iSchool at Syracuse University

• Information Literacy Instruction and Assessment

• Founded Rubric Assessment of Information Literacy Skills (RAILS): www.railsontrack.info

• Suggested reading included in packet

Exercise One: Turning your Research Question into a Search

Strategy

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Students will be able to develop a topic-relevant search strategy related to a research

question in order to search library resources effectively.

Learning Outcome:

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Don’t strain your eyes! Refer to packet to read full rubric.

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Exercise Two: Topic Discipline Database Article

(TDDA)

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Students will be able to distinguish between multidisciplinary and discipline specific databases in

order to select most appropriate resources and maximize relevant

results.

Learning Outcome One:

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Students will be able to locate articles in library databases in order to

investigate and refine a research question.

Learning Outcome Two:

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Don’t strain your eyes! Refer to packet to read full rubric.

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The results are in! (Well, some of them).

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- Assessment complete for 10 sections of UNIV 200 (about half)

- 227 students had the opportunity to complete and turn in both exercises

- 176 (78%) turned in Search Strategy Exercise - 177 (78%) turned in TDDA Exercise

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- Average scores were significantly higher for TDDA than Search Strategy: - 60% avg score for Search Strategy

- 78% avg score for TDDA

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- Differences in exercises completed in class versus either before or after class:

- Big difference in percent of exercises completed

- Almost no difference in average scores

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- Search Strategy Exercise: In class vs. Outside of class - Percentage turned in:

- In class: 95% - Outside (before) class: 65%

- Differences in average scores: - In class: 61% - Outside (before) class: 60%

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- TDDA Exercise: In class vs. Outside of class - Percentage turned in:

- In class: 91% - Outside class (homework): 59%

- Differences in average scores: - In class: 78% - Outside class (homework): 76%

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- Problem Spots - Search Strategy Exercise:

- Criteria D: Truncation - Average score of only 21%

- TDDA Exercise: - Criteria C: Discipline-specific Databases - Average score of 61%

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Benefits

• Exercises encouraged student learning

• Rubrics are good for assessing complex answers as objectively as possible

• Flexible • Rich data

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Challenges:

• Time • Articulating

everything • May or may not

focus on retention

• In one-shots, you lose some of the advantages of rubrics

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Down the Road: Future Uses and Applications (for me and for you!)

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Classroom Assessment

+ Teaching / Learning

Questions? Questions?

Laura W. Gariepy lwgariepy@vcu.edu

(For references, visit

http://bit.ly/VLA2011gariepy)

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