Measuring student learning

|JASON ARTERO||MARY JO DAVIS|

|MELISSA HASWELL||JENNIFER STRICKLAND|

|NICK WAGNER|

Assessing student learning

• Difficult to assess student learning accurately

• As Noddings text said, when you measure student learning, do you measure the ability of the teacher?

• Testing/assessing a challenge for many people

Assessment in the movies

General info about student assessment

• General ideas to share about assessment value, process, need for assessment, etc……

Perspective for each of us based on our experiences

• Jason—middle school student assessment• Mary Jo—college learning-focused assessment• Melissa—science based assessment• Jennifer—project and state mandated

assessment• Nick—outcome based assessment

• Give roadmap for presentation

Learning Assessment

Middle level assessment (is this your focus?)—Jason Artero

College skills Assessment

Mary Jo Davis

Freshmen Experience Class Assessment

• First year class to have students learn about campus life, study habits, liberal arts learning

• Focus on experiential learning

– Introduce students to new topics or ideas in several ways

– Textbook readings

– Guest speakers

– Campus experiential activities

– Have students reflect on perspective/feelings learning/experiences of the topic

Assessment tools used

• Self-reflection papers

• Journals

• Journey activities—experiential learning activities– Scavenger hunt

– Attending new activity

– Study/learning style testing—informally—and reflection written on findings

• Learn by doing—demonstrating learning through accurately completing activity

Science Learning Assessment

Melissa Haswell

How do students learn science?

• Students are not all at the same level

• Some students memorize better than others

• In introductory science classes, the entire grade should not be based on exams

– why?

• Students are adjusting to a new “language”

• Varied methods enhance student learning

Play movie

Core Terminology

• Type of Assessment– Exams: multiple choice, matching, true/false,

list/define

• Type of Learning– Rote memorzation

• Rationale– Students must learn meaning of basic science

terms in order to understand major science concepts

Major Scientific Concepts

• Type of Assessment– Case study analysis

– Essay questions

– Group discussion questions

– Group activities

• Type of Learning– Higher level cognition/understanding

• Rationale– Once foundation terms are memorized, students are more

likely to understand scientific theories & concepts

Project-based assessment

Jennifer Strickland

Project-based learning

• Minimal use of pencil-paper tests

• Use of opinion-based writings

– Have students write an opinion essay on same topic

– From John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men”“Is it ever justifiable to take the life of another living being?”

Project-based learning

Move to small group learning activities

Students take larger stance and support their position

Group gathers notes from reading supporting their position

Incorporate real-life stories (news) for support

Present findings to class and justify position the taken

Project-based learning

Students actively engaged with reading

Discussion based on literature and real life

Demonstrates their level of understanding of novel better than simple testing facts

When testing, use essay questions– to find out what student knows about topic.

Standardized testing

Jennifer Strickland

Standardized TestingPROS

•Can track progress of students•Guidance to teachers for content

•Gives parents idea of what child is learning

CONS•Teach to test

•Pressure on student, teacher, and district•Changes frequently

•No clear communication with schools from state

Project-Based Assessment

• Students investigate challenging questions or situation posed by instructor

• Student driven learning

• Complex concepts explored

• Collaborative

Standardized Test vs

Project-Based Learning

STANDARDIZED•Test at center of learning

•Assessment once a year

•Individual

•School environment

PROJECT-BASED•Students at center of learning

•Frequent opportunities for assessment throughout year

•Collaborative

•Real world environment

Philosophy behind assessments

STANDARDIZED•All individuals behind “veil of ignorance”

(Noddings, p. 179)•Rawls- emphasis on procedures•“each person [has] an equal right to the most

extensive liberty compatible with a similar liberty for others.” (Noddings, p. 185)

Philosophy behind assessments

PROJECT-BASED• Knowledge “products of inquiry and construction

through social interaction” (Noddings, p.36)

• Philosopher John Dewey supports

• Naturalistic pragmatism (natural explanation / effects through inquiry and hypothesis testing)

• “[S]chool cannot prepare students for democratic life by simply giving them masses of information to be used at some later time” (Noddings, p. 36)

Outcome-based Assessment

Nick Wagner

Student Learning Assessment

Student Learning – Necessity of accountability & assessment of student learning INSIDE the classroom

Measurements

Standardized Tests

Student Outcomes

Housing & ResLife Learning Assessment

• Focus on “Student Outcomes”

• Conceptualization of student learning outside of the classroom

– Extremely vital to those 1st & 2nd year “vulnerable” residential students in higher education

Housing & Reslife Learning Assessment

• How do we do this? – More Qualitative– Community Development

– Programming (FYRE, Monitor GPA, University Resources)

– Diversity • Modeling attitudes & values that celebrate our

differences & similarities

– Student Conduct / Personal Development• Fire Safety

• Alcohol abuse & violations

Housing & Reslife Learning Assessment

Programs + Learning = Student OUTCOMES

Outcomes Identified as:

1.Residents are well prepared to succeed in the classroom & professional endeavors

2.Problematic behavior can be changed

3.Increased communication will lead to the use & development of university academic resources

Multiple views of assessment

• Middle school

• College

• Science based

• Project based

• Standardized testing

• Outcome based testing

• HOW TO FIT IT ALL TOGETHER???

Questions?????