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Assessment

Assessing Student Learning

The concepts of grading, assessment, evaluation, and research may share methodologies, but their purpose and audiences differ. Assessment is also part of the teaching and learning process.

Any assessment plan or activity should begin with an objective. For example, learning objectives may be very specific within a class session (e.g., students will explain one specific concept), and relate to broader course outcomes (e.g., students will identify key theories in the field), connect with broader academic program outcomes (e.g., students will apply disciplinary content to solve problems), and speak to even broader institutional outcomes (e.g., students will demonstrate critical thinking skills).

There are many ways to determine whether students are learning, including through Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) and Learning Assessment Techniques – LATs (docx). LATs involve the purposeful use of a CAT to assess learning. They are generally quick, effective classroom activities that give instructors a “real-time” understanding of their students’ learning without the formal structure of an exam.

For instructors, CATs:

  • Provide feedback that can be applied immediately.
  • Offer useful information about what students have learned without the amount of time required for preparing tests or reading papers.
  • Allow you to address student misconceptions or lack of understanding in a timely way.
  • Help foster good working relationships with students and encourage them to understand that teaching and learning are ongoing, participative processes.

For students, CATs:

  • Help develop self-assessment and learning management skills.
  • Reduce feelings of isolation, especially in large classes.
  • Increase the ability to think critically about the course content.
  • Foster an attitude that values understanding and long-term retention.
  • Show your interest and support for their success in your classroom.

You can also check in with the student learning process by using a formative course feedback method, such as through the Plus/Delta feedback tool.

 

Quizzes and exams serve as significant formative and summative assessments that can focus and motivate students’ learning as well as provide critical feedback to the instructor. Periodic testing enhances students’ ability to recall and retain information, as well as infer, analyze, evaluate, and apply the knowledge in different contexts. For instructors, quizzes and exams can identify gaps in individual or group comprehension and retention.

Whenever designing a learning assessment such as a quiz or exam, the instructor should first determine the purpose of the quiz or exam. It is also helpful to build a question bank and provide practice quizzes.

 

Another form of student learning assessment is student-to-student peer assessment, which describes a range of activities in which students evaluate and provide feedback on the work of their peers. Formative peer assessment involves feedback on drafts of work before the final product is submitted. Summative peer assessment includes evaluation of other students’ products or participation and/or contributions as part of a grade.

Peer assessment is commonly used as a strategy for students to assess their fellow students’ contributions to group work, particularly valuable in team-based learning.