Assessing Student Learning
Designing Authentic Assessments with Jesse Stommel
Designing Authentic Assessments with Jesse Stommel
June 17, 2021 from 1pm–3pm
RECORDED SESSION
Additional Resources
Additional Resources:
- Jesse Stommel blog
- Empathizing with Students, podcast interview with Jesse Stommel
- Start by Trusting Students, interview in Chronicle of Higher Education
- Critical Digital Pedagogy, a summary of the book and links to the journal, Hybrid Pedagogy
Designing Assessment Questions for Tests
-
The University of Michigan's Center for Research on Teaching and Learning guide, Designing Effective Exams provides guidelines for creating effective multiple-choice questions.
-
Cited in the guide above, this occasional paper offers some sample scenario-based questions.
-
Yale University's Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning guide, Designing Assessment Questions.
-
Carnegie Mellon University's Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence and Innovation guide, Creating Exams
Designing Online Assessments
Online Exams and Academic Integrity
Ask better questions
- Probe higher order thinking: explain, analyze, evaluate (Examples of Critical Thinking Question Stems)
- Vary question formats
- Use terms and examples that aren't as easy to Google as those found in textbook test bank questions
- Talk to students about academic integrity (Pew FTLC resources)
Optimize features of Blackboard Tests, Surveys, and Pools tool
- First question on a test/quiz: an I AGREE statement about upholding academic integrity
- Use a variety of question types (17 different types)
- Set a time window of test availability as well as a timer (can be individualized for students needing accommodation)
- Randomize order, pull from question pools
- Display one question at a time
- Limit feedback displayed to students (correct answers, etc)
- Practice online assessments–helps you and your students
Best Practices for Offering Exams Online - practical suggestions from Kansas State University
Best Ways to Stop Cheating in Online Courses? Teach Better - Hear me out and click through to view the wonderful list of ten ideas, “small, scalable changes for improving academic integrity”
Fourteen Simple Strategies to Reduce Cheating in Online Exams - succinct, tactical suggestions
Online Proctoring
Respondus Lockdown Browser and Monitor, Teaching with Technology Support
Before implementing applications such as Respondus or Zoom to monitor students, carefully weigh the criticisms and concerns around equity, exacerbation of test anxiety, increased cognitive load of learning to take exams in new ways, as well as student privacy. See, for example:
- Inside Higher Ed, May 11, 2020
- The Science of Learning vs. Proctoring Software, Joshua Eyler blog post, October 2, 2020
Additional Resources
Articles
Assessing your program-level assessment plan, IDEA Paper #45
Angelo, T. A. (1991), Ten easy pieces: Assessing higher learning in four dimensions. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 1991: 17–31.
One Educator's Rationale for Student Self-Assessments by Laura Ross, Maryville University. The Scholarly Teacher Blog Post, 2020.
Books
Assessing Student Learning: A Common Sense Guide, Linda Suskie, 2009
Assessment Clear and Simple: A Practical Guide for Institutions, Departments, and General Education, 2nd Ed., Barbara Walvoord, 2010
Classroom Assessment Techniques by Thomas Angelo and Patricia Cross, 1993
Introduction to Rubrics: An Assessment Tool to Save Grading Time, Convey Effective Feedback, and Promote Student Learning by Dannelle Stevens and Antonia Levi, 2012
Webpages
Assessment CyberGuide for Learning Goals Outcomes, American Psychological Association, 2009.
- A resource applicable to fields other than psychology, with sections on understanding assessment, designing viable assessment plans, sustaining an assessment culture, and applying strategies.
Commenting on Student Writing Effectively and Efficiently - GVSU SWS Workshop led by Dr. Jerry Stinnett, Department of Writing
Designing "Scoring Rubrics" For Your Classroom by Craig A. Mertler at Bowling Green State University
- helps faculty design rubrics that are used when evaluating student performances or products resulting from a performance task.
FLAG -- The Field-tested Learning Assessment Guide
- offers classroom assessments that have been field tested and are described in detail by university faculty who have incorporated them into their courses.
- These assessments were created specifically for science and technology courses, but are broadly applicable.