Tip: Assessments Connect to Outcomes
Tip: Assessments Connect to Outcomes
Do your assessments accurately and helpfully measure student progress?
This three-part approach to course design, outlined here, starts with the end in mind: Planning Learning Outcomes. Once you have identified what students should be able to do by the end of the course, then you should create the assessments. Yes, before you decide on what activities students will do, which labs they will complete, what readings you will assign, all of that. Assessment needs to evaluate whether or not students can do what is essential that they have mastered - the learning outcomes - not whether they have read the assigned readings or showed up to class (as important as both of these behaviors are!).
Looking back at the example outcomes from last week, the criterion piece gives some structure to what the expected demonstration of mastery - the assessment - should look like. Some will offer more flexibility, like this one:
Students will be able to contrast two different places they have lived, addressing physical space, geographical location, and family connections.
Students could demonstrate that they have met this outcome by writing an essay that addresses the three sub-points. There are many other ways a student could meet this outcome (here are some examples of alternative assessments) with a final product that isn’t a traditional essay. I would begin with a rubric to help me describe what a successful product would look like, and would possibly include components like:
Uses contrast language effectively so the purpose of the work is clear to the reader
Addresses physical space, geographical location, and family connections
Uses supporting evidence (anecdote, quotation, description, etc.) to support the main points
Work follows appropriate formatting and presentation requirements*
*These would differ if the work is an essay versus a live presentation versus a poster, for example, but would need to be discussed and agreed upon as a class.
Assessments needn’t be of the final paper or final exam variety; it’s important to plan for low-stakes assessments that help students understand their progress towards meeting the course expectations (the learning outcomes). Using portfolios is another way for students to show - and reflect on - growth.
What comes next?
The next piece is thinking about learning activities: How will students acquire the knowledge & practice the skills they need? Students need opportunities to be exposed to content, practice skills that use this content knowledge, make connections to prior knowledge, and prepare to transfer this knowledge and skills into new contexts.
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