What is a Rubric? A rubric is a guide that articulates the expectations for an assignment and communicates the level of quality of performance or learning. As an assessment tool, a rubric sets the criteria for evaluating performance or work …
Improving student engagement in the classroom is a hot topic amongst faculty these days. At some point in the conversation, the mythological college student makes an appearance. That perfect student of the past was always on time, had always done …
Backwards Design Basics When you are planning a road trip, you probably start with the places you want to end up and then plan your route, including overnight stops, food options, and perhaps a few scenic spots to rest along …
Remote, hybrid, and online teaching and learning have prompted most instructors to rethink course instruction and question previously held assumptions about how people learn. How to administer exams can be a particularly thorny issue, especially for courses with large enrollments …
Use the Course Survey to Improve Instruction The purpose of the student course ratings (CSU’s Course Survey) is to collect information about students’ experiences in a single course, looking back at one semester. The Course Survey is meant to facilitate …
Want to know how your class is going? Ask your students! Getting feedback from your students throughout the semester provides you multiple checks on the student experience and helps you determine how to adjust your course to better meet their …
Students Need to Know How they are Doing in Your Class Generally speaking, students want more frequent feedback about their course performance. Being unsure about their performance causes unnecessary anxiety and can negatively affect motivation to stay interested and engaged …
Formative Feedback with CATs Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) are quick, low-stakes methods used to gauge student learning. CATs are highly effective and efficient student-centered strategies to check for understanding. Instructors can use the information as feedback to modify activities, provide …
Assessment Strategies for Large Courses Many of my conversations with faculty focus on the challenges they have with doing good learning assessment in large classes. The best learner-centered assessment approaches are no match for 200-person enrollment. I mean, can you …
Thoughtful Course Design Course assessments—exams, essays, research papers, performances, etc.—are stressful for students and instructors alike. As instructors, we can help reduce that pressure by attending to a few elements when designing course assessments. Through careful alignment of assessments to …
