Assessing-U Posts

Assessing-U is written in the style of a blog. Its purpose is to share current issues in assessment, observations, and summaries of new resources. The viewpoints represented belong to the post’s author.

Facilitating and Assessing Student Engagement in the Classroom 

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 the reading, answered every question with astounding complexity, and memorized everything the professor said. What a great time that must have been!  We may not ever have a classroom filled with the students of our dreams, but what if we could get a bit closer? What if we could encourage motivation, curiosity, and enthusiasm for learning? What would happen if we understood a bit more about how engagement really works?   What is Student Engagement?  Scholars who study learning in the college years define student engagement

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Mapping Your Course

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 the way. A course map is kind of like planning a road trip, even with room for some unplanned stops.  A course map is a visual representation of the ways in which your course instruction and assignments align with the learning objectives. Mapping your course allows you to identify where students are learning key concepts and skills, and to make decisions about formative and summative assessments. It can also help determine where to provide additional instruction or learning support.  Using Backwards Design principles to create

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Assessment in Large Enrollment Courses

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 imagine reading 200 5-page essays? That’s 1,000 pages for just one assignment! So, what’s an instructor to do with a big class? Are multiple-choice exams the only way to go? Classes with graders, recitations, and labs provide room to focus on individual students, but what if it’s just you and that large lecture hall filled with smiling faces? Here are some ideas to help you freshen up your assessment approach and use your time more effectively. In-Class Formative Assessments Students benefit from frequent, low-stakes opportunities

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Getting Started with Course Assessment

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 learning outcomes and being creative in how they are implemented, faculty can better facilitate learning and support student success.  Align assessments to learning outcomes  At its core, assessment seeks to understand how well students are learning what we want them to learn. This starts with defining learning outcomes, first for the course and then for each of the assignments or activities used in the course. What do you want students to know or be able to do by the end of the course? If students

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