Discussion and Recommendations
What are some non-traditional means of assessment?
- portfolios
- interviews - entry/exit
- performance based
How do we get at what we want to measure?
- critical thinking
- problem solving
- reading, writing, listening, speaking
- computing
- humanities
Critical Thinking: standardized multiple-choice tests are a questionable method problems with definition and measurement
Writing: identifying what we want students to learn
- Dean has defined revision and editing as the important writing skills
- At Gateway, they are doing a pre- post- writing assessment that is judged by a standard evaluation form.
Recommendation:
Rewrite competencies based on desired learning outcomes.
This would require a major commitment on the part of the district. Some of the existing competencies are laughable.
There are problems between District Ends Statements and course competencies.
We need good, agreed-upon competencies and a variety of tools that are used in common throughout the district for assessment; need better distribution and sharing of what is and is not working. The Web would be one possibility for distributing information. Many disciplines have good tools.
Three ways to deal with assessment:
- ignore it
- pre-post multiple choice tests of discreet skills
- more involved - rubric type measurement
need time to develop the assessments and pilot them
Need to involve all full-time and adjunct faculty.
At Rio, they are developing 20 question multiple-choice pre-post tests for all their courses. In addition, they are formally assessing writing in every discipline. Use a common scoring rubric.
Assessment should be part of students' grade; students should know what the standards and expectations are. Students should also do self-assessment.
Assessment issues:
- Students may not want to do assessment. Teachers need to prepare them.
- Fear that assessment will be used to evaluate particular teachers.
- Teaching to the test. Is that bad if the test is a good test that is measuring desired outcomes.
- Some feel that learning can't be measured.
- Need to check at various points along the education process.
Overall entry-exit test.
- We're already measuring within classes through tests.
Defining academic achievement:
- perceptions - affective domain
- cognitive domain
What Next?
We need to identify basic areas of faculty development and provide training for both full time and adjunct faculty.
I will discuss this idea with the staff development coordinator at my college. (Name)
Rely more on holistic assessment portfolios - demonstration of student learning by doing.
Will participate in assessment web page.
We've started a searchable collection of assessment tools
http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/ae/tools/
We'll continue if the format is of interest.
Develop and apply more effective assessment measures.
Try alternative assessment activities in a multilevel developmental block
I can continue to work on implementing the complex assessment of student learning agenda at my campus.
