Developing Educative Assessments in a Teacher Preparation Program

Purpose: To develop an assessment system that provides a vehicle for collaborative work to make program improvements that will result in program-wide assessment practices

Design Team Members Steven Koziol

TE Chair Sharon Schwille

Assistant to TE Chair Randi Stanulis

Team 1 Co-leader Jay Featherstone

Team 1 Co-leader Peggy Champarde

Team 1 Coordinator

Cheryl Rosaen Team 2 Leader

Philippa Webb Team 2 Coordinator

Sandy Wilcox Team 3 Leader

Peggy Giblin Team 3 Coordinator

Gail Richmond Team 4 Leader

Rick Banghart Technology

Design Team Graduate Assistants

Sharon Hobson Mary Kay Johnson

Vijaya Rajagopalan

Julia Reynolds

Proposed Work for 2002-2003

Study and Appraise Existing Portfolio Systems

Study and Appraise Alternative Assessment Approaches

Identify Authentic Assessment Practices that Exist in our Current Program

Explore Potential Linkages with the Teachers for a New Era Project (Carnegie Corporation Grant)

Five Significant Areas of Exploration

O n lin e Su rvey Selected In terviews

C ou rse B asedTech n o log yIn teg ra tion

Selected In terviews

C ou rse B asedA ssessm en t

P rac tices

PassPort

O rg an iza tion a lA ssessm en t

S ys tem

Colleg e of EdTech n olog y

Teach ers for aNew E ra P roject

In it ia tedC o llab ora tion s

Harris Software I.V.A.N .

V id eoC ase-B asedTech n o log y

PassPort

PassPort Model - The Technology Consortium for Teacher Education (TCTE). Initiated by the Louisiana Challenge 1997. Consisted of group of representatives

appointed by deans from all nineteen universities, who worked collaboratively to create an organizational system.

PassPort cont. An excellent example of how to organize

and house assessment efforts across the College.

Our model will organize and house assessment efforts across the College and be accessible to administrators, faculty members, instructors, and students.

I.V.A.N.

Interactive Video Analysis Neighborhood.

Although not a product of this Design Team, this program is being developed in response to needs identified in the College of Education.

Our group plans to use the software to develop video cases for TE courses.

I.V.A.N. cont.

Will investigate the feasibility of interns using the program to develop their own video cases for assessment purposes.

Charlie Ruggerio is working with Laurence Bates to design the software, using iShell. It is a tool that would be available to instructors to store, edit, and build video clip sequences from digital video for classroom retrieval and use.

Technology Survey

Designed to gain insight about how TE instructors across the four teams self-assessed their use of technology in their university classrooms, their offices, and their home: What technology did they use? How did they use it? How proficient were they in their usage?

Interviews

Interviews were conducted with 3-4 instructors from each team to learn: More about technology

Usage Access How technology supports teaching and

learning Challenges that hinder usage

About Assessment Practices

Collaborations Initiated

With the Office of Technology

With the Teachers for a New Era Project

Recommendations

Adapt and pilot PassPort model Develop and pilot video cases How can these efforts become

part of established and funded workgroups in College: Office of Technology Teachers for a New Era Project

Technology Usage Survey

For Teacher Education Course Instructors at MSU

2002-2003

Step 1: Demographic information is collected.

Step 2: The survey on technology use in the TE course will be answered for the course selected on this page.

Step 3: Selecting all the technologies used in teaching the particular course. In this case TE 401.

Step 4: Information on the use of technology, where it is used, application used, period used for, proficiency level.

Step 5: Information on technology not used is collected. All the technologies not listed in the 3rd step appear on this page.

Step 6: All the required technology information on the course selected in 2nd step is obtained. At this point, the survey can be exited or can be continued for another course listed in the first step.

Interview Summary

Interview Selection Criteria Factors considered

On-line Technology Survey Submitted indicating amount of technology used and how it was used;

Teaches 301, 40X, 80X 3-4 representatives of each TE team Gender University role/position Experience teaching the course Subject matter

Interviewed 13 instructors

Gender Distribution by Team

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1.5

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2.5

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Team 1 Team 2 Team 3 Team 4

MaleFemale

University Role/Position by Team

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Team 1 Team 2 Team 3 Team 4

Graduate Fixed TrmFaculty

Subject Matter by Team

00.20.40.60.8

11.21.41.61.8

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Team 1 Team 2 Team 3 Team 4

LiteracyMath Soc. St.Science

Framework for Analysis of Technology Uses

Bruce and Levin (1997) refer to technologies as "media" to place an emphasis on the learner, on learning processes, and the capacity of technology to connect learners to other people, other technologies and the world. Drawing upon Dewey's (1943) ideas about how humans naturally learn and grow, they developed a taxonomy that categorized technologies as media for inquiry, communication, construction and expression. (Rosaen & Hobson, 2003)

Most Common Uses of Technology

Media for Inquiry, which includes Theory Building (using technology as a

media for thinking Data Access (using technology to

connect to the world of texts, video, data

Data Collection (using technology to extend the senses)

Data Analysis

Most Common Uses of Technology

Media for Communication, which includes Document Preparation Communication (with other students,

teachers, experts in various fields, and people around the world)

Collaborative Media Teaching Media

What’s Missing? There were no reports of using

technology as a media for construction (using control systems like robotics, CAD)

There were no reports of using technology as a media for expression (using drawing and painting programs, music composing and editing programs, etc.)

Media for Inquiry

Instructors report that they use databases, including search engines, and the internet as resources and research tools.

Many instructors used the term “database” and “spreadsheet” interchangeably.

Reported Uses

Databases Calculate grades Construct feedback

forms Data analysis Store information

Spreadsheets Store class

information and records, books and resources

Store and calculate grades

Investigation of number patterns related to algebra and number relationships or data analysis

Media for Communication: Enhanced Productivity

Word Processing“It’s a blessing. I use it for everything!” (#6)

Instructors report that they use WP to develop most course materials.

Instructors expect students to word process formal assignments.

Students make text file in conjunction with case-based video studies (#1)

Editing, “track changes”, features are popular Used to take notes in class, move those notes to

Blackboard, so notes are available to everyone. (#5)

Scanners

Instructors create pdf files of students’ work

Pdf files allow students to access documents without spending money.

Students scan artifacts and add written commentary on their field experiences. (#7)

Presentation Equipment and Software

PowerPoint (PP) Instructionally

integrated to help students see ways to engage peers as well as providing content information. (#2)

Used for presentations of research. (#8)

Students use for presentations in class. (#10, 13)

LCD Projector Used for

presentation of content information and websites (#11)

Used to project video of teaching clips (#13)

Students are able to work on presentation skills. (#12)

Electronic Mail

“I require students to e-mail and many of them use their computers to download and send me papers.” (#2)

Use for reminders, sharing links, documentation, updates for absent students. (#1)

Provides ready access to instructor and each other. (#7)

Students e-mail to certify they have met e-mail requirement (signature file and attachment). (#4)

“I am in closer connection with my students individually with the electronic communication than I was when I didn’t have that.” (#5)

Give feedback to students on assignments. (#11)

Blackboard Posts all class documents to site

including syllabus, announcements, grades and student goals. (#2)

Uses for e-mail between teacher and student; student and student; post discussion comments for reflection assignments. (#2)

Uses for managing course materials (#5)

Conditions that Impact Technology Use

Access to Technology Classroom Allocation Equipment and/or Software

Course Work Priorities Professional Development Time and Technical Support Student Competency

Access and Usage: The Proximity Rule

“ The closer a resource can be located to the person who must use it, the more likely that person is to use it.”

(Waugh & Handler, p. 162)

Access and Use

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NoTech

Tech

TA

FixedTrmFaculty

Teacher Candidates’ access to technology varies greatly according to the position of their instructor, mainly due to classroom allocation.

Examples of Technology Problems for Faculty

Members #5:

“I was once assigned a room without internet access and finagled and the room was changed. I couldn’t function without it.”

#8“I had a SLATE connection in my office until I moved. I have not asked the technician to connect it yet, but I will probably have it connected again because it is really convenient.”

One Example of a second-year Graduate Student

No access to technology in classroom.

“My classroom in the Auditorium building was as small as this one (116B) with 24 students. When an overhead was used, I had to give up seats for 4 students.”

“ I ordered the TV/VCR last semester from the Media center. It was sent to the wrong room, so I had to find the secretary to unlock the wrong room, and get the TV out. I did not have a great experience with the media department.”

“I reserved 130 for technology teaching, and found that not all the computers worked, so several students had to go to 133. So I had to go back and forth to support both groups.”

What’s the problem? Just order from the media

center! #4 (TA)“ I ordered the TV/VCR

last semester from the Media center. It was sent to the wrong room, so I had to find the secretary to unlock the wrong room, get the TV out. I did not have a great experience with the media department.”

#2 (TA)

“When the portable was brought into class and set up by the tech assistant, they put it on black screen, but didn’t show me how to get it off before they left.”

So, reserve the computer lab! #6 (Fixed Term) “Also, when

requesting a lab, you have to assume that you are going to be at that spot in your lesson plans to use it on that day, and you may not be. You’re sunk if you are at a different place in your plans.”

#4 (TA) “I reserved 130 for

technology teaching, and found that not all the computers worked, so several students had to go to 133. So I had to go back and forth to support both groups.”

“Lack of resources is challenging” (#13)

Many instructors (11/13) reported the lack of access to technology as impacting them personally, but did not talk specifically of the impact on teacher candidates.

What is the impact on students?

Technology is not integrated into normal classroom activities.

Authentic uses are not able to be modeled.

“TE students are lacking basic technological knowledge.” (#10)

Implications Students who have faculty instructors have

greater access to technology than those who have TAs, due to room allocation.

Software is available to faculty members based on funding sources. TAs have no funding source. 2 of the 3 faculty members referred to software that they routinely use for web page construction and with their students that is not readily available to TAs.

Course Work Priorities Many instructors incorporate

computer-based activities aimed primarily at teaching teacher candidates how to use technology.

Some feel that technology requirements drive curriculum in some courses.

Some question if teaching technology takes time away from teaching content.

Professional Development Instructors report that they want to

learn more about Using the LCD projector; Webpage Development; Using the “track changes” features of

editing; PowerPoint software; Discussion Forums; and Blackboard.

Time and Technical Support

“I need time and access to support targeted to my needs.”

(#5)

In Summary The interviewees were open to being

interviewed about their technology usage, access and the challenges that they face.

They are looking for ways to integrate more technology into their classrooms and are asking for more technology-ready classrooms in which to teach the next generation of teachers.

References Bruce, B. C. & Levin, J. (1997). Educational technology: Media for inquiry,

communication, construction, and expression. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 17(1), 79 - 102.

Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and education. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.

Rosaen, C. & Hobson, S. (2003) Infusing Technology in Teacher Education: How Does Learning Guide Design? Forthcoming

Waugh, M, & Handler, M. (1997). Preparing Teachers to Teach with Technology: The Costs and Benefits of Developing an Electronic Community of Learners. In K. Westbrook(Ed.), Technology and the Educational Workplace: Understanding Fiscal Impacts, Eighteenth Annual Yearbook of the American Education Finance Association, (pp.150-174). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, Inc.