Assessment Overview Formatted

ASSESSING STUDENT UNDERSTANDING IN SCIENCEThe last focus area we are going to address in depth this year is the notion of assessing

student understanding of science, and how this process relates to the instructional efforts of

the teacher. Before we get into details of this process, we need to address some broad

considerations about assessment, so that we have a common understanding of what we

want or need to address. The notes on the following pages accompany the presentations

around this issue.

Assessment vs. Grading One of the difficulties in thinking about assessment is that teachers and students so often

confuse the concept with grading. Assessment needs to be viewed as an on-going process

intended to further our students’ learning and understanding of the desired materials.

Grading is not such a process, considering the way it is used in most classrooms. If we are to

assess our students’ learning in order to determine whether or not they are meeting

educational or other objectives within the class, we must evaluate their learning at a variety

of stages along the way, as opposed to a final, cumulative, all-or-nothing process. The

underlying assumption that goes with this definition of assessment is that we are doing this

to better assist our students in learning and understanding the concepts and principles we

are teaching in our classrooms.

Assessment GradesFormative SummativeDiagnostic FinalPrivate to student and assessor Part of administrative recordNon-judgmental JudgmentalSpecific GeneralSubtext and process specific Text and Information specificGoal Directed Content drivenFocus is on learning Focus is on “counting” or discipline

Purposes of Assessment When examining the types of assessment we use within our classrooms, we need to

determine the purpose of the assessment and whether or not it is properly assessing the

learning objective of the student. When this is not done, it often causes misunderstanding

and anxiety on the part of the student, both toward the class and the teacher. When

determining a method of assessment, one should ask the following questions:

1. What tools are we already using?

MMSTLC Science Resources - Assessing Student Understanding 1

2. How are we using the results?

3. How are we reporting the results?

4. To whom are we reporting?

5. What school proficiencies (goals) are being measured by the results?

6. What are the relative strengths of the process?

7. What are the weaknesses?

8. What should we do to better achieve our purposes?

Once these questions are asked by educators of their own classroom and school, it is much

easier to determine appropriate methods of assessment for the actual instructional goals of

the class.

To focus student learning:

1.To inform and guide students as to what they have learned and to suggest what they need

to learn so they can adequately manage the direction of their own work.

2. To inform and guide parents for the same reasons.


To focus teaching:

3.To inform day-to-day teaching so that teachers can adjust lesson plans to meet student

needs.

4.To evaluate teaching effects and the usefulness of their teaching strategies and methods

employed in the classroom.

To improve systems:

5.To determine special services that might be required to assist students.

6.To evaluate systems which run the school.

7.To evaluate the curriculum as a whole, and make necessary adjustments to accommodate

student needs.

To influence policy and planning:

8.To inform school boards and larger decision making bodies of the programs and evaluate

their needs.

9.To inform the public of the quality of educational programs in their schools.

Classroom Assessment For a broad definition, we consider assessment as “the process of collecting, synthesizing,

and interpreting information to aid classroom decision-making” (Airasian, 1996).

Assessments must match the content taught in order for the students to demonstrate what

they have learned. Effective assessments address the learning objectives and the

instructional emphasis when they are designed and implemented. Assessments should

never include topics or objectives not taught to the students. Also, assessments can never

appraise everything that students learn in class; they can only estimate what students have

learned by sampling tasks from a much larger possible range of tasks. Ideally, we, as

teachers, try to address this limitation by giving students several opportunities to show what

they have learned through different media (e.g., answering tests and quiz items, completing

student sheets, collaborating in groups, presenting projects), and at different points during

the course of study, so that we get a broader view of the student’s understanding of the

concepts and skills, rather than a mere snapshot on what might be a bad day for the

student.

During the process of learning science through inquiry in our classrooms, there are many

opportunities to assess student understanding. Assessment can include formal and informal

assessments. Formal assessments examine products such as written or oral responses

(Pellegrino, 2001). These might include tests, quizzes, artifacts, investigations, student

sheets, and presentations, among other, tangible things. According to Pellegrino informal


assessments are “intuitive, often sub-conscious, reasoning teachers carry out everyday in

classrooms.” These might include checks for student understanding like classroom

questioning and assessment conversations. These informal assessments are more based on

habits of mind from the teacher, as well as their abilities as observers of learners.

Ideally, all of the assessments a teacher or school may conduct with students are formative

in nature. According to Black and William (1998) formative assessments encompass all

those activities undertaken by teachers, and/or by their students, that provide information

to be used as feedback to modify the teaching and learning activities in which they are

engaged. The feedback component of assessments is critical. However, many assessments

have to be summative in nature in order to measure what students have learned at the end

of some set of learning activities and to assign a grade.

Classroom assessment may look at various “grain sizes” for teachers to better understand

their students’ knowledge and depth of understanding of the content, processes and skills of

science. Some assessments might allow the teacher to get a glimpse into the individual

thoughts of students and to be able to respond to each to address their learning needs.

Others might provide a broader view of the general understanding of small groups, or the

class as a whole. Either way, when a teacher develops and uses an assessment, they need

to be ready to analyze the work or responses of the student so that they can utilize this

information to better craft their own instruction. As a result, the teacher needs to look at a

variety of factors within the design of the individual assessment. These might include the

type of learning desired, the nature of the understanding of the content (and its place

relative to the learning goals of the classroom), the prior knowledge or skills a student

might have to address a particular topic or task, and the ways in which the student

communicates their knowledge to others. As we focus on the design of assessments,

we’ll look at each of these categories.

Types of Learning There is more than one type of learning. A committee of colleges, led by Benjamin Bloom,

identified three domains of educational activities:

• Cognitive: mental skills (Knowledge)

• Affective: growth in feelings or emotional areas (Attitude)

• Psychomotor: manual or physical skills (Skills)

Since the work was produced by higher education, the words tend to be a little bigger than

we normally use. Domains can be thought of as categories. Trainers often refer to these

three domains as KSA (Knowledge, Skills, and Attitude). This taxonomy of learning behaviors


can be thought of as "the goals of the instructional process." That is, after some amount of

instruction, the student should have acquired new skills, knowledge, and/or attitudes.

The committee also produced an elaborate compilation for the cognitive and affective

domains, but none for the psychomotor domain. This compilation divides the three domains

into subdivisions, starting from the simplest behavior to the most complex. The divisions

outlined are not absolutes and there are other systems or hierarchies that have been

devised in the educational and training world. However, Bloom's taxonomy is easily

understood and is probably the most widely applied one in use today.

Cognitive

The cognitive domain involves knowledge and the development of intellectual skills. This

includes the recall or recognition of specific facts, procedural patterns, and concepts that

serve in the development

of intellectual abilities and

skills. There are six major

categories, which are listed in

order below, starting from the

simplest behavior to the most

complex. The categories can

be thought of as degrees of

difficulties. That is, the first

one must be mastered before

the next one can take place.

The diagram, shown at right,

helps illustrate these levels.

The text that follows provides

some insight into the types of

tasks or assessments we use,

and what kind of language we use to ask students to do

these tasks.

Cognitive Level (Description)

Examples of a Task

Key Words and Directions

Knowledge: Recall data or Recite a policy. Quote prices defines, describes, identifies,


information. from memory to a customer. Knows the safety rules.

knows, labels, lists, matches, names, outlines, recalls, recognizes, reproduces, selects, states

Comprehension: Understand the meaning, translation, interpolation, and interpretation of instructions and problems. State a problem in one's own words

Rewrites the principles of test writing. Explain in one’s own words the steps for performing a complex task. Translates an equation into

comprehends, converts, defends, distinguishes, estimates, explains, extends, generalizes, gives. Examples, infers, interprets, paraphrases, predicts, rewrites, summarizes, translates.

Application: Use a concept in a new situation or unprompted use of an abstraction. Applies what was learned in the classroom into novel situations in the work place.

Use a manual to calculate an employee’s vacation time. Apply laws of statistics to evaluate the reliability of a written test.

applies, changes, computes, constructs, demonstrates, discovers, manipulates, modifies, operates, predicts, prepares, produces, relates, shows, solves, uses.

Analysis: Separates material or concepts into component parts so that its organizational structure may be understood. Distinguishes between facts and inferences.

Troubleshoot a piece of equipment by using logical deduction. Recognize logical fallacies in reasoning. Gathers information from a department and selects the required tasks for training.

analyzes, breaks down, compares, contrasts, diagrams, deconstructs, differentiates, discriminates, distinguishes, identifies, illustrates, infers, outlines, relates, selects, separates.

Synthesis: Builds a structure or pattern from diverse elements. Put parts together to form a whole, with emphasis on creating a new meaning or structure.

Write a company operations or process manual. Design a machine to perform a specific task. Integrates training from several sources to solve a problem. Revises and process to improve the outcome.

categorizes, combines, compiles, composes, creates, devises, designs, explains, generates, modifies, organizes, plans, rearranges, reconstructs, relates, reorganizes, revises, rewrites, summarizes, tells, writes.

Evaluation: Make judgments about the value of ideas or materials.

Select the most effective solution. Hire the most qualified candidate. Explain and justify a new budget.

appraises, compares, concludes, contrasts, criticizes, critiques, defends, describes, discriminates, evaluates, explains, interprets, justifies, relates, summarizes, supports.

Affective

The affective domain addresses the manner in which we deal with things emotionally, such

as feelings, values, appreciation, enthusiasm, motivation, and attitudes. There are numerous

organizing categories for this domain, but the most commonly used is listed on the next

page. Like the cognitive domain, these build upon each other, with the first being the

simplest and building to the most complex.


While the affective domain is often diminished or ignored in curriculum design or instruction,

we need to consider these categories, as they are often barriers to engagement for

students, and can not only limit their ability to build cognitive understanding of science, but

also affect the effort and value a student may place on science or education in the future.

We know, for instance, that middle school is generally the first time that students fully

express frustration and lack of satisfaction in their learning of mathematics and science.

Psychomotor

The psychomotor domain includes physical movement, coordination, and the use of motor-

skill areas. Development of these skills requires practice and is measured in terms of speed,

precision, distance, procedures, or techniques in execution. The table on page 8 highlights

these categories from simplest to most complex.

While these abilities may often seem to be more of an issue in the early grades of school

(pre-adolescent children), they are still developing through adulthood, and are enhanced

with practice. In science instruction, it is often crucial to include tasks that develop these

skills when considering the many measurement and experimentation activities that are

typically done in the sciences.

References Bloom B. S. (1956). Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Handbook I: The Cognitive Domain.

New York: David McKay Co Inc.

Dave, R. H. (1975). Developing and Writing Behavioral Objectives. (R J Armstrong, ed.) Educational Innovators Press.

Harrow, Anita (1972) A Taxonomy of Psychomotor Domain: A Guide for Developing Behavioral Objectives. New York: David McKay.

Krathwohl, D. R., Bloom, B. S., & Bertram, B. M. (1973). Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, The Classification of Educational Goals. Handbook II: Affective Domain. New York: David McKay Co., Inc.

Simpson E. J. (1972). The Classification of Educational Objectives in the Psychomotor Domain. Washington, DC: Gryphon House.


Affective Domain Levels

Affective Category

(Description)

Examples of a Task

Key Words and

Directions

Receiving Phenomena: Awareness, willingness to hear, selected attention

Listen to others with respect. Listen for and remember the name of newly introduced people.

asks, chooses, describes, follows, gives, holds, identifies, locates, names, points to, selects, sits, erects, replies, uses.

Responding to Phenomena: Active participation for students. The student attends and reacts to specific phenomena. Learning outcomes focus on compliance in responding, willingness to respond, and satisfaction in responding (motivation).

Participates in class discussions. Gives a presentation. Questions new ideals, concepts, models, etc. in order to fully understand them. Knows and practices safety rules.

answers, assists, aids, complies, conforms, discusses, greets, helps, labels, performs, practices, presents, reads, recites, reports, selects, tells, writes.

Valuing: The worth a person attaches to an object, phenomenon, or behavior. Ranges from acceptance to commitment. Based on how a person internalizes a set of specific values. Clues to these are expressed in the student’s behavior

Demonstrates belief in the democratic process. Sensitive toward individual and group differences. Shows the ability to solve problems in social interaction. Proposes a plan to social improvement and follows through.

completes, demonstrates, differentiates, explains, follows, forms, initiates, invites, joins, justifies, proposes, reads, reports, selects, shares, studies, works

Organization: Organizes values into priorities by contrasting different values, resolving conflicts between them, and creating a unique value system. Emphasis is on comparing, relating, and synthesizing values.

Recognizes the need for balance between freedom and responsible behavior. Accepts responsibility for one’s behavior. Explains the role of systematic planning in solving problems. Accepts professional ethical standards. Prioritizes time effectively to meet the needs of the organization, family, and self.

adheres, alters, arranges, combines, compares, completes, defends, explains, formulates, generalizes, identifies, integrates, modifies, orders, organizes, prepares, relates, synthesizes

Internalizing Values: Has a value system that controls behavior. Behavior is pervasive, consistent, predictable, and most importantly, characteristic of the student. Instructional objectives for this level are

Shows self-reliance when working independently. Cooperates in group activities (displays teamwork). Uses an objective approach in problem solving. Revises judgments and changes behavior in light of

acts, discriminates, displays, influences, listens, modifies, performs, practices, proposes, qualifies, questions, revises, serves, solves, verifies


concerned with student’s patterns of adjustment (personal, social, emotional)

new evidence. Values people for what they are, not how they look.


Psychomotor Domain Levels

Skill Level (Description)

Examples of a Task

Key Words and Directions

Perception: Ability to use sensory cures to guide motor activity. Ranges from sensory stimulation to translation.

Detects non-verbal communication cues. Estimate where a ball will land after it is thrown and the move to the correct location to catch the ball. Adjusts heat of stove to correct temperature by smell and taste of food.

chooses, describes, detects, differentiates, distinguishes, identifies, isolates, relates, selects

Set: Readiness to act. In includes mental, physical, and emotional sets. These sets are dispositions that predetermine a person’s response to different situations (i.e. “mindsets”).

Knows and acts upon a sequence of steps in creating an object. Recognizes abilities and limitations. Shows desire to learn a new process.

begins, displays, explains, moves, proceeds, reacts, shows, states, volunteers

Guided Response: Early stage in learning a complex skill that includes imitation and trial and error. Adequacy is achieved by practice.

Performs a mathematical equation as demonstrated. Follows instructions to build a model.

copies, traces, follows, reacts, reproduce, responds

Mechanism: Intermediate stage of learning a complex skill. Learned responses are habitual and movements performed with confidence and proficiency.

Uses a personal computer. Repair a leaking faucet. Drive a car.

assembles, builds, calibrates, constructs, dismantles, displays, fastens, fixes, grinds, heats, manipulates, measures, mends, mixes, organizes, sketches (Note: key words are the same for mechanism complex overt response, but for the latter, adverbs or adjectives indicate performance - i.e. quicker, better, more accurate, etc.

Complex Overt Response: Skillful performance of motor acts involving complex movement patters. Quick, accurate and highly coordinated performance with minimum energy show proficiency. Generally automatic performance

Maneuver a car into a tight parallel parking spot. Operate a computer quickly and accurately. Display competence while playing the piano.

Adaptation: Skills are well developed and the individual can modify movement patterns to fit specific requirements.

Respond effectively to unexpected experiences. Modify instruction to meet the needs of the learners. Perform a task with a machine that it was not intended to do.

adapts, alters, changes, rearranges, reorganizes, revises, varies.

Origination: Creating new movement patterns to fit a

Constructs a new theory. Develops a new and

arranges, builds, combines, composes, constructs,


particular situation or specific problem. Learning outcomes emphasize creativity based on highly developed skills.

comprehensive training program. Creates a new dance or gymnastic routine.

creates, designs, initiates, makes, originates.


Techniques for Assessing Course-Related Knowledge and Skills

Assessing Prior Knowledge, Recall, and Understanding

Background Knowledge Probe - Short, simple questionnaires prepared by instructors

for use at the beginning of a course, at the start of a new unit or lesson, or prior to

introducing an important new topic. Used to help teachers determine the most effective

starting point for a given lesson and the most appropriate level at which to begin new

instruction.

Focused Listing - Focuses students' attention on a single important term, name, or

concept from a particular lesson or class session and directs them to list several ideas

that are closely related to that "focus point." Used to determine what learners recall as

the most important points related to a particular topic.

Misconception/Preconception Check - Technique used for gathering information on

prior knowledge or beliefs that may hinder or block further learning.

Empty Outlines - The instructor provides students with an empty or partially completed

outline of an in-class presentation or homework assignment and gives them a limited

amount of time to fill in the blank spaces. Used to help faculty find out how well students

have "caught" the important points of a lecture, reading, or audiovisual presentation.

Memory Matrix - A simple two-dimensional diagram, a rectangle divided into rows and

columns used to organize information and illustrate relationships. Assesses students'

recall of important course content and their skill at quickly organizing that information

into categories provided by the instructor.

Minute Paper - Instructor asks students to respond in two or three minutes to either of

the following questions: "What was the most important thing you learned during this

class? or "What important questions remains unanswered?" Used to provide a quick and

extremely simple way to collect written feedback on student learning.

Muddiest Point - Technique consists of asking students to jot down a quick response to

one question: "What was the muddiest point in?" with the focus on the lecture, a

discussion, a homework assignment, a play, or a film. Used to provide information on

what students find least clear or most confusing about a particular lesson or topic.


Assessing Skill in Analysis and Critical Thinking

Categorizing Grid - Students sort information into appropriate conceptual categories.

This provides faculty with feedback to determine quickly whether, how, and how well

students understand "what goes with what."

Defining Features Matrix - Students are required to categorize concepts according to

the presence (+) or absence (-) of important defining features. This provides data on

their analytic reading and thinking skills.

Pro and Con Grid - Students list pros and cons of an issue. This provides information on

the depth and breadth of a student's ability to analyze and on their capacity for

objectivity.

Content, Form, and Function Outlines - Students analyze the "what" (content),

"how" (form), and "why" (function) of a particular message. This technique elicits

information on the students' skills at separating and analyzing the informational content,

the form, and the communicative function of a lesson or message.

Analytic Memos - Students write a one- or two-page analysis of a specific problem or

issue. Used to assess students' skill at communicating their analyses in a clear and

concise manner.

Assessing Skill in Syntheses and Critical Thinking

One-Sentence Summary - Students answer the questions "Who does what to whom,

when, where, how, and why?" about a given topic, and then synthesize those answers

into a single informative, grammatical, and long summary sentence.

Word Journal - Students first summarize a short text in a single word, and second, the

student writes a paragraph or two explaining why he chose that particular word to

summarize the text. This technique helps faculty assess and improve the students'

ability to read carefully and deeply and the students' skill at explaining and defending, in

just a few more words, their choice for a single summary word.

Approximate Analogies - Students complete the second half of an analogy for which

the instructor has supplied the first half. This allows teachers to find out whether their

students understand the relationship between the two concepts or terms given as the

first part of the analogy.

Concept Maps - Drawings or diagrams showing the mental connections that students

make between a major concept the instructor focuses on and other concepts they have

learned. This provides an observable and assessable record of the students' conceptual

schema-the patterns of associations they make in relation to a given focal concept.


Invented Dialogues - Students synthesize their knowledge of issues, personalities, and

historical periods into the form of a carefully structured, illustrative conversation. This

provides information on students' ability to capture the essence of other people's

personalities and styles of expression - as well as on their understanding of theories,

controversies, and the opinions of others.

Annotated Portfolios - Contain a very limited number of selected examples of a

student's creative work, supplemented by the student's own commentary on the

significance of those examples.

Assessing Skill in Problem Solving

Problem Recognition Tasks - Students are provided with a few examples of common

problem types and are asked to recognize and identify the particular type of problem

each example represents. Faculty is able to assess how well students can recognize

various problem types, the first step in matching problem type to solution method.

What's the Principle? - Students are provided with a few problems and are asked to

state the principle that best applies to each problem. Instructors assess students' ability

to associate specific problems with the general principles used to solve them.

Documented Problem Solutions - Prompts students to keep track of the steps they

take in solving a problem. This assesses how students solve problems and how well

students understand and can describe their problem-solving methods.

Audio- and Videotaped Protocols - Students are recorded talking and working

through the process of solving a problem. Faculty assess in detail how and how well

students solve problems.

Assessing Skill in Application and Performance

Directed Paraphrasing - Students paraphrase part of a lesson for a specific audience

and purpose, using their own words. Feedback is provided on students' ability to

summarize and restate important information or concepts in their own words; it allows

faculty to assess how well students have understood and internalized that learning.

Applications Cards - Students write down at least one possible, real-world application

for an important principle, generalization, theory, or procedure that they just learned.

This lets faculty know how well students understand the possible applications of what

students have learned.

Student-Generated Test Questions - Students are asked to develop test questions

from material they have been taught. Teachers see what their students consider the


most important or memorable content, what they understand as fair and useful test

questions, and how well they can answer the questions they have posed.

Human Tableau or Class Modeling - Groups of students create "living" scenes or

model processes to show what they know. Students demonstrate their ability to apply

what they know by performing it.

Paper or Project Prospectus - A prospectus is a brief, structured first-draft plan for a

term paper or term project. The Paper Prospectus prompts students to thin through

elements of the assignment, such as the topic, purpose, intended audience, major

questions to be answered, basic organization, and time and resources required. The

Project Prospectus focuses on tasks to be accomplished, skills to be improved, and

products to be developed.

Techniques for Assessing LearnerAttitudes, Values, and Self-Awareness

Assessing Students' Awareness of Their Attitudes and Values

Classroom Opinion Polls - Students are asked to raise their hands to indicate

agreement or disagreement with a particular statement. Faculty discover student

opinions about course-related issues.

Double-Entry Journals - Students begin by noting the ideas, assertions, and arguments

in their assigned course readings they find most meaningful and/or controversial. The

second entry explains the personal significance of the passage selected and responds to

that passage. Detailed feedback is provided on how students read, analyze, and respond

to assigned texts.

Profiles of Admirable Individuals - Students are required to write a brief, focused

profile of an individual, in a field related to the course, whose values, skills, or actions

they greatly admire. This technique helps faculty understand the images and values

students associate with the best practice and practitioners in the discipline under study.

Everyday Ethical Dilemmas - Students are presented with an abbreviated case study

that poses an ethical problem related to the discipline or profession they are studying

and must respond briefly and anonymously to these cases. Students identify, clarify, and

connect their values by responding to course-related issues and problems that they are

likely to encounter. Faculty get honest reactions and information on what students'

values are and how they apply them to realistic dilemmas.

Course-Related Self-Confidence Surveys - Students answer a few simple questions

aimed at getting a rough measure of the students' self-confidence in relation to a


specific skill or ability. Faculty assess their students' level of confidence in their ability to

learn the relevant skills and material and can more effectively structure assignments

that will build confidence in relation to specific tasks.

Assessing Students' Self-Awareness as Learners

Focused Autobiographical Sketches - Students are directed to write a one- or two-

page autobiographical sketch focused on a single successful learning experience in their

past - an experience relevant to learning in the particular course in which the

assessment technique is used. This provides information for the students' self-concept

and self- awareness as learners within a specific field.

Interest/Knowledge/Skills Checklist - Students rate their interest in various topics,

and assess their levels of skill or knowledge in those topics, by indicating the appropriate

responses on a checklist, which has been created by the teacher. These checklists inform

teachers of their students' level of interest in course topics and their assessment of the

skills and knowledge needed for and/or developed through the course.

Goal Ranking and Matching - Students list a few learning goals they hope to achieve

through the course and rank the relative importance of those goals. This assesses the

"degree of fit" between the students' personal learning goals and teachers' course-

specific instructional goals, and between the teachers' and students' ranking of the

relative importance and difficulty of the goals.

Self-Assessment of Ways of Learning - Students describe their general approaches

to learning, or their learning styles, by comparing themselves with several different

profiles and choosing those that, in their opinion, most closely resemble them. This

provides teachers with a simple way to assess students' learning styles or preferences

for ways of learning.

Assessing Course-Related Learning and Study Skills, Strategies, and Behaviors

Productive Study-Time Logs - Students keep a record of how much time they spend

studying for a particular class, when they study, and how productively they study at

various times of the day or night. This allows faculty to assess the amount and quality of

out-of-class time all their students are spending preparing for class, and to share that

information with students.

Punctuated Lectures - Students and teachers go through five steps: listen, stop,

reflect, write, and give feedback. Students listen to lecture. The teacher stops the action

and students reflect on what they were doing during the presentation and how their

behavior while listening may have helped or hindered their understanding of that


information. They then write down any insights they have gained and they give feedback

to the teacher in the form of short, anonymous notes. This technique provides

immediate, on-the-spot feedback on how students are learning from a lecture or

demonstration and lets teachers and students know what may be distracting. And

students are encouraged to become self-monitoring listeners, and in the process, more

aware and more effective learners.

Process Analysis - Students keep records of the actual steps they take in carrying out a

representative assignment and comment on the conclusions they draw about their

approaches to that assignment. This technique gives students and teachers explicit,

detailed information on the ways in which students carry out assignments and shows

faculty which elements of the process are most difficult for students and, consequently,

where teachers need to offer more instruction and direction.

Diagnostic Learning Logs - Students keep records of each class or assignment and

write one list of the main points covered that they understood and a second list of points

that were unclear. Faculty are provided with information and insight into their students'

awareness of and skill at identifying their own strengths and weaknesses as learners.

Techniques for Assessing Learner Reactions for Instruction

Assessing Learner Reactions to Teachers and Teaching

Chain Notes - Students write immediate, spontaneous reactions to questions given by

the teacher while the class is in progress. This feedback gives the teacher a "sounding"

of the students' level of engagement and involvement during lecture.

Electronic Mail Feedback - Students respond anonymously by E-mail to a question

posed by the teacher to the class. This provides a simple, immediate channel through

which faculty can pose questions about the class and students can respond to them.

Teacher-Designed Feedback Forms - Students answer questions on feedback forms

which contain anywhere from three to seven questions in multiple-choice, Likert-scale, or

short fill-in answer formats. These forms allow faculty to quickly and easily analyze data

and use the results to make informed and timely adjustments in their teaching.

ReferencesAngelo, Thomas A. and Cross, K. Patricia. Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook

for College Teachers. Jossey-Bass, Inc.; 1993. Axelrod, Valija M., and Hedges, Lowell E. Assessing Learning. Instructional Materials Laboratory; 1995.


Halpern and Associates. Changing College Classrooms: New Teaching and Learning

Strategies for an Increasingly Complex World. Jossey-Bass, Inc.; 1994, San Francisco, CA.

Hilgerson, Karin M. Achieving Equity and Excellence Through Improved Assessment. Oregon

School Study Council; April 1994.

Sandifer, Everette Jr. Evaluating and Recording Student Achievement in Education. Appalachian Regional Commission; May 1981.
