Feedback & Assessment

Dr. Jennifer Sparrow EDUCAUSE 2012

Dr. Teggin Summers November 6, 2012

Dr. Marc Zaldivar Denver, CO

Overview

• Feedback as a mode of learning

• Assessment as form of feedback

• Outcomes-based assessment of learning

• Programmatic Assessment

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Feedback enhances learning

• Provides a process-centered framework for

learning rather than an object-centered

• Makes learning shared and contextual.

Feedback could come from…

• Fellow students

• Instructors and Advisors

• Mentors, peers and other students

• Working Professionals

• Structured feedback (e.g., via

rubrics)provides meaningful, contextual

information to the learner.3

Assessment as feedback• Assessment, in this way, can be seen as

formal feedback. Its goals can be many and

layered:

• Self-assessment: the learner better understanding

his/her own learning process through systematic

feedback on the learning process.

• Course-based assessment: the learner better

understanding particular content/curricular

information through assessment of learning

activities

• Programmatic-based assessment: the program

better understanding the curricular environment

and seeking to improve the educational

experience.4

Programmatic Assessment at

Virginia Tech• Federal Government

• Voluntary System of Accountability (VSA)

• Southern Association of Colleges and

Schools (SACS)

• Professional Accrediting Agencies

• State Council of Higher Education for Virginia

(SCHEV)

• VT Strategic Plan

But why do we do this?

• What is the best indicator of the effectiveness of an educational program?

• Could it be (should it be) what students have learned while being enrolled in the program?

• The process of student learning outcomes assessment helps us to be sure students are learning what we expect them to learn.

• “Assessment is a systematic way of paying attention to our curriculum.” – Metz

What is The Process for Assessing

Student Learning Outcomes?

2. Gather and Analyze

Information About

Student

Achievement

Of Outcomes

3. Use Information

Gathered

To Improve

Student Learning

1. Identify

And Articulate

Student

Learning

Outcomes

What is The Process for Assessing

Student Learning Outcomes?

2. Gather and Analyze

Information

3. Use Information

1. Identify

And Articulate

SLOs

Example:

Ability to

read critically

and compose

an effective

analysis of a

literary text

Example:

Upload a critical

analysis from

English 2604

Introduction to

Critical Reading

to your ePortfolio.

Example: The assessment team rated 33 randomly selected critical essays pulled from the

required ePortfolios. 88% of the papers were given an overall rating of Competent or better, thus

exceeding the Achievement Target. Even so, a handful of papers were given lower ratings than

we would like. The teachers met to discuss the unsatisfactory essays and made changes to the

subsequent assignment for the coming year.

Hallmarks of the “new

assessment”

• Before:• Externally mandated

• Delegated to the unfortunate few

• Read?

• Shelved

• Students essentially not involved or impacted

• After:

• Substantial, broad-based effort and engagement

• Reflection, conflict, compromise, consensus

• Students as partners

Conclusions and Take-aways

• Feedback is a critical part of ePortfolio-based

activities, because it

• Enhances reflection

• Foregrounds educational process

• Shares learning, up and down the scale

• Assessment is a systematic way of providing

feedback on specific learning outcomes.

• Again, this assessment is an extension of learning

for, and about, our students.

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