Assessment in a competency-based classroom can be either formative or summative.
Assessing students' development, especially in a hands-on lab setting, is crucial to the success of their instruction. Using a grading rubric and constructive feedback will help students
In my experience with assessments in the shop setting, I have found that rubrics tend to be the best fit. Many students can use the rubric to self evaluate their work and their progress through the project while also using it as a "to do list" so to say to assist them with what to complete and when.
I feel like there is a time and place for all forms of assessment in the class. The trick is knowing how and when to utilize them.
Evaluating student competency and progress is difficult in the lab environment. A rubric can be helpful in identifying learning strengths and deficits as well as help students prepare for lab by gaining a clear understanding of the objectives.
Being a clinical instructor is so different from being a solely didactic instructor. There is a whole separate skill set to develop when encouraging, promoting, providing and evaluating student learning, versus that of classroom learning.
As a welding instructor a rubric is nice to have as the students don't understand welding code but that is my standard for them passing a weld test. And testing often is my way of assessment.
Using the rubric provides a ton of guidance when evaluating each students performance. It does allow for much margin of error.
Instructors are to reinforce to students the importance of adhering to following the rubric. I've noticed often students don't look at the rubric or only use the parts they are willing to address in assignments. When they get low scores, they are angry.
Comment on Omar Muneeb's post:
The rubric is a great tool for assessing knowledge students can apply to real-life experiences.
Rubrics can be helpful, but sometimes a more open ended approach is needed.
Evaluating student progress takes time!
Have multiple areas (problem solving, factual knowledge, technical skills, attitude) to assess our students is so important, and honestly fair to the student. Some are plagued by performance nerves, some by test anxiety, it doesnt mean they wont be a great clinician or be a value to the field.
Emphasize Lab safety by showing "What NOT to do" videos.
Comment on Laura Hogins's post: yes we use the ruburic
The best test for competency is to ask the students critical thinking questions.
How to grade my students labs
An effective assessment should cover all the 3 domains of cognitive, affective and psychomotor. Lab assessments can be tough, as it can be time consuming as well as exhausting. Competency assessment tests performance more than the knowledge and we should make sure that we assess all the 3 following: 1. foundation skills, 2. technical skills, 3. professional skills. Rubric is an important tool and can help in better assessment.
In the course I teach, it requires constant evaluation, because the students are applying skills learned while performing what they have learned. The grading Rubic is a good for the student to see what the grading differences are and how to improve.
I can not agree more with Mr. Taylor
The instructor / teacher needs complete control and total understanding of the resources and task in the lab. If not no grading box chart in the world will help students get the proper feedback about their skills.
