Robin ,
Great post! You are right, the assessment should reflect the outcomes. To ensure mastery of a subject; multiple assessment must be done. I think we think when we give a test, that we are done. That test may only tell one side of a "story" .
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Hi,
If the majority of the students fail a test, I think as an instructor, I need to go back and reflect on each question that was on the test to make sure it was covered the way it is supposed to. I cannot jump and blame the students for everything neither.
Elizabeth
Elizabeth,
You make a great point. It does surprise me that many instructors see assessments as a one way street pointing to learners. We have responsibility too. Great post!
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
1) How they student work demonstrates mastery of the course objectives and 2) how they student demonstrates their ability to use what was taught.
I am not interested in a student memorizing facts and matching them in a multiple choice environment. I want to see understanding and application to know transfer of learning has taken place.
When conducting summative assessment, the two most important things to consider are: 1) Identify/determine the learning objective(s) and 2) Determine how congruent the formative feedbacks relate to the learning objectives.
Dr. Eileen ,
True as long as it fits the outcomes established in the course.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Augustine,
That is correct. You do have to make sure there is alignment both with the outcomes and to make sure the assessment measures what it should measure
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Hello,
The following items are important to consider when conducting summative assessments:
1. Did the student grasp the section objectives? Was the instructor successful in teaching the students the objectives? It is important that the assessment provide a good review of the material that was covered to ensure that the objectives are fully understood.
2. Does the assessment make a link between the classroom knowledge to real world applications? The assessment should make a clear link to real world applications and how the material will be used in the workforce.
Warm Regards,
Annabel
Annabel,
I agree with you. You should be able to determine if there are gaps that need to be addressed in course review .
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
When conducting summative assessments it is important to consider the relationship between the assessment and the information taught. Is the tool appropriately assessing the knowledge gained by the students during the course. Secondly, what is the assessment's focus? Is it spanning Blooms levels or purposed for only recall.
Jerri,
I agree with you. If your objectives of the course are low level Bloom's them that is what you assess. You don't have to use all of Bloom's you want to make sure that course wise the levels you use fit the materials.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
The two most important things that I think should be considered are the learning objectives from both the instructor and the student point of view. Were they obtained and if not what can be change so that there is a better understanding. Next would be the barriers of the course.
Both the instructor and the student see the course in very different perspectives and we have to take them both into consideration
They should be looked at from both the course objective view and the students view and if they met the course outcomes.
Dr. Wilkinson,
When conducting summative assessments, I believe that the two most important things to consider are:
1. Accurate understanding of the objectives of the assessment from both the instructor and the students.
2. Evaluation of both teaching and learning depending on the results of the assessment.
-Khal
Sarah,
Interesting statement, ". . . learning objectives form both the instructor and the student point of view." There is a difference. We have different interpretation of the output of the outcomes (objectives). We really have to include both groups and we don't always do that.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Jennifer,
The Assessments? What about output or data to interpret?
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Khal,
What a powerful post! Both of your items to consider are so important. Those items are the purpose of summative assessment.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
When conducting summative assessments, it is important to consider how the material was taught and the intended objectives. A lot of times, the intended objective, teaching, and assessment are not properly aligned. Consequently, students do not do well. This is the reason so many students fail state and national assessments. And quite honestly, I believe that teachers should receive extensive training or master degrees in curriculum design so they understand how to align objectives, teaching, and assessment.
Erica,
What a fabulous quote. We were just talking about the problems with improper alignment. We have to make sure our colleagues know the importance and purpose of the alignment.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Students’ should be able to understand an assigned essay topic by summarizing research article (s) and providing detail examples to support the topic which they will be able to recite the information at a later date. Secondly, students’ should be able to demonstrate a hands- on assignment after they have been instructed on how to perform the necessary steps. By demonstrating/presenting a hands-on assignment (learning Microsoft Word ), it shows that students’ have the ability to utilize the different MS Commands.
Sabrina S.
