Dr. Christopher,
You seem to really be open about assessments that realistically and holistically assess learning. I am still surprised how many people think they only way to assess learning is testing. Personal note: I am not a fan of big stakes testing.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Audrey,
That is a great strategy in using a variety of types of assessment. I really gives students a holistic way to show their learning.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Eyad,
Great strategy. You provide your students with a variety of ways to show their acquisition of knowledge. I agree many times you want more than just the right answer to the questions.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Most of the courses that I teach use a subjective evaluation approach for the assignments. Applying rubrics has been beneficial for the students and myself in establishing the proper grading criteria. I also like to incorporate multiple-choice questions during our review discussion times. This allows me to gauge if a student is grasping our discussion material and keeping up with the reading assignments.
For my medical coding and billing students I have two types of tests given each week. One is subjective and one is Objective. The subjective test assesses their ability to use the tools, tips, and "tricks" to look up codes themselves while the objective test assesses their ability to understand the concepts of billing and guidelines.
Both of these types of tests are critical in learning medical coding and billing because so much of what they do is based on knowing how to use the books and look codes up AND also knowing where to find the information for guidelines created by Medicare, for example, to allow for proper billing/coding.
Kim Christensen
I agree with both. I like for students to critically think as that is real world. Rubrics are a great tool go use as it allows instructors and students to focus on what is important in a course and not get bogged down on the insignificant.
I believe it is essential to utilize both objective and subjective evaluations throughout my courses. However, what is most pertinent is the effective and constructive feedback provided as an instructor to our students.
Stephanie,
Have you found rubrics helpful to include in providing and supporting your constructive feedback to your students?
Helena,
Great strategies. Rubrics not only help grading but set students expectations for success.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Kimberly,
Great use of multiple techniques. You want to make sure students are achieving the course outcomes and not every type of assessment will work.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Joseph
you are right! When instructors grade without guidance there no consistency within a paper and among the papers. The rubric provides a balance for grading for insructors and balance for students.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Melissa,
The key is the constructive feedback provided to the instructor and the student and how both use that feedback. Good post!
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I use both objective and subjective evaluations for most of my courses. I teach graphics, photography as well as business courses. For my business courses, this is definitely the objective evaluation method.
For my "subjective", before stating my opinion about a students' work, I ensure their work meets the required outcomes as posted within their rubric. Once that has been accomplished, I will provide further feedback - which is subjective in nature as to how their photography or their ad "can" be improved.
Melissa,
It helps establish student expectations. I do think the mistake we make is not instructing students on how to use them.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Terry,
I agree with you, a mixture both types of evaluation really does provide opportunities for students to show what they have learned.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I have used all types of assessment. In pharmacy we do have objective to check for understanding of the material while subjective evaluations were based on watching them perform a skill need in the pharmacy.
The content of my courses is already developed so I don't have control over the approach. Thus, all of the approaches are subjective. I'm not in opposition to this because many times students are able to guess correctly with objective tools. Subjective approaches allow them the opportunity to explain information as they understand it.
I teach a lot of subjects that are more subjective based then objective based. This requires a great deal more thought when developing appropriate evaluations. I use a combination of the two but rely more on subjective evaluations. These have rubric defined grading and comments for enhancement. The rubrics need to be open enough that they are not written as checklists. Checklist rubrics on subjective items teaches the student to only focus on what is in the rubric checklist and not on the entire item. Category based rubrics with defined criteria work well for subjective evaluations. I do try to add objective based evaluations where I can. Many of these are used when there is an exact skill being taught or memorized content needed. For example, when I teach courses that deal with building codes, I am able to rely on objective evaluation.
In the course I teach online, I use mostly subjective (writing course). There are some objective pieces for learning grammar through quizzes.
In my face to face classes, I have a far broader range. There are many objective evaluation pieces due to the nature of standardize tests, but the short answer and essay questions add in the subjective piece.
With the craze of standardized tests and distrust of educators for evaluating student learning, the classrooms swung toward the objective tests and away from the subjective essay and problem solving tests. It's interesting to now see it swing back the other way again.
Amanda,
Don't you think that strategy is so much better for all students? It give students multiple ways to show their knowledge attainment.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
