Grading and Assessment

• Using Rubrics to Grade

  Registration is required. For more information and to reigster please click here.

  When: August 28, 2008 12:15pm - 1:30pm Where: Tempe campus Discovery Hall Room 212

  
  

• Classroom Assessment Techniques: An Introduction

  According to Angelo and Cross, Classroom assessment consists of small scale assessments conducted continuously in college classrooms by disciple-based teachers to determine what students are learning in the class. CATS are meant to be used between teaching and testing, to find out how well students are doing in time to help them improve.” The first in this series of 8 workshops is designed as an overview of these simple and low threshold techniques as a foundation in understanding their usefulness in any classroom environment. Instructors will be able to select techniques suitable to their own teaching style and disciple that will help them gauge the student learning effectiveness in their courses. Registration is required. For more information and to register please click here.

  When: September 15, 2008 12;15pm - 1:30pm Where: Tempe campus Discovery Hall Room 212

  
  

• Communicating Assignment Expectations Through Rubrics

  While rubrics are often used as a scoring tool to make grading easier, they can also be used to enhance communication between the instructor and the student. In this session, you will learn how to develop a rubric and use it to clarify assignment expectations and provide feedback to students. Registration is required. For more information and to register please click here.

  When: September 19, 2008 12:15pm - 1:30pm Where: Tempe campus Discovery Hall Room 212

  
  

• Classroom Assessment Techniques: The Background Knowledge Probe

  This CAT is a designed to collect useful feedback on students’ prior learning. Instructors will be able to design short, simple questionnaires that will assist them in gaining insights on the students in their classroom environment and to help them determine the most effective starting point for beginning instruction. Registration is required. For more information and to regiser please click here.

  When: September 22, 2008 12:15pm - 1:30pm Where: Tempe campus Discovery Hall Room 212

  
  

• Classroom Assessment Techniques: Focused Listing & Misconception Preconception Check

  The Focused Listing CAT is designed to help instructors assist students in focusing their attention on important concepts and ideas in a particular lesson. This technique assists in learner recall and helps instructors assess how well students are able to define key points in a lesson. The Misconception Preconception Check is a technique designed to assess students’ prior knowledge which may obstruct further learning. Instructors benefit from discovering what prior learning and beliefs exist and may interfere with new learning designed to take place in a given course. Registration is required. For more information and to register please click here.

  When: September 29, 2008 12:15pm - 1:30pm Where: Tempe campus Discovery Hall Room 212

  
  

• Classroom Assessment Techniques: The Empty Outline & Memory Matrix

  The Empty Outline is a classroom assessment strategy designed to help students organize and recall their learning and assist instructors in visualizing whether students understand the main points of a lecture, reading or classroom activity. The Memory Matrix reaches other learning styles and is a technique which captures the students’ abilities to organize information and illustrate relationships between ideas presented. Instructors can validate student recall of information and understanding of the interactions if ideas presented in the classroom environment. Registration is required. For more information and to register please click here.

  When: October 6, 2008 12:15pm - 1:30pm Where: Tempe campus Discovery Hall Room 212

  
  

• Classroom Assessment Techniques: One Minute Paper, Muddiest Point

  The Minute Paper is a technique that provides and quick and simple way to collect feedback on student learning. It gives students and instructors an opportunity to see if what is being taught is actually being learned. The Muddiest Point is a similar technique designed to discover what is most confusing about a lesson or topic, giving the instructor the opportunity to clarify main points for enhanced student learning. Registration is required. For more information and to register please click here.

  When: October 13, 2008 12:15pm - 1:30pm Where: Tempe campus Discovery Hall Room 212

  
  

• Using Rubrics to Encourage Self-Assessment

  While rubrics are often used as a scoring tool to make grading easier, their value as an instructional tool for student reflection and self-evaluation is often overlooked. This session focuses on the rubric as a tool to be used by students as they work through an assignment. Registration is required. For more information and to register please click here.

  When: October 15, 2008 12:15pm - 1:30pm Where: Tempe campus Discovery Hall Room 212

  
  

• Classroom Assessment Techniques: The Pro/Con Grid/ The One Sentence Summary

  This assessment technique turns the routine pro con listing of information for decision making into a classroom assessment exercise. The instructor gains insights into what the student views as pros and cons and affords the students the exercise in recognizing alternative views. The One Sentence Summary is an assessment exercise devised to determine how completely and concisely a student can summarize large amounts of information. Registration is required. For more information and to register please click here.

  When: October 20, 2008 12:15pm - 1:30pm Where: Tempe campus Discovery Hall Room 212

  
  

• Classroom Assessment Techniques: Concept Mapping & Directed Paraphrasing

  Concept maps are drawings designed to reveal the connections students are making between major concepts presented in class and other related concepts. This assessment technique provides the instructor with an observable record of how the student is thinking about learning. Instructors using this technique can gain a broader view of how the student is processing new learning and can visualize growth and depth of understanding. Directed Paraphrasing is a technique that involves translation skills of technical information into understandable language. It affords students practice in writing while giving instructors insights on how students are summarizing important concepts and their ability to restate factual information. Registration is required. For more information and to register please click here.

  When: October 27, 2008 12:15pm - 1:30pm Where: Tempe campus Discovery Hall Room 212

  
  

• Designing Good Test Questions

  Faculty can enhance student learning with the types and form of questions they ask. This session focuses on developing meaningful questions designed to promote learning. Participants will explore Factual, Convergent, Divergent and Evaluative questions, and develop a framework for writing well-constructed questions that will enhance student learning. Registration is required. For more information and to register please click here.

  When: October 28, 2008 12:15pm - 1:30pm Where: Tempe campus Discovery Hall Room 212

  
  

• Designing Good Test Questions

  Faculty can enhance student learning with the types and form of questions they ask. This session focuses on developing meaningful questions designed to promote learning. Participants will explore Factual, Convergent, Divergent and Evaluative questions, and develop a framework for writing well-constructed questions that will enhance student learning. Registration is required. For more information and to register please click here.

  When: October 31, 2008 12:15pm - 1:30pm Where: Tempe campus Discovery Hall Room 212

  
  

• Classroom Assessment Techniques: Application Cards & Student Generated Test Questions

  This technique is devised to assist students in realizing real world applications of what they have learned in the classroom environment. The instructor can assess the level of application and develop strategies for community connections. Student Generated Test Questions are a means to assess how well students know the material presented in class, what content students see as most important, and how well they can perform in answering the questions. These are valuable tools of assessment prior to any high stakes exams. Registration is required. For more information and to register please click here.

  When: November 3, 2008 12:15pm - 1:30pm Where: Tempe campus Discovery Hall Room 212

  
  

• A Good Wrap Up: Ending the Semester

  Many classes end with a long exam which students dread and labor over and faculty fret about grading. Before you give the final, try some of the ideas in this workshop to ensure that final day with your students will be a learning experience. Registration is required. For more information and to register please click here.

  When: November 20, 2008 12;15pm - 1:30pm Where: Tempe campus Discovery Hall Room 212

  
  

• Rubrics

  This session demonstrates how to design rubrics or grading tools that make life easier for you and the students. Rubrics allow you to make your expectations clear to students so that they can also evaluate their work. You will be introduced to a number of online resources for finding rubrics to model your evaluations. Registration is required. For more information and to register please click here.

  When: August 18, 2008 1:40pm - 2:55pm Where: Tempe campus Lattie F. Coor Hall Room L1-14 Lower Level

  
  

• 004 004 Informal Assessment with Dr. Duane Roen (Part 1) [14:39, mp3, 16.8MB]

  004 004 Informal Assessment with Dr. Duane Roen (Part 1) [14:39, mp3, 16.8MB]  A topical interview on using informal assessment strategies in learner-center courses, with Arizona State University master educator Dr. Duane Roen. In Part 1 of this episode, Dr. Roen introduces practical strategies, examples, and tips for performing informal classroom assessments. Whether formal or informal, says Dr. Roen, the implementation of an assessment mechanism depends on having carefully defined learning outcomes, because such outcomes form the basis for developing appropriate student activities. In addition, it is important to incorporate these assessments as a regular and ongoing part of the instructional delivery process. He illustrates this point by sharing concrete examples from his own years of experience in teaching and learning. These include three quick and extremely flexible informal assessment strategies (Muddiest Point, Entree Slip, Exit Slip) from a book entitled "Classroom Assessment Techniques - A Handbook for College Teachers." Dr. Roen endorses a combination of formal and informal assessment for gauging student progress on the way to achieving the desired learning outcomes.

  
  

• 004 Informal Assessment with Dr. Duane Roen (Part 2) [7:50, mp3, 9MB]

  004 Informal Assessment with Dr. Duane Roen (Part 2) [7:50, mp3, 9MB] More with Dr. Duane Roen, a master educator at Arizona State University, on using informal assessment strategies in learner-center courses. In Part 2 of this episode, Dr. Roen describes variations of the three previously shared informal assessment strategies (Muddiest Point, Entree Slip, Exit Slip). At the same time, he emphasizes the importance of incorporating these informal assessments within the lecture format. He also identifies common pitfalls and provides ideas for addressing them. Real classroom examples illustrate how informal assessments can make a material difference for both students and teachers.

  
  

• 007 007 Designing and Assessing Writing Assignments with Dr. Sandra Nagy [15:32, mp3, 17.81MB]

  007 007 Designing and Assessing Writing Assignments with Dr. Sandra Nagy [15:32, mp3, 17.81MB]  An enlightening interview with Dr. Sandra Nagy, a master educator at Arizona State University, about deliberately integrating “field-specific” writing assignments into student coursework. In this episode, Dr. Nagy delves into the importance of incorporating the "Writing Across the Curriculum" approach for all subject areas. She explains the rationale for taking this approach, which includes why writing ought to have a place outside of traditional English courses. All subject areas need to develop and encourage "field-specific writing," says Dr. Nagy. Toward that end, she offers strategies for incorporating writing assignments in small and large enrollment classes; she identifies what students ought to be writing about; and she proposes that writing be included in formal assessments. This discussion also concentrates on evaluating student writing, providing appropriate feedback, and encouraging rewriting. Dr. Nagy strongly advocates the use of multiple writing deadlines as a way of guiding students in their writing and learning.

  
  

• 009 009 Considerations in Testing and Grading with Dr. Roger Millsap (Part 1) [15:16, mp3, 17.50MB]

  009 009 Considerations in Testing and Grading with Dr. Roger Millsap (Part 1) [15:16, mp3, 17.50MB]  An in-depth interview with Dr. Roger Millsap, a master educator at Arizona State University, on developing, integrating, and understanding formal assessments. In Part 1 of this episode, Dr. Millsap discusses at length the importance of developing and applying sound assessment practices, which include tests and examinations. He identifies common pitfalls associated with creating a test, and he points out that these can largely be avoided by focusing on three assessment principles--matching content taught with the test, using consistent grading practices, and crafting carefully worded test questions. Dr. Millsap also discusses the role of guiding student discussions to ensure they focus on the important content, how to deal with limited opportunities for administering a test or exam, and he encourages the habit of formulating a test while in process of teaching the material. At the end of Part 1, the discussion turns to grading practices. The single greatest concern in this area involves a better understanding and application of "grading on a curve."

  
  

• 009 Considerations in Testing and Grading with Dr. Roger Millsap (Part 2) [15:49, mp3, 18.12MB]

  009 Considerations in Testing and Grading with Dr. Roger Millsap (Part 2) [15:49, mp3, 18.12MB] More of the interview on developing, integrating, and understanding formal assessments from the perspective of Dr. Roger Millsap, a master educator at Arizona State University. In Part 2 of this episode, Dr. Millsap reveals more grading strategies, including an alternative to "grading on a curve." He develops a case for administering more rather than fewer exams, and for using assignments to bolster the validity of student assessment. He also covers the third assessment principle from Part1, which involves the writing of test questions. He reviews the pros and cons of multiple choice questions, and he discusses the value of combining multiple choice with essays. But beware, he says, because essays come with their own development and application concerns. He lays out some strategies for writing and grading essay questions, and he follows it up with a detailed example. He also gives advice on what to do if, despite an earnest effort to create a good test, it doesn't result in a good test after all.