+formative & summative assessment techniquescarol hurneyjanet branchawpatrice ludwigkris obom

+

gbio103 – contemporary biology • non-science majors

• 35 different majors• freshman, sophomores,

juniors, seniors• general education• 60-75 students per section

my journey

+course objectives

Objective 1: (the portion concerned with science) Describe the methods of inquiry that lead to mathematical truth and scientific knowledge and be able to distinguish science from pseudoscience.

Objective 4: Illustrate the interdependence between developments in science and social and ethical issues.

Objective 5: Use graphical, symbolic, and numerical methods to analyze, organize, and interpret natural phenomena.

Objective 6: Discriminate between association and causation, and identify the types of evidence used to establish causation.

Objective 8: (the portion concerned with science) Evaluate the credibility, use, and misuse of scientific and mathematical information in scientific developments and public-policy issues.

+formative adjective

of and relating to a person’s development

synonymsdevelopmentalgrowingmalleableImpressionabledetermininginfluentialshaping

+ before – during – after

in-classactivities

out-of-class activities

projects

exam preparation

+ before – during – after

in-classactivities

lectures

small groupactivities

case studies

individual activities

exams

+ before – during – after

in-classactivities

out-of-class activities readings

projects

exam preparation

+i graded everythingi expected them to read

+ beforeduringafter

in-classactivities

out-of-class activities

+a balanced approach

1

2

3

4

5

review warm-upscustomize classopening activityclicker questions

readingswarm – ups

tutorials

class activitiesinteractive lectures

clicker questionsexams

closing activitycustomize warm-up

readingswarm – ups

projects

+ the possibilities are endless…

peer instruction

reflection journal

blogs

wiki

peer critique

homework sets

online quizzes

out-of-class observations

read

reading journals

tutorials

reflection tasks

discussionquestions

classdiscussions

interactivelectures

small groupactivities

in-class writing

case studies

catsdemos

individual activities

+designing formative assessments there are no rules

+

what do you want to know about your students’ learning?what do your students want to know about their learning?you try – add something to your grid

before the exambefore the paper

+ types of writing assignments

Source: http://www.umuc.edu/ewc/faculty/index.shtml

+types of writing assignmentsscientific

lab reportresearch papergrant proposalthesisessay questionsjournal entrylab notebooksothers...

+

• minimal guidance• problems with organization

• over-engineering

common issues

+ characteristics of effective writing assignments

•assignments are provided and explained in writing•writing assignments are linked to significant course/unit objectives•specify the purpose for writing, the audience, the mode or form of the writing, and length •assessment criteria are specified •due dates are specified•longer writing projects are organized in stages

source: http://www.umuc.edu/ewc/faculty/index.shtml

+more tips

try your assignmentconnect with a librariandefine web resourcesdiscuss academic

integrity with your students

explore options for promoting academic integrity

+aligning with learning objective

learning objective

s?

formative

assessment?

teaching strategie

s?

lab report

+

assessment criteria rubrics

+ designing effective exams

before the exambefore the paper

+how do you write exams?Consider the following: How often do you do summative assessment of your

students’ learning (give an exam) during the course of a semester?

When do you write the exams? How do you ensure that your exams reflect what was

actually taught? How do you determine how much time it will take for

students to complete your exams? How do you know if the questions you’ve written are

clear and not prone to misinterpretation?What is your greatest challenge in writing

exams?

+exam writing guidelines/tips• examine early and often (low high stakes)• compose exam questions immediately after you

cover material in class to ensure appropriate “coverage”

• use learning objectives to guide the writing of exam questions

• start the test with some warm-up questions• ask a colleague (ta) to evaluate the exam for clarity,

content and alignment with your learning objectives• proofread! • give detailed instructions and allow students

sufficient time to complete each question (instructor time x 4)

• use a variety of question types

+exam question typesObjectiveMultiple ChoiceTrue / FalseMatching

ConstructedShort AnswerCompletionEssayProblem Solving

• Advantages, Disadvantages and Construction (handout)

+exampleLearning Objective Students will be able to predict and

explain changes in nervous system activity in response to drugs that alter the function of nervous system proteins.

Set up Smoking cigarettes introduces nicotine into the blood stream via the respiratory epithelium. Nicotine is a nicotinic acetylcholine (N-Ach) receptor agonist.

Questions:1.Where in the autonomic nervous system are nicotinic Ach

receptors located? (Know, SA)2.How will nicotine affect activity (the generation of electrical

signals) in the parasympathetic (& sympathetic) division of the autonomic nervous system? (App, MC)a) increase activity b) decrease activity c) no effect

3.People smoke cigarettes in the morning to help them wake up, and also after stressful events to help them relax. Explain how the nicotine in cigarettes can produce these apparently opposing effects with regard to the autonomic nervous system. (Syn, Essay)

+taxonomies and question

typesBloom’s Learning Level Sample MC Stem Question

Remember What is a typical growth rate of the azalea?

Understanding What is distinctive about the azalea compared to other spring-flowering shrubs?

Application & Analysis(critical thinking)

What happens if an azalea receives a plant food high in alkaline and low in acid?

Analysis & Evaluation(critical thinking)

Given highly acidic soil and an annual rainfall of 40 inches, what is the most effective plant food for an azalea?

Analysis & Evaluation(Problem Solving)

Your azalea is planted in full shade under the eaves of your house. Leaves are yellowing, and the plant has shown little growth in two years. What is the best treatment of this problem?

+your turnPick one of your learning objectives

Categorize it in a learning taxonomy framework (e.g. Bloom it, Fink it)

Identify (or write) an exam question to assess that learning objective

Rewrite your question in at least two other formats