#AEE412 Weekly Investment: Evaluating Learning

Just as there are a variety teaching methods, there are also various means of assessment.

It is important to remember that multiple-choice exams aren’t always the best way to assess students’ learning (although I do think there is a place for multiple choice exams, just like there is a place for lectures). I found it very helpful to read about types of rubrics and how to create rubrics based on what the unit goals/lesson objectives are. Rubrics are a type of performance-based assessment, and within the realm of rubrics there are task-specific and generic rubrics. Each type of rubric can be either analytic (focuses on the end product) or holistic (focuses more on process and follows a “yes or no” format). I like rubrics because they provide a guide for students while they are completing the assessment. In addition, by having students complete a self-evaluation they will hopefully take more ownership in their learning. This also allows more immediate feedback to take place, which in turn increases motivation on the road to mastery. Self-evaluation also promotes reflection, which will help students grow and learn better.

I really appreciated reading the article on assessments in laboratory settings. The Vee Map was a new concept to me and I definitely think I will use it in the future. I believe it is important for students to learn how to write scientific reports, but it isn’t necessary for a full-length report to be written after every experiment. Using the Vee Map provides students a way to incorporate the different components of a lab report but on one page. Students write the focus question, vocab, a concept map of various terms/ideas, the procedures of the lab, data and analysis, and a conclusion/claim statement. 

Here is a model of the Vee Map Structure (Roth & Verechaka, 1993):

Grading Exceptional and English Language Learners can be FAIR & ACCURATE.

How do we as teachers ensure our grading system is both fair and accurate, especially for students with disabilities and English Language Learners? The article from the Educational Leadership magazine definitely helped me process what is needed for high-quality reporting. “High quality reporting systems distinguish three types of learning criteria related to standards (Jung & Guskey, 2010).

1. Product Criteria – what students know and are able to do at a particular point in time.

2. Process Criteria – relate to student’ behaviors in reaching their current level of achievement and proficiency.

3. Progress Criteria – considers how much students improve or gain from their learning experiences.

This made me think back to my educational psychology class a couple semesters ago. My professor discussed the importance of providing feedback on how the students have improved. He said that one way to do this was to give them two grades, with one being their improvement grade. When students see that their efforts are making a difference, they will be more motivated to continue putting in time and effort. The article also stressed the importance of incorporating appropriate accommodations/adaptations, and then grading based on that – not the original objective/goal.


I’d love to learn more about effective evaluation of learning. How do you evaluate your students? What are your best tips? Thanks for reading; I’d love to hear your thoughts!

References:

Cornell University Center for Teaching Excellence. (2015). Assessing student learning. Retrieved from http://www.cte.cornell.edu/teaching-ideas/assessing-student-learning/index.html

Jung, L.A. & Guskey, T.R. (2010). Grading exceptional learners. Educational Leadership, 67(5). Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/feb10/vol67/num05/Grading-Exceptional-Learners.aspx

Newcomb, L.H., McCracken, J.D., Warmbrod, J.R., & Whittington, M.S. (1993). Methods of teaching agriculture. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Roth, W.-M., & Verechaka, G. (1993, January). Plotting a course with vee maps: Direct your students on the road to inquiry science. Science & Children, 30(4), 24-27.

Stoughton, A.L. & Myers, B.E. (2008) Creating and working with rubrics.

Warner, W.J. & Myers, B.E. (2010). Evaluating learning in laboratory settings.