day2

Art glass window by Marion Mahony Griffin

Presentation Slides (23 August 2002)

Today:	Definition/discussion of assessment Why assess? Process assessments process letters minute papers muddiest point two-sentence summaries Course assessments student evaluations student engagement writing apprehension pre-test/post test Finish with a minute paper
In your group:	What is assessment? Who does or should do assessment? Spend 5 minutes discussing attitudes toward assessment.
Assessment: definition/discussion	Assessment: I am using the term "assessment" when I refer to attempting to discern what student learning, attitudinal changes, or student engagement occurred in my class as the result of my pedagogical practices and course design. Though assessment, I collect data that helps me teach better, design better courses, and be more attuned to shaping courses to meet the needs of my students. I am attempting not to test students’ innate ability, but what learning has been facilitated while students are in my classroom.
Why assess?	Assessment is one way we become reflexive and reflective teachers. Assessing what’s happening in the class can both provide a rationale for what we do in the classroom and point to areas of our course design or pedagogical practice that are not doing what we hoped. It helps the class become a dialogue between students and teacher. We are also often required to gather this data for things like tenure and promotion, merit raises, and teaching evaluation; we may use it in graduate school applications; and we need the data accumulated for upcoming accreditation. Process Assessment: Helps us receive regular feedback from our students about what they understand/don’t understand. Usually requires students to evaluate their own attempts at learning, as well as our attempts at teaching. Course Assessment: A course assessment helps us evaluate student learning (as well as our teaching) in a course. A strong course assessment will employ multiple assessment tools in an effort to measure things like student learning, student engagement, student satisfaction, student attitudes.
Process assessments:	process letters minute papers muddiest point two-sentence summaries
Course Assessments	student evaluations student engagement writing apprehension pre-test/post test
Hints:	This is busy work for TA’s. Talk to Rick about what kinds of assessments/evaluations may be appropriate for your classroom and are necessary for the program. If you think you will be applying to a doctoral program, however, be sure you solicit classroom visits from your advisor and other faculty who can write you letters of recommendation. Begin collecting papers, etc. immediately (A, C, D or F). Keep track of all students’ performances (grade distribution for each assignment). Collecting one paper at the end will not constitute evidence of learning. Student evaluations tell only a small part of the story. Seek out varied student feedback and try to take it seriously. Reflect regularly on your teaching—in writing. Write up notes after a class that worked especially well or one that bombed. Attempt to solicit process assessments after both classes that worked or bombed.
Minute Paper:	Take out a sheet of paper. Briefly discuss in writing: two examples of assessment you might want to explore using in your classroom, what they would offer you, and why you will or will not try them. (Minute papers usually take about four minutes. I don’t know why they are not called four-minute papers.) If you did minute papers in class, you could discuss and debrief, or collect and respond.

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Elizabeth Birmingham
Assistant Professor, Department of English
320J Minard Hall
North Dakota State University
Fargo, North Dakota 58105

Office: (701) 231-6587
e-mail: Elizabeth.Birmingham@ndsu.nodak.edu

Prospective students may schedule a visit by calling: 1-800-488-NDSU.