Update on Deliverables — Our Assessment Toolkit

Greetings 2007 Fellows,

We’re working on the tools and support you’ll be using to complete deliverables for your 2nd and 3rd design iterations. One of those is the web-based formative assessment toolkit, Marcie Bober is developing with Ed Tech grad student, Yong Chen. We’re shooting for the end of the semester as a release date for the remainder of the toolkit. Presently, it includes CATs (Classroom Assessment Techniques) materials - an overview, definitions, descriptions, and how to build a “How’s it going” survey.

We’re hoping this toolkit will simplify the rather sweeping landscape of assessment and help you choose effective assessment strategies based on your goals and needs. BTW, assessment is the theme of our 2008 Institute.

Stay tuned and in the meantime, here’s a good read from Educause Library

Technology and Learning: Defining What You Want to Assess

“Asking whether technology improves learning may seem straightforward, but the answer is not simple. The challenge begins with defining assessment and is compounded by the complexities of people, technology, and educational organizations. ” This white paper clarifies technology assessment by exploring the definitions, methods, and realistic expectations it can address.

Have grades changed?

In our first learning stories conversation Larry Beck commented the following to an audience question: Did grades change with these new approaches?

Larry: I was curious and went back and looked at my GPAs for the past five years in RTM 305. The GPAs ranged from 2.7 to 3.0 with a mean of 2.85, almost exactly the same as the university average for upper division classes.

The GPA in RTM 305 for Fall 2007 (when I employed the strategies listed in the previous discussion) was 3.3!

Perhaps I had a particularly brilliant class this fall. There are any number of other variables that may have influenced this. Nonetheless, I’d suggest that these new approaches are resulting in more effective learning and therefore better grades.