+ formative & summative
assessment techniques
carol hurney
janet branchaw
patrice ludwig
kris obom
+
my journey
gbio103 – contemporary biology
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non-science majors
35 different majors
freshman, sophomores, juniors,
seniors
general education
60-75 students per section
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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.
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Objective 4: Illustrate the interdependence between
developments in science and social and ethical issues.
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Objective 5: Use graphical, symbolic, and numerical methods
to analyze, organize, and interpret natural phenomena.
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Objective 6: Discriminate between association and causation,
and identify the types of evidence used to establish causation.
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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.
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formative
adjective
of and relating to a person’s development
synonyms
developmental
growing
malleable
Impressionable
determining
influential
shaping
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before – during – after
in-class
activities
out-of-class
activities
projects
exam
preparation
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before –
during – after
lectures
in-class
activities
small group
activities
individual
activities
case studies
exams
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before – during – after
in-class
activities
out-of-class
activities
readings
projects
exam
preparation
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i graded everything
i expected them to read
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beforeduringafter
in-class
activities
out-of-class
activities
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a balanced approach
readings
warm – ups
tutorials
review warm-ups
customize class
opening activity
clicker questions
3
2
1
4
5
class activities
interactive lectures
clicker questions
exams
closing activity
customize warm-up
readings
warm – ups
projects
+ the possibilities are endless…
class
discussions
in-class writing
reading journals
discussion
questions
out-ofclass observations
read
tutorials
reflection tasks
interactive
lectures
small group
activities
demos
reflection journal
homework sets
wiki
blogs
cats
individual
activities
case studies
peer instruction
peer critique
online quizzes
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designing formative assessments
there are no rules
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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
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types of writing assignments
Source: http://www.umuc.edu/ewc/faculty/index.shtml
scientific
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types of writing assignments
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lab report
research paper
grant proposal
thesis
essay questions
journal entry
lab notebooks
others...
+ common issues
• minimal guidance
• problems with organization
• over-engineering
+ 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
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more tips
 try
your assignment
 connect
 define
with a librarian
web resources
 discuss
academic integrity
with your students
 explore
options for
promoting academic
integrity
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aligning with learning objective
learning
objectives
?
formative
assessmen
t
?
teaching
strategies
?
lab report
assessment criteria rubrics
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designing effective exams
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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?
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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
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exam question types
Objective
Constructed
 Multiple
 Short
 True
Choice
/ False
 Matching
Answer
 Completion
 Essay
 Problem
• Advantages, Disadvantages and
Construction (handout)
Solving
+example
Learning 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 types
Bloom’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
turn
 Pick 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