Exploringlearning
assessmentoptionsinan
interdisciplinarycourse
MelindaVokoun,Ph.D.
AssociateProfessorofForestry
CollegeofNaturalResources
Courseinanutshell
•  ResourceEconomics(NRES372)
•  GDP–SS2,GEP–IS
•  Nearorover100studentseachsemester
•  2lecturesecLons(50+/lecturesecLon)
•  4discussionsecLons(>25–31)
•  Pre-requisites
•  Basicbiology,ecology,andsocialscience
•  TypicalcomposiLon
•  JRsandSRs
•  CNRorbiologymajors
AssessmentTools
• Pre-andpost-test
• Examwrappers
• ReflecLonquesLons
• Memos
Dostudentslearnanything?
•  HowdowequanLfylearning?
•  Studentsassesswhetherthey“learneda
lot”(UWSPstudentevaluaLonitem#10)
•  InsLtutepre-andpost-testtodetermine
whethercanquanLfydifferently
•  Pre-testgiven1stdiscussionperiod
•  Post-testgivenlastdiscussionperiod
•  AssessmentpointsearnedforcompleLng
•  Pointassignmentnotdependenton#correct
Pre-andpost-testcontent
•  10quesLons
•  MulLplechoice
•  True-False
•  Shortanswer
•  FromcourselearningobjecLves
•  Usemarginalbenefits&coststomakedecisions
•  ExplainvaluaLontechniques,supply&demand
•  IdenLfymarketfailures,reasonsfor&effectsofpolicy
intervenLons
•  ApplycalculaLonstomakedecisions&comparisons
Pre-andpost-testresults
•  85%ofenrolledstudentscompletedboth
•  Nullhypothesis:Thereisnodifferenceinthe
meanscoresfromthepre-andpost-tests
•  T-testPairedtwosample
•  Nullhypothesisrejected(p<0.01)
•  Means:Pre-test5.798,Post-test6.697
Examwrappers
•  AdaptedfromCarnegieMellonTeaching&
EducaLonalIniLaLve
•  Students
•  reviewexamperformance
•  strategiesforfuturelearning
•  Instructorfeedback
•  Instructorcanuse
•  Directstudentstudystrategies
•  AdaptcoursepracLces
Re>lectionquestions
•  ExtracreditformaLveassessment
•  AdaptedfromSmallGroupInstrucLonalDiagnosis
(SGID)
•  Studentsassessstrengths,coursecontent,and
suggestchanges
•  ExamplequesLons:
•  Whatisbeingdonethathelpsyoulearninthe
class
•  Whatisaspecificchangethatwouldhelpyou
learnbemerandhowwouldyoumakethatchange
•  Whattopicdidyouenjoymostandwhy
Memosandminutepapers
•  OnemeansofassessingGEPISLOs
•  IdenLfyanissueorquesLonrelatedtothe
interdisciplinarycourseanddescribewhateach
disciplinecontributestoanunderstandingof
thatissue
•  Explainthebenefitsofbeingabletocombine
thesecontribuLons
RubricMemoandMinute
Paper
Category
Exemplary
Proficient
Developing
Beginning
Reading,
understanding
(max1)
Demonstratesthatthey
readandunderstoodall
oftheinformaLoninthe
arLcle
Demonstratesthatthey
readandunderstood
mostoftheinformaLon
inthearLcle
Demonstratesthatthey
readandunderstood
someoftheinformaLon
inthearLcle
Arguments,
DescripLon
(max2)
DescribescontribuLon
ofbotheconomicsand
biologicalsciencesto
understandingtheissue.
SupportedbycitaLons.
Demonstratedthatdid
notreadand/ordidnot
understandthe
informaLoninthe
arLcle
Didnotintegratethe
twotopicsatall.
Summary
(max1)
Describesthe
contribuLonofonearea
fullybuttheotheris
onlyparLallyfleshed
out.Supportedby
citaLonsorreferences.
Includedall:mainpoints Onlymissingoneof:
regardingmarket
mainpointsregarding
failure,conclusionand/ marketfailure,
orquesLons,citaLons
conclusionand/or
quesLons,citaLons
Describesthe
contribuLonofboth
disciplinesparLally.
SupportedbycitaLons
orreferences.
Missingtwoof:main
Didnotsummarizeor
pointsregardingmarket cite
failure,conclusionand/
orquesLons,citaLons
Futuredirection
•  Incorporateclickers
•  Samplestudentopinion
•  “Real-Lme”assessment/reviewconcepts
•  ModificaLonofminutetypepaperassessment
•  IncorporaLngsuggesLonfrompreviouscourseofferings
•  PeerInstrucLon
•  Enrichdiscussionformat
•  Economicdata
•  EaseimplementaLonof“acLviLes”toillustrateconcepts
•  Previousstudentshaveindicatedtheywouldlikemore
acLviLesillustraLngconcepts