RE-THINKING ASSESSMENT
Guidelines for Faculty
Workshop Description: Numerous factors impact the measurement and assessment of
student learning such as the integration of innovative learning models, KPI data, a revised
grading policy… This workshop will provide a step-by step, approach to analyzing your current
assessment methods according to principles of best practice for assessment design.
Outcome: update assessment methodology according to principles of best practice for
assessment.
What you need: Please have a course outline including the breakdown of the assessment
methods used in the course and a copy of one assignment used in the course.
Resources Included:
Appendix A: Analyzing Assessment Design Worksheet
Appendix B: Blooms Taxonomy
Appendix C: Essential Employability Skills
Appendix D: Types of Assessments
Appendix E: Grading - Sample Rubric and Guidelines for Rubric Development
INTRODUCTION
Dr. Dee Fink, author of Creating Significant Learning Experiences: An Integrated Approach to
Designing College Courses, has identified five principles of good course design:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Challenges students to a higher level of learning
Uses active forms of learning
Gives frequent and immediate feedback to students on the quality of their learning
Uses a structured sequence of different learning activities
Has a fair system for assessing and measuring students
Reference: http://www.ou.edu/pii/significant/selfdirected1.pdf
The Re-Thinking Assessment guidelines will provide an opportunity to focus on the fifth principle
of good course design: “a fair system for assessing and measuring students”. Part A will review
the assessment practices used in the overall course design, while Part B will focus on rethinking a specific component of an assessment method.
Centre for Teaching & Learning Assessment Committee
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PART A: OVERALL REVIEW OF COURSE ASSESSMENT DESIGN
Step 1 - Complete the Analyzing Assessment Design Worksheet (Appendix A):
1. Fill in the Course name, number and course description
2. Write the learning outcomes from the course outline in the left hand column of the table.
3. For each Learning Outcome determine the level of performance expected using Bloom’s
Taxonomy for Learning (Appendix B).
a. Indicate which domain (cognitive, affective or psychomotor) matches each learning
outcome. This is important because you want to determine if the assessment
method matches the domain.
b. Look at the verb (performance expected) in the outcome to determine which of the
six categories is applicable. For example if the domain was Cognitive the applicable
categories would be Knowledge, Comprehension, Application, Analysis, Synthesis,
and Evaluation. Identifying the category is important because students learn best
when they are active participants in the learning process at the Application category
(cognitive domain) or higher.
4. In the course assessment columns write the title of the assignments you are currently using.
5. For each assignment list:
a. number of marks (what is the assignment total)
b. percentage of the final grade for each assessment
c. if the purpose of the assessment is intended to be formative or summative
o Formative (for feedback): opportunity for student to obtain feedback on
performance prior to the final assessment; normally fewer marks allotted. For
example: quizzes, practice test, submission of drafts, simulation.
o Summative (for final grade): measurement of performance in order for faculty to
assign a final grade; often worth more marks. For example: final report, major
project, written test, final performance, final product.
d. the type of method used (example: written, presentation, skills test, peer
assessment)
e. the week the assessment occurs in (Week 1, 2, 3 etc.)
f. estimate the percentage of the assessment which is linked to each outcome
o Add up the weighting that you assigned to each assignment linked to each
outcome. This total will indicate the overall weighting (%) for each outcome. Not
all learning outcomes will be weighted equally. Learning outcomes are weighted
in proportion to their importance. Does the weighting of each learning outcome
reflect its individual importance relative to one another? The total weighting of all
learning outcomes will be 100%.
g. review each of the Essential Employability Skills (EES) (Appendix C). For each
assignment, determine if any EES are linked and check the applicable box(es) under
each assessment. EES are important because all diploma students must be able to
reliably demonstrate the EES upon graduation from the program.
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Step 2 - Analyze Overall Assessment Design
Reflect on the information captured on the worksheet and answer the following questions:
Questions
Yes
Re-Think
1. Course learning outcomes: Do the course learning outcomes
state in measurable terms, the significant, essential learning
required of every student in order to pass the course (minimum
grade of 50%)?


2. Weighing: Does the weighting of each learning outcome reflect its
individual importance relative to one another?
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
3. Variety of Assessments (Appendix D): Is there a balanced variety
of assessment methods to accommodate different learning styles?
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4. Fairness: Is student’s learning being assessed in a variety of ways
at multiples times rather than just relying on only one method?
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5. Timing of Assessments: Are your assessments distributed
throughout the semester?
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6. Timing of Feedback: Do the assessment methods provide the student with frequent and
timely feedback?
A. Did you provide the student with opportunity for
practice/feedback (formative) before the final (summative)
assessment? (example, pretest)
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B. Is there a midterm test/assignment?
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C. Do students know their academic standing by midsemester?
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D. Is the turnaround time reasonable in order to allow the
student the opportunity to improve performance?
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7. Essential Employability Skills: Do you have an assignment which
directly measures the essential employability skill?
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8. Overall: Does the assessment design reflect what is intended?
Determine which areas you want to re-think.
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
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STEP 3 – Establish the Criteria for Successful Completion of the Course
According to the Grading and Promotion Policy, the criteria for a course pass grade of 50% is
determined by the professor as the minimum level of performance that is required to
demonstrate successful completion of the essential learning outcomes. The weighting of
learning outcomes, the assessment tools, and the criteria for a successful completion will be
communicated as part of the assessment process.
From the worksheet, identify the weighting of each learning outcome (relative importance in the
course) and the total number of marks attributed to each learning outcome. This is important as
the weighting of each learning outcome should align with the relative importance of the learning
outcomes. The marks attributed to the assignments should match the weighting of the
outcomes.
Questions
Yes
Re-Think


A. Have you identified the “minimum” level of knowledge and/or
performance for the learning outcomes and the course?
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B. Have you identified the “acceptable” level of knowledge and/or
performance for the learning outcomes and the course?
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C. Have you identified an “exceptional” level of knowledge and/or
performance for the learning outcomes and the course?
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A. On assignments where judgment is required, is a criterionreferenced marking scheme with explicit grading criteria used
to ensure consistency in grading?
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B. Are the criteria for grading communicated to students in
advance of the assessments so that the expectations are
transparent?
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1. Passing Grade:
In order to pass the course, must the student achieve a
total/average passing grade on the course, or achieve a passing
grade on each learning outcome?
2. Performance Expected:
3. Subjective Assessment (subject to interpretation):
4. Objective Assessment:
A. When using objective style tests (multiple choice, True/False),
are the points awarded for each question communicated to the
students so that the expectations are clear?
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Questions
Yes
Re-Think
B. Do the points awarded for a question match the weighting of the
assignment?
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C. Grading: Do you have a grading system that converts individual
scores, points or percentage on an assignment to a weighted
mark which reflects the contribution to the final grade?
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5. Feedback:
Do you have a process in place to provide timely and frequent
feedback to students on their progress to manage expectations?
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6. Supplemental:
If a student has not achieved the absolute minimum for a pass do
you assign an “Incomplete” and give the student an opportunity to
resubmit an assignment or do a supplemental test to achieve a
pass?
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OVERALL: Are the criteria for successful completion of the course
clearly communicated?
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PART B: THE ASSESSMENT METHOD
Step 4 – Focusing on a Specific Assessment Method/Assignment from the worksheet
answer the following questions:
Questions
Yes
Re-Think
A. Does the assessment method measure the course learning
outcome as intended?

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B. Does the assessment method match the corresponding level
on Bloom’s Taxonomy (Appendix B)?
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2. Suitability: Is the assessment method best suited to measuring the
learning outcome? Is there a better option?
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3. Authenticity: Is the assessment method reflective of performance
in the workplace?
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A. Have you observed/measured the performance sufficiently
to determine that the learning has been reliably
demonstrated?
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B. Have you adequately sampled, emphasizing key concepts
and performance?
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C. Have you ensured that the testing conditions and
environment are consistent (length of time allowed for each
assessment are the same, length of assessment can be
completed in time specified etc.)?
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D. Is the student’s individual contribution evaluated if learning
occurs in a group project or lab?
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A. Do you have explicit, objective grading criteria (rubric)?

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B. Is the criteria for grading is communicated to students in
advance of the assessment so that expectations are
transparent?
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C. If the student is not successful, do you allow a resubmission?
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1. Validity:
4. Reliability: Is the assessment method a reliable predictor of
performance?
5. Grading (Appendix E):
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Questions
Yes
Re-Think
A. What is the class size?
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B. How long does it take to mark the assessment?
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C. Can you manage within the evaluation factor assigned?
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7. Diversity:
Is the assessment method sensitive (example, you consider: racial,
social, financial, cultural, religious, gender, disabilities, and
confidentiality issues)?
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8. e-Learning:
Have you maximized e-Learning opportunities for assessment
where appropriate (example, on-line quizzes, discussion)?
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6. Technical Considerations: Is the assessment method
manageable?
9.
RE-THINK: Reflect on your analysis of the assessment method
and identify one or two areas you want to “re-think”.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Review other courses to consider if the assessment design is consistent with the principles of
best practice.
Meet with a colleague, perhaps someone who is teaching the same course, to review the overall
assessment design of your course or ask the workshop facilitator who is not a subject matter
expert to provide feedback on the design of your course.
Meet with a colleague to compare rubrics for the same course to ensure consistency among
assessors.
Departmental collaboration may be required to discuss staggering assessment dates and
scaffold assignments so they can be built upon one another.
Consult the Centre for Teaching and Learning for additional workshops, such as Assignment
Design, Developing Rubrics, and Online Quizzing to support proposed changes to your course
assessment methods.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Grading and Promotion Policy
Assessment Resources http://mohawkcollege.ca.libguides.com/AssessmentResources
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