Assessment
What kinds of data do we
collect?
How do we analyze the data?
Diane Ebert-May
Department of Plant Biology
Michigan State University
ebertmay@msu.edu
http://first2.org
Objectives for today:
Design teachable unit as a
learning cycle
Develop rubrics for
assessment
Plan instructional strategies
Learning Cycle
Engage
Explore
Explain/Elaborate
Assess
“To teach is to engage students in learning; thus
teaching consists of getting students involved in
the active construction of knowledge...The aim
of teaching is not only transmission of
information, but also to transform students from
passive recipients of other people’s knowledge
into active constructors of their own and others
knowledge...Teaching is fundamentally about
creating the pedagogical, social, and ethical
conditions under which students agree to take
charge of their own learning, individually and
collectively."
Education for judgement: The artistry of discussion leadership. Ed. C. Roland
Christensen, David A Garvin and Ann Sweet. Cambridge, MA: Harvard
Business School.
Formulate-Share-Listen-Create
Individually read the quote “To teach
is to engage students in learning...”
Underline/highlight words and or
phrases that stand out for you.
Turn to the person next to you and
share and discuss the words that
stood out
Goal: explain evolution by natural selection
Individual Problem
Write a scenario that explains the phenotypic
changes in the tree and animal. Use your
understanding of evolution by natural
selection.
Develop a Rubric
Describe the objectives for the activity
or project
Determine the assessment tasks for
each objective
Develop performance standards
Differentiate levels of performance
based on clearly described criteria
Assign values to the categories
Advantages of Rubrics
Convey goals, performance
standards to students in
unambiguous way
Improve the reliability of written and
oral assignments
Convey point values with
performance standards
Engage students in critical
assessment of their work
Spend time to save time
Limitations of Rubrics
Challenge of criteria
Challenge to use rubrics regularly
www.flaguide.org
www.msu.edu/course/isb/202/ebert
may/2004/homepage/rubrics.html
Scoring Rubric for Quizzes and Homework
Level of
Achievement
Exemplary
(6 points)
Adequate
(4 points)
Needs
Improvement
(2 points)
No Answer (0
points)
General Approach
Comprehension
•Addresses the question or problem
•States a relevant, justifiable answer.
•Presents arguments in a logical order.
•Uses acceptable style and grammar
(no errors).
•Demonstrates an accurate and complete
understanding of the question.
•Backs conclusions with data and warrants.
•Uses 2 or more ideas, examples and/or
arguments that support the answer.
•Does not address the question
explicitly, although does so tangentially.
•States a relevant and justifiable
answer.
•Presents arguments in a logical order.
•Uses acceptable style and grammar
(one error).
•Demonstrates accurate but only adequate
understanding of question because does not back
conclusions with warrants and data.
•Uses only one idea to support the answer.
•Less thorough than above.
•Does not address the question.
•States no relevant answers.
•Indicates misconceptions.
•Is not clearly or logically organized.
•Fails to use acceptable style and
grammar (two or more errors).
•Does not demonstrate accurate understanding of
the question.
•Does not provide evidence to support their
answer to the question.
Guidelines for thinking
about research
What did students learn? (assessment data)
Why did students respond a particular way? (research)
What are the working hypotheses?
What has already been done? Literature says...
How and why select methods? Conduct study...
How to analyze and interpret multiple forms of data?
What do the results mean?
Are findings valid and generalizable?