Tips & Tools for Assessing
Student Learning
Part 2
Presented by
EdTech & CERTI
How do we bridge the gap?
Assessment
&
Learning
Objectives
&
Teaching
Please take a couple of
minutes to…
write down a
learning objective
of your own and
explain how you
would measure that
it has been met.
What is a learning objective?
A learning objective is a statement
that clearly describes what a learner
will be able to do at the end of the
lesson (unit/chapter/module).
Learning Objective
or
Course Goal?
Objectives
1. Become familiar with learning
objectives and why they are important.
2. Be able to use an online tool to write
learning objectives.
3. Understand the difference between
vague learning objectives and specific
measureable ones.
4. Learn some Classroom Assessment
Techniques (CATS).
How will we know the
objectives for this
session are met?
Objectives
1. Become familiar with learning
objectives and why they are important.
2. Be able to use an online tool to write
learning objectives.
3. Understand the difference between
vague learning objectives and specific
measureable ones.
4. Learn some Classroom Assessment
Techniques (CATS).
How might this objective be
improved?
1. Become familiar with
learning objectives and
why they are important.
Revised Objective
Condition
Upon completion of this session,
Audience
participants will be able to…
Behavior
1. Define learning objectives.
2. Defend why learning objectives are
important to a colleague who thinks
they are just educational jargon.
Improve this objective.
3. Be able to use an online tool to write
learning objectives.
Revised Objectives continued
Upon completion of this session,
participants will be able to…
Condition
Audience
3. Utilize resources
Behavior
(people, handouts, or online)
to write or improve learning
objectives.
How might this objective be
improved?
4. Understand the difference
between vague learning objectives
and specific measureable ones.
Revised Objectives continued
Upon completion of this session,
participants will be able to…
4. Transform a vague
learning objective into a
specific measurable one.
Condition
Audience
Behavior
How might this objective be
improved?
5. Learn some Classroom
Assessment Techniques (CATS).
Revised Objectives continued
Upon completion of this session,
participants will be able to…
5. List at least 3 Classroom
Assessment Techniques (CATs)
and the benefits in using them.
Condition
Audience
Behavior
Why is it important to
write learning
objectives?
Value of Learning Objectives
• Instructors know exactly what they are
attempting to do.
• Learners know exactly what is expected of
them.
• Learning objectives (LO) provide a focus.
• LO allow evaluation of learner
performance.
• LO provide a means of effective planning.
Review of Bloom’s Taxonomy
ABCD’s of Objectives
Audience
Behavior (performance)
Condition
Degree (criteria)
Where is the A,B,C,D?
Given a list of appropriate verbs, the
learner will be able to write a learning
objective with a clearly stated action.
Using a French knife, the learner will
dice an onion into ½ inch pieces.
Revise your own objective
• Share with a partner.
• If time, try writing more objectives and
discuss.
• How did you change your original objective?
• How did using “ABCD” help in revising or
writing your objective?
• What learning domain(s) does your objective
fall under?
Classroom Assessment
Techniques (CATs)
Characteristics of CATs
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Typically not graded
Almost always anonymous
Formative assessment
Immediate feedback
Mutually beneficial
Ongoing
Inform teaching and learning
Resources
• New version of Bloom’s Cognitive
Taxonomy Circle
• Objective Builder and Bloom’s video
• Andrew Church’s Digital Taxonomy
• Field-tested Learning Assessment Guide
• Classroom Assessment Techniques: A
Handbook for College Teachers, Angelo &
Cross (may be checked out from CERTI)