This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.
BACKWARD DESIGN AND
ASSESSMENT
Course Design Intensive ~ Dr. Catherine D. Rawn
June 2014
Learning Objective

By the end of this morning, you will be able to plan
one forward-looking and one backward-looking
assessment for your course that is integrated with a
learning objective or course goal.
What makes a learning
assessment good (or bad)?
Backwards Design


Once you have identified the learning goals you
hope to achieve, jump to how you want to measure
them.
What does successful student performance look like?
Fink (2004)
Components of Integrated Course
Design
Learning Goals
Teaching and
Learning
Activities
Feedback and
Assessment
Situational Factors (Context)
Fink (2004)
Assessments: Think Big!
Forward-Looking
Backward-Looking
Assessment
Assessment
Life beyond your course Within boundary of
your course
Replicate future
Did students understand
relevant context
material?
Meaningful now
Quantitative Research Methods
Forward-Looking Assessment
Backward-Looking Assessment
In a group design a study, gather
data, write report. (Term assignment)
Find and read a journal article.
Summarize the take-home message of
the article, as if explaining to a
friend. (Brief assignment)
Find and read a journal article.
Identify the independent and
dependent variables, and how they
were operationally defined. (Brief
assignment)
Imagine you want to measure anxiety List and define the general three
in a study. Generate three different
ways to operationally define a
ways you could measure it. (Exam)
dependent variable. (Exam)
80-90 2nd year Arts Psychology Majors
Required for majors, Prerequisite for statistics
For many, the only course on methods they get
Applied Social Psychology
Forward-Looking Assessment
Backward-Looking Assessment
Identify a learning challenge you face.
Find and compare popular versus
research-based advice for dealing with
this challenge. (Part of term assignment)
Imagine you have been selected to
present to the incoming first year class
about the role of beliefs in academic
performance. What kind of belief do you
recommend they develop? Why? (Exam)
… In your answer, thoroughly explain to
them the differences between entity and
incremental theories of intelligence. (Exam)
Drawing on your understanding of how
memory works, explain why active
learning is more effective than passive
learning. (Exam)
100-180 students from all over campus (mostly Arts)
Not a prerequisite for anything; has no prereqs
Formally called “Special Topics”
Teaching of Psychology
Forward-Looking Assessment
Backward-Looking Assessment
Deliver two lessons to your peers
Give and receive peer feedback
Write a teaching statement
Revise your teaching statement
Develop a syllabus you could use
Self-assessment: What have you
learned?
Self-assessment: What have you
learned?
4-8 Graduate Students in Psychology
Varied levels of classroom experience
Fulfills no requirements
Identify one of each
Forward-Looking
Assessment
Backward-Looking
Assessment
How would you know if these are
“good” assessments?
Criteria to Consider

Validity


Accurate appraisal of learning, given learning goals?
Reliability
Measured consistently?
 Rubrics, clear criteria, standards


Transparency


Feedback


Communicated to students?
Formative and summative?
Workload

Reasonable, given role of this course, students’ load?
Components of Integrated Course
Design
Learning Goals
Teaching and
Learning
Activities
Feedback and
Assessment
Situational Factors (Context)
Fink (2004)
Three Column Course Planning
for Integrated Course Design
Components of Integrated Course
Design
Learning Goals
Teaching and
Learning
Activities
Feedback and
Assessment
Situational Factors (Context)
Fink (2004)
Components of Integrated Course
Design: 3 Column Version
Goal
Assessment
Learning Activity
By the end of this course,
what should students be
able to do?
What does successful
performance look like?
How will you measure
performance?
What will you do to help
the students learn so they
can succeed?
Dis-integration Example
Memorize content.
Think critically
about content.
Lecture
Exam?
Situational Factors (Context)
Fink (2004)
Dis-integration Example
Memorize content.
Think critically
about content.
Lecture
Exam
Memorize only
Situational Factors (Context)
Fink (2004)
Dis-integration Example
Memorize content.
Think critically
about content.
Lecture
X
Exam
Memorize & Think
Critically
Situational Factors (Context)
Fink (2004)
Components of Integrated Course
Design
Learning Goals
Teaching and
Learning
Activities
Feedback and
Assessment
Situational Factors (Context)
Fink (2004)
Apply your Knowledge of Integrated
Course Design
Task




In pairs, generate 1
forward-looking and one
backward-looking
assessment idea to
measure one of the
learning objectives (your
choice).
Be as specific as you can.
Both people need a copy.
Ok to specify assumptions
about the course, refine
LO
Learning Objective



Explain four
implications of cultural
sensitivity in the
business world.
Develop your team
leadership skills.
Identify requirements
of academic writing.
Apply your Knowledge of Integrated
Course Design
Task


Switch pairs, present
your assessment ideas.
Offer feedback
 Does
each assessment
align with LO?
 How could the LO or
assessment altered to
enhance integration?
Learning Objective



Explain four
implications of cultural
sensitivity in the
business world.
Develop your team
leadership skills.
Identify requirements
of academic writing.
Options for Working on Your Course

Start the 3 column worksheet.
 Handout
of examples
Consider your existing course goals and
generate potential forward-looking and
backward-looking assessments for your course.
 Continue working on your DACUM (course goals,
learning objectives)

Integrated Course Design
Build Strong Primary
Components
Assemble Components
into Coherent Whole
Finish Important
Remaining Tasks
Initial Design Phase
Intermediate Design
Phase
Final Design Phase
6. Structure for course
7. Instructional strategy
8. Overall schema of
learning activities
9. Grading system
10.Possible problems
11.Syllabus
12.Course and teaching
evaluation plan
1. Situational factors
2. Learning goals
3. Feedback and
assessment
procedures
4. Teaching/learning
activities
5. Ensure integration
Fink (2004)
Integrated Course Design: Monday
Build Strong Primary
Components
Assemble Components
into Coherent Whole
Finish Important
Remaining Tasks
Initial Design Phase
Intermediate Design
Phase
Final Design Phase
6. Structure for course
7. Instructional strategy
8. Overall schema of
learning activities
9. Grading system
10.Possible problems
11.Syllabus
12.Course and teaching
evaluation plan
1. Situational factors
2. Learning goals
3. Feedback and
assessment
procedures
4. Teaching/learning
activities
5. Ensure integration
Fink (2004)
Integrated Course Design: Today
Build Strong Primary
Components
Assemble Components
into Coherent Whole
Finish Important
Remaining Tasks
Initial Design Phase
Intermediate Design
Phase
Final Design Phase
6. Structure for course
7. Instructional strategy
8. Overall schema of
learning activities
9. Grading system
10.Possible problems
11.Syllabus
12.Course and teaching
evaluation plan
1. Situational factors
2. Learning goals
3. Feedback and
assessment
procedures
4. Teaching/learning
activities
5. Ensure integration
Fink (2004)
Integrated Course Design: Friday
Build Strong Primary
Components
Assemble Components
into Coherent Whole
Finish Important
Remaining Tasks
Initial Design Phase
Intermediate Design
Phase
Final Design Phase
1. Situational factors
2. Learning goals
3. Feedback and
assessment
procedures
4. Teaching/learning
activities
5. Ensure integration
6. Structure for course
7. Instructional
strategy
8. Overall schema of
learning activities
9. Grading system
10.Possible problems
11.Syllabus
12.Course and teaching
evaluation plan
Fink (2004)