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CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT IN THE QEP PILOT PROJECTS
IDEA Student Rating of Instruction Tool, Part 1: The IDEA (Individual Development & Educational Assessment) Center describes its Student Rating of Instruction as focusing on student learning instead of the instructor’s teaching behavior. [For further information: http://www.idea.ksu.edu]
IDEA Student Rating of Instruction Tool, Part 2: The IDEA Student Rating is determined at the end of the semester when the instructor is evaluated based on the objectives he or she identified in the Faculty Information Form. Each student provides a self-report of learning based on instructor-identified objectives. The resulting reports include both ratings of instructor effectiveness and suggestions as to how the instructor can improve performance in the classroom. [For further information: http://www.idea.ksu.edu]
VARK Inventory (Visual, Aural, Read/Write, Kinesthetic): This inventory is a guide to assessing student learning styles and should be completed by both students and faculty members. It consists of a series of questions that are used to classify an individual’s learning style. As noted previously, the fact that students have different learning styles argues for using a variety of active learning strategies in the classroom. [For further information: http://www.vark-learn.com/english/index.asp]
Formative Assessments: Students’ reactions to active learning tasks in class can be collected through ongoing feedback using various Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs). (Link to Assessment Techniques of Student Learning—i.e. the Gretchen Document). This assessment allows faculty to make in-course adjustments and determine how well students are understanding the course material. It also will provide useful qualitative assessment of various instructional approaches.
Summative Assessments: Summative assessments will be collected using embedded questions on exams and collection of performance data on these questions. In those classes that employ field journals, portfolios, essays, essay exams, and oral presentations, a critical thinking rubric (based on Washington State University’s rubric) can be used, contextualized for the course and assignments. This will provide comparable direct measures of desired student outcomes for the course. [For further information: http://wsuctproject.wsu.edu/ctr.htm]
ALIT: The Active Learning Inventory Tool (ALIT) was developed and validated by researchers from Northeastern University, and the University has secured permission to employ this tool. [click here for ALIT]