Selecting evaluation methods
How do you select the ways students will be evaluated?
Nancy,
If students are learning, that is the most important thing.
Barry Westling
I review my course syllabus and guide it toward group discussion, group teaching, games, case studies, worksheet, etc. I like to use variety but I have a tendency to do what I asm used to doing.
Debra ,
We want to use the most effective tools to measure specific attributes.
Barry Westling
Same here, and I find it very challenging especially in evaluating practical application, improvement of skills, and most importantly student attitude, ability and sincere efforts
Rasiel,
Sounds good. I believe when students are placed into assessment situations that require them to do problem solving or critical thinking type scenarios, they will learn better by it, even though some may feel a bit awkward. Especially true for medical type programs where students will end up treating and interacting with patients.
Barry Westling
There are many ways to assess students in my case they are medical students, direct questions in group meetings, practical procedures were made ​​and asked to explain the procedure, written exams, seminars of clinical cases with questions and group discussion .
Salma,
Good! Rubrics help both instructor and student know how (and why) a grade is assessed a certain way. Rubrics are also instructional in that they allow a student to preview the grading process.
Barry Westling
One of the tools that is used in the evaluation of students is to use rubrics. It is a good way to let the students know how and on what scale they would be evaluated. Thus the students remain informed about how will they be graded based on their performance.
William,
I do this too. I want to reinforce the correct material, clarify misunderstandings, and hopefully allow students to see their errors on their own.
Barry Westling
I always take time to review every exam with the group after returning the exams. This is the last chance I have to teach the material, and students are more attentive to questions they missed.
Dave,
Most grades are derived by similar components. In any grading system, we want to make sure we are actually measuring student learning.
Barry Westling
I think exams and quizes are only part of grading for a course. I also use attendance, participation, hands-on skill testing and a final presentation project (they teach a short subject the class). I believe all these assessments produce a well-rounded grade for the class. My student response has alway been favorable.
Avis,
I think in most trades, we are looking to measure proficiency and competency, and there are dozens of ways to set these up.
Barry Westling
Instructors may select evaluation methods based on the levels of learning in which the students are or tailor the evaluations to what has been taught. In the case of Cosmetology, students can be evaluated both in practical and theory.
Brenda,
Great. Students want (and need) constructive feedback in order to know how they're doing, along with positive suggestions for improvement, and encouragement.
Barry Westling
The skills my students learn are soft skills as well as taking vitals correctly. I evaluate them by watching them perform the skills, count with them and also by written evaluation.
Romana,
Peer assessment is another method that is useful, for both didactic, lab, and clinical skill set evaluation. I find students are often a bit more critical than their instructor might be. Also, giving students the latitude to "grade" one another provides individual strengthening of their own knowledge and performance.
Barry Westling
It depends on the course content. If I am teaching a didactic course, I usually utilize multiple choice, true false or short answer. If I am assessing their clinical skills, I include their self assessment as a part of their evaluation. I believe that self assessment is a valuable learning tool. With self-assessment the student can also see the value of their education
and set goals for improvement of their skills in the future.
Kathleen,
Many health professions require skill, knowledge, and practical application as part of their post graduation credentialing or licensing examination. Your process of aligning close to what the actual tests are comprised makes a lot of sense, and in the end, your students will undoubtedly perform better because of their familiarity.
Barry Westling
