Great, Kristin - yes, the focus on process means that applications of the process can change as students learn to problem solve adequately. This also encourages critcal thinking and "quick" thinking, which is invaluable for ongoing learning and successful employment.
If the process of learning is solid, the process can be applied to other parts of the student's life, including his/her work life. It is like teaching math word problem solving, I teach the process so that students can apply the process to other problems that may be slightly different. By assessing the learning process, I can more effectively determine that the student will be successful after completing my class. The content of the course is important and should also be assessed but determining the weight of each of these assessments towards the final score in the class is the more challenging decision for me.
Indeed, Christina, which means that everything else comes second to the actual learning process of the student. This is difficult for those teachers who are bound to content or on one input tool or method. Being varied and flexible as a instructor means that more students will succeed. Good comments!
As an teacher your assessments drive your instruction. If students are not demonstrating an understanding of the content either through quizzes, tests, projects or group discussion it is up to you to alter your instruction to better meet your students' needs.
Yes, Marilu, and how do you think you can best evaluate the learning process? How can assignments and tests be created and designed to include and demonstrate the learning rather than a simple response? It is quite a challenge and I would love to hear ideas from some on this thread about how they have been able to accomplish this successfully.
I think it is important to evaluate the process of learning in addition to learning outcomes because each of us learns differently and therefore as an instructor ignoring this difference can have affect the success of our students to truly acquire knowledge.
Yes, I do exist, Virginia :) I have a similar background to your own with language acquisition, instructional design, and I also studied critical pedagogy, which brings together various discourse themes such as anti-biased teaching and learning and transformational pedagogy. I like your cross reference to transformational outcomes as measurements of learning. My sense is that the fully online environment and the blended environment are perfect ones in which to develop holistic assessments - the environments themselves are self-directed and immediate. Both of these characteristics support holistic evaluation more than conventional teacher-led environments. Good discussion...
Our department just coincidentally had a discussion about this very topic. Using the analogy of goals and indicators.....The diploma is the indicator that should represent that goals have been mastered. If the measurement tools are flawed and deliver a "false positive" then the entire education is no more than a house of cards.
My personal measure is applicability (something that I use in real life or changes my behavior).
It's interesting to me to see holistic learning coming up in the online environment. I am a specialist in multiculturalism, bilingualism and language acquisition theory. The form holistic assessment took in the brick and mortar environment was portfolios.
I actually enjoyed the writing in this course. The passion of the author comes through as well as her intelligence. That is, if she really exists (teasing, the emails seem computer generated.) :)
Yes breaking habits, we have have installed problems with vehicles and given the student a path. sometimes it is harder to get them to follow the path then to diagnose the vehicle. breaking the habit of tunnel vision is a task.
Yes, James, and simply asking students to "explain" something in their own words is a great way to check for understanding. No one can explain anything not understood.
I totaly agree. We must test what the student has learned not what he/she has guessed or set to mimorised. We see way to much of this. If the student is called apon to show what he/she has learned in the class we might have more students wanting to get in "touch" with what the class is all about in the first place.
Very true, Carissa. Focusing on the process of learning means that evaluation is ongoing and students recognize they are on a learning path. This helps to situate the students within their own process of learning.
Evaluating the process helps with continuous improvement. The instructor can evaluate his/her own course and processes as well as take comments and feedback from the students during and after their journey through the course. The instructor can then see if there were any roadblocks in the process that made it difficult for the student to reach the learning outcomes.
Good points, Ryan. The new skills that are developed by using new technolgy can only be assessed using more holistic and problem solving methods.
Test are important but the types of test should change. Example, hands on verus writen, both are good to demonstrate the amount of information is consumed by the student. Interactive and group based tested should be used to show problem solving a task mastering skills.
Yes, great points, Carroll. So, the process and the product must be fully evaluated in order to assess if learning has taken place.
JUST TAKING A TEST DOESN'T REFLECT WHAT A STUDENT HAS LEARNED. THE STUDENT COULD HAVE GUESED AT A NUMBER OF ANSWERS OR MIMORIZED THE MATERIAL.BUT,IF THE STUDENT HAD TO SHOW THE PROCESS BY WHICH HE COULD PROVE OR DISPROVE THE ANSWER THIS WOULD SHOW YOU MORE OF THE KNOWLEDGE THE STUDENT HAD RETAINED.
...while building on what they already know, Thomas, and helping students self-direct their learning process.
We are teaching the learning skill. Not just the information necessary for passing that most students already know. We have to break their poor habits from the past and instill new practices.
Walter, the process of learning is meaningful and should be evaluated because that is what teachers must focus on in their support and facilitation. The outcome is the goal, however, the process of learning is what students have for life.
