‘Assessment’
Memo to Departments: Outcomes Assessment Really is a Good Idea (POD Essays on Teaching Excellence)
Feb. 3, 2012— CFT Educational Consultant Milt Cox reviews an essay by Wayne Jacobson, University of Iowa, appearing in Essays on Teaching Excellence published by the Professional and Organizational Network in Higher Education. Jacobson claims that outcomes assessment is of key importance to departments. It provides them with the opportunity to discover and measure the impact that...
Fostering Student Engagement- NSSE Annual Results 2011
Nov. 18, 2011—Last spring, about 2.1 million students at more than 750 colleges and universities were invited to report on their in- and out-of-class learning experiences by completing the NSSE survey. The near-record number of participating institutions signifies continued interest in student engagement as a useful and informative way for institutional leaders, faculty, and others to gain...
Make the Most of Your Course Preparation Time This Summer
Jun. 13, 2011—Summer time is here, and many faculty members have a break from their usual schedules, a chance to slow down a bit and start planning their fall courses. If you’ve got a breather, you may find this an opportune time to review and refresh your teaching plans and practices. The Center for Teaching is open...
Academically Adrift? A Talk by Richard Arum Today on Undergraduate Learning
Feb. 23, 2011—The Center for Teaching is co-sponsoring a presentation this afternoon by Dr. Richard Arum, Professor of Sociology & Education at New York University, and co-author of Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses. Professor Arum’s research has garnered much publicity, including coverage by the New York Times, the Chronicle of Higher Education, Inside Higher Ed,...
Measurement of ‘Learning Outcomes’ Comes to Graduate School
Dec. 6, 2010—“I just know it in my bones” is the rationale some professors might give to explain how they know whether or not their students have learned, writes David Glenn in an article posted in the Chronicle of Higher Education. This article focuses in particular on graduate education, since even those programs that consist of more...
Episode 24 – Grading with Rigor
Oct. 28, 2010—In this episode, we feature comments edited from a discussion held by three panelists: Bonnie Dow Associate Professor and Chair, Communication Studies Ken Schriver Senior Lecturer, Physics & Astronomy Michelle Sulikowski Senior Lecturer, Chemistry http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/59/cftpodcast/ep24_rigor.mp3 [MP3, 20 min 57 sec] Each panelist talks about how they design and grade assessments that foster student learning and...
Grading Effectively and Efficiently
Aug. 23, 2010—Last week, CFT assistant director Derek Bruff facilitated a faculty workshop titled “Assessment of Student Learning: Grading Effectively and Efficiently.” During the workshop, the participants surfaced a few reasons why grading can be challenging, particularly in small classes and when grading student papers. Grading in Small Classes In a small class, students expect a lot...
8/19 Workshop – Assessment of Student Learning: Grading Effectively and Efficiently
Jul. 27, 2010—Time & Date: 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., Thursday, August 19th Facilitator: Derek Bruff, CFT Assistant Director Format: Teaching Workshop Location: Center for Teaching (1114 19th Avenue South, 3rd floor) Audience: New and Returning Faculty Whether the assignment is a semester-long project or a one-paragraph essay, student work should be assessed appropriately. That means aligning your...
Beyond Tests and Quizzes: Creative Assessments in the College Classroom
May. 5, 2010—Beyond Tests and Quizzes: Creative Assessments in the College Classroom, by Richard J. Mezeske and Barbara A. Mezeske, Jossey-Bass, 2007. From the publisher: Because the drive toward external assessment speaks almost exclusively in terms of standardized testing, we need to be reminded of the internal purposes of assessment: measuring learning for both student and teacher...
Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy – A Framework for Assessing Student Learning
Apr. 12, 2010—As you head into the final few weeks of classes, you’re probably starting to think about end-of-semester assessments of your students’ learning. If you’re not familiar with Bloom’s taxonomy of learning objectives, it’s worth getting to know since the taxonomy is a useful framework for thinking about the questions we ask of our students, particularly...