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Assessment and evaluation of student work provides students with ongoing and meaningful feedback about their progress in meeting Course Learning Outcomes. This feedback is a critical component of the learning process.
The third module focuses on designing and evaluating degree level assessments. It is recommended that participants complete the Exploring the Degree Level Standard and Degree Level Learning Outcomes modules prior to beginning this unit.
By the end of this module participants will be able to: Select an appropriate assessment for a learning outcome at the degree level Create a rubric for the assessment to measure learning at the degree level Justify the criteria for designating student work as minimally acceptable, average and exemplary with respect to the assessment
By the end of this module participants will be able to:
Creating assessments at the degree level follows the same guidelines as for diplomas and other credential levels, as outlined in Seneca’s Student Assessment Policy. Assessments must align with and measure achievement of the Course Learning Outcomes. Each outcome must be evaluated by at least one assessment and students should have multiple opportunities to demonstrate achievement of an outcome. Effective assessment incorporates a variety of authentic tasks and assignments and involves assessment of, for and as learning.
Therefore the difference between degree and diploma level assessments originates with the Course Learning Outcomes.
As degree level Course Learning Outcomes generally employ higher levels within Bloom’s taxonomy, the types of questions asked and the tasks students are required to demonstrate must reflect the complexity level of the Course Learning Outcome being assessed. Degree level assessments will measure a greater depth of knowledge and may require learning to be applied to different contexts. The Teaching & Learning Centre's guide for aligning assessments, learning outcomes and teaching activities provides helpful question stems for each of Bloom’s six cognitive domain levels. Assessments should also align with the Degree Level Standard elements that have been mapped to the relevant Course Learning Outcome. In practice, higher level assessments not only evaluate mastery of content at the appropriate breadth, depth and complexity, but also carry expectations with respect to how that content is synthesized and presented. This might be reflected in higher standards for written and oral communication skills, referencing of sources, and the design of reports.
Authentic assessments “involve students in the actual challenges, standards, and habits needed for success in the academic disciplines or in the workplace” (Wiggins, 1989, p. 706). By requiring students to carry out tasks in situations as similar as possible to real-world contexts, authentic assessments reflect the practical knowledge and skills required of graduates in a field. They are particularly effective at the degree level as they promote critical thinking and inquiry, assess deep learning and require judgement and innovation in order to solve complex contextual problems. Authentic assessments allow students to play a direct role in structuring their learning by applying a variety of skills towards accomplishing a relevant, real-world task.
The following table lists examples of various types of authentic assessments appropriate for degree level learning.
Adapted from: (Walvoord & Anderson, 1998)
Evaluation of student progress involves a determination of the quality of work based upon defined criteria as set out in a rubric or a grading scheme. Rubrics are helpful tools to communicate performance expectations and assessment criteria. While rubric design will be similar between degree and diploma level assessments, the degree level rubric will have stricter criteria and more refined categories. Keep in mind appropriate levels of depth, breadth and complexity of knowledge, along with expectations surrounding academic scholarship when creating rubrics for degree level assignments. Links to and are available on the Teaching and Learning website.
Assessment:An in-depth research project, under the supervision of a faculty member, on a subject-related topic, culminating in a written project summary.
Rubric:
Adapted from: (Haggerty et al., 2011)
As can be seen in this example, the degree level rubric evaluates performance at a high level of cognitive complexity. Assessment criteria align not only with the Course Learning Outcomes, but also with relevant Degree Level Standard elements such as Communication and Methodological Awareness.
The Office of Teaching & Learning at the University of Calgary has assembled this collection of rubric examples.Rubric Examples
As part of the quality assurance process, colleges must provide program assessors with samples of student work from the terminal stage (3rd and/or 4th years) of the program. According to PEQAB guidelines, student work is reviewed as “evidence that the expected learning outcomes related to the Degree Level Standard have been achieved”. (PEQAB, 2018, p.47)
Samples of student work may include assignments, essays, capstone projects, exams, case analyses, reports and presentations. Each sample must include details of the assignment (i.e., a copy of what the student receives), the student’s original, ungraded work and, where applicable, the rubrics against which the assignment was graded.
These samples are categorized into what the instructor considers minimally acceptable, average and exemplary work:
Minimally Acceptable
Work meets the minimum criteria for achieving a passing grade on the assignment. Although the work demonstrates learning at a degree level, there is considerable room for improvement in all areas.
Average
Work reflects achievement of the assessment criteria. The work fulfills the expectations of the assignment, but may contain minor errors or deficiencies.
Exemplary
Work meets all expectations with few, if any, errors and exceeds the assignment goals in some areas.
This activity is designed to help you develop guidelines for the evaluation of student work, by creating an assessment rubric and defining minimal, average and exemplary classification criteria. A template and example are provided to assist you with the development of your guidelines.
Step 1: Select a Course Learning Outcome from one of your degree courses.
Step 2: Describe a degree level assessment that will measure achievement of this learning outcome. Use the following questions as guides:
Step 3: Create a degree level rubric for scoring the assessment. Consider:
Step 4: Develop a set of criteria for determining whether student work submitted for this assignment is minimally acceptable, average or exemplary.
Evaluating Degree Level Assessments template (PDF)
Evaluating Degree Level Assessments example (PDF)
To receive micro-credential recognition for completion of this module, apply for the Degree Level Assessment digital badge.
To demonstrate completion of the module, you will be asked to:
Badge Application Form
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