The goal of the BEF Grading and Assessment team is to help teachers translate their individual and group assessments from a traditional paper and pencil, face-to-face classroom into a remote or hybrid digital space. Our final product is a table/menu that offers teachers tools and strategies to enable them to survive next year, evaluate the philosophy behind their practices, and/or completely redesign their course.
Slides presented are in each of the drop down menus below.
This session brought to you by Noah Gronlund-Jacob, Christine Shen, Jason Tong, Jen Spencer, and
Jennifer Barrer-Gall
Our team's goal was to identify the most useful tools to update current assessments into a digital format and find articles about how to redesign assessments so they are more digital friendly. Some of the "redesign" ideas might already be incorporated into your class - in that case, we hope the articles we've shared help improve your current practices. Also, when redesigning, we've included extreme examples for teachers who are looking to leave the traditional assessment world behind completely.
Please note that these are suggestions and not requirements. We've also only included tools that are currently district approved so you may see some tools not listed for that reason.
Survive:
Enforce the BHS Handbook policies on integrity (Rule 1.3, page 42) [Update this with the 20-21 Handbook when available]
Redesign:
Have students create a class specific honor code to enhance buy in
Use all of the bells and whistles of Canvas Quizzes. Did you know you can check to see how long a student spends on each question/quiz? Or if a student leaves the page? Check the student activity log!
Extreme: End all individual, traditional assessments - try switching to group assessments and presentations or portfolios instead (see below)
Click here to access the presentation from the Unconference.
Survive:
Redesign:
Use Canvas (or paper) Rubrics and have students select the weights for each category (note - this can be time intensive, but can help encourage student buy-in)
Students can complete rubrics for each other if you create an assignment, attach a rubric, and require peer reviews [student version] (thanks to Dr. Driscoll for the tip!)
Incorporate student reflection into rubrics (see Metacognition below)
Extreme: Switch to Standards-Based Grading; Everything You Need to Know About SBG
Extreme: Track student progress in SBG using Canvas Outcomes and the Learning Mastery Gradebook
Click here to access the presentation from the Unconference.
Survive:
Digitize your current assessments using these tools:
Formative (not currently approved for use by the district, however, you can use the guest feature so students don't have to create an account)
Redesign:
Consider increasing the difficulty of questions and making assessments more open note
Update assessments to use questions requiring deeper levels of knowledge using Webb's Depth of Knowledge (explanation) and (quick guide)
Additional Task/Question/Problem Types to Consider for formative and summative assessments
Extreme: End all individual, traditional assessments - try switching to group assessments and presentations or portfolios instead (see below)
Extreme: Two excellent resources on rethinking individual assessments - "Make it Stick" and "Hacking Assessment"
Click here to access the presentation on this section from the Unconference.
Survive:
Tools students can use to collaborate in google suite: Google Slides; Google Docs; Jamboard
Students can record themselves working in small groups on Zoom or ExplainEverything and share with the teacher
If students need to draw something freehand, they can use the whiteboard feature in Zoom, Jamboard, Desmos, or create graphs using Google Sheets
Redesign:
Revise questions to be more challenging and open note (see Individual Assessments)
Update rubrics to emphasize how groups are working together, instead of focusing on the final produc
Visit Group Collaboration in Assessment- Competing Objectives, Processes, and Outcomes for a detailed discussion of many aspects of group assessments
Extreme: Make all assessments group assessments (end traditional, individual assessments)
Click here to access the presentation on this section from the Unconference.
Survive:
Students can share live using Zoom, Google slides, or Sutori
Students can pre-record their presentations on Zoom, or use Screencastify [include video/notes on how to do this?]
Review these tips for students about making better virtual presentations
Redesign:
Use an alternative program, such as ExplainEverything, VoiceThread, WeVideo
Extreme: Have students use a tool such as EdPuzzle, Desmos, or Google Forms to create an activity of assessment for their classmates - teachers can then provide feedback on the creation and after students have completed the task
Click here to access the presentation on this section from the Unconference.
Survive:
Canvas Collaborations allows students to form groups and generate a single google doc for submission
You can also use Canvas Groups to generate student teams - find this under the People tab (students can create their own groups, too!)
Show students how to use Canvas Messages to share ideas and Canvas Calendar to create shared events
Show students how to use the Canvas To-Do list
Practice email etiquette by having students complete an Introduction to Email lesson (this works for when they email teachers and each other)
Redesign:
Discussion of impact of group composition in grading: Group Collaboration in Assessment- Competing Objectives, Processes, and Outcomes (pp 16-18)
Collaborative Assessments from The Science Teacher gives two case studies.
Be intentional about when to create groups or allow them to form organically (see middle section titled, "Assigning Groups or Letting Them Form Organically")
Add group reflection on communication to improve group dynamics
Incorporate communication activities to enhance these skills
Extreme: Ask students to create their own norms to utilize when working and communicating in groups (see Also Rubrics/Outcomes and Student Reflection and Metacognition)
Click here to access the presentation on this section from the Unconference.
Survive:
Have students create all work in a shared folder for accessibility and grading; stay organized by adding students folders to your own class folders
Redesign:
Have students use Google Sites or Sutori to create their own portfolios
Use portfolios to showcase student work, assess learning over time, or to establish learning profiles (bonus: the end includes tips on how to make google sites)
Extreme: End individual traditional assessments and base grades entirely on portfolios (this is a bit long, but it's everything you need to know)
Click here to access the presentation on this section from the Unconference.
Survive:
Base your metacognition survey on this model from Vancouver Island University, or this one from Emotional Disorders and Metacognition
Redesign:
Have students keep a journal throughout a unit or quarter tracking their progression (can be a google doc, Canvas Survey, google site)
Add personal reflections to your course and evaluate them using these strategies or these strategies
Extreme: End grades entirely!
Click here to access the presentation on this section from the Unconference.