Assess Student Performance

• • How will you evaluate students' performance?

  • What kinds of evidence will demonstrate that learning outcomes were met?

  • How will I communicate my expectations to my students?

  • What kinds of formative and summative assessments will help me direct learning?

  • What will my students do?

  • How will I evaluate their work?

  • What do I need to see to determine how/if desired learning was achieved?

Case study from a Technical Communication course

Reflection assessment occurred as formative and summative.

Formative assessments throughout the course included journal responses to prompts that assessed how well students understood the topic. Prompts required students to define and analyze a concept essential to the course: "rhetorical context." (See Creating Reflection Activities for low- and high-stakes activities and Facilitating High-Impact Activities for reflection prompts.) Individual work was graded according to a writing rubric with feedback regarding writing competencies. Selected responses were discussed in class for both content and writing. Formative assessment used a rubric, which included the following:

• • Does the journal entry clearly define "rhetorical context"?

  • Does the journal entry communicate how messages are shaped by their rhetorical contexts?

  • Are explanations supported by examples?

  • Does the entry demonstrate basic writing competencies including organization, development, style, convention, and design appropriate for the academic context in which it was assigned?

Summative assessment included a more developed essay in the students' integrative learning portfolios. Peer review, rubrics, and samples were provided in class. Portfolios were graded using a detailed rubric that included content development and writing competency criteria (organization, style, design, convention, etc.) The summative assessment and rubric addressed the following:

• • Does the essay synthesize key components of rhetorical context presented through class discussions, journal entries, and reading materials?

  • Does the essay evaluate what the student learned about the topic? What does she know now that she didn't know before?

  • Does the essay provide evidence to support her conclusions about what she learned, including what she would/will do differently and why?

  • Does it demonstrate excellent writing competencies including organization, development, style, convention, and design appropriate for the academic context in which it was assigned?