assessment for learning

1) students explore how the learning objectives for course activities/assignment align with classroom assesSMENTs. 

Identify and share specific, attainable, and measurable learning objectives.

• First day of class discussion: what is the purpose of this class?

• Have students deconstruct course objectives.

• Have students write/ create course objectives.

• Provide a roadmap (or learning progression) of learning objectives for students.

Students are provided opportunities to reflect on and/or discuss how the classroom activities and instructional materials align with the learning objectives. 

• Understanding by Design Templates Vanderbilt University includes overview, the benefits of using backward design, the three stages of backward design, and the backward design template.

• Guidelines for Writing Learning Targets and Success Criteria adapted from Bringing Math Students into the Formative Assessment Equation: Tools and Strategies for the Middle Grades (2015) Creighton et al.

• Evidence-Based Teaching Guide Learning Objectives from Life Sciences Education presents research studies and resources related to learning objectives.

Assessment criteria and rubrics clearly define what students will be able to do and what quality work looks like in achieving learning targets.

• Setting Learning Outcomes Cornell University Center for Teaching Innovation short description of learning outcomes.

• Ask learning targets as a question at the beginning of content; have students answer the learning target question at the end of content.

Students are provided opportunities to examine the assessment criteria and how they align with the learning outcomes.

• Exam review with questions linked to learning targets so students know what targets to focus on when studying.

• Transparent Assignment Design Template from Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT) Higher Ed provides a template for developing, explaining, and discussing class activities to connect the purpose, task, and criteria for success.

• Explain the purpose of each assessment and how it aligns with learning objectives.

• Explicitly describe correlation between in-class and homework problems (with #s).

• Explain and have students reflect on how student learning objectives are tied to assessments.