Learning objectives and assessments

1. Learning objectives and assessments Stuart Birnbaum Department of Geological Sciences The University of Texas at San Antonio June 15, 2015

2. Pilot Materials, Make changes • for individual • lessons

3. Learning Objectives Student Learning Objectives are the intended results of the teaching activities • Cognitive: What do students know? • Affective: What do students care about? • Behavioral: What can students do?

4. Learning Objectives Writing Learning Objectives • Describe conditions under which behavior is to be performed • Use action verbs • State Criteria • Add the product, process or outcome

5. Learning Objectives Writing Learning Objectives • Describe conditions under which behavior is to be performed • Use action verbs • State Criteria • Add the product, process or outcome From “Humans’ Dependence on Mineral Resources” (http://serc.carleton.edu/integrate/teaching_materials/mineral_resources/overview.html): Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to: Describe how elemental abundance relates to mineral abundance and hence to resource availability.

6. Learning Objectives Learning Objectives target different levels of learning • Developmental: lower level tasks required before moving on • Mastery: complex tasks likely to have varying levels of progress Learning objectives support your learning goals.

7. Learning Objectives support your learning goals Example from “Map Your Hazards” • A module goal: Students will recognize and develop an understanding of how to identify and apply credible data sets to identify local natural hazards, vulnerable groups and structures, and levels of risk for their community. • (http://serc.carleton.edu/integrate/teaching_materials/map_hazards/overview.html) • A unit objective: Students will identify and label areas prone to natural hazards on a map that includes all or a section of their community, including a well-referenced reasoning for why and how often hazards may occur. (http://serc.carleton.edu/integrate/teaching_materials/map_hazards/unit1.html)

8. Learning Objectives – using rubrics Example from “Map Your Hazards” • Assessment: Students should be provided with the map activity rubric prior to the start of Unit 1 to explain expectations and how they will be evaluated: Unit 1 Rubric (http://serc.carleton.edu/integrate/teaching_materials/map_hazards/unit1.html)

9. Learning Objectives – using rubrics (http://serc.carleton.edu/integrate/teaching_materials/map_hazards/unit1.html)

10. Learning Objectives You will develop learning outcomes that support your learning goals memorization and recall getting the meaning of using knowledge taking apart information reorganizing information generating, producing Remembering Understanding Applying Analyzing Evaluating Creating Developmental Mastery See the Bloom’s Taxonomy: A Framework for Learning Handout

11. Learning Objectives What is required from the Materials Development Rubric? • Learning objectives describe measureable geoscience literacy goals • Instructions and/or rubrics provide guidance for how students meet learning goals • Learning objectives and goals are appropriate for the intended use of the course/module • Learning objectives and goals are clearly stated for each module in language suitable for the level of the students • Learning objectives and goals address the process and nature of science and development of scientific habits of mind Must score 13/15 on this section

12. Learning Objectives What questions do you have about learning objectives? Learning objectives form the basis of assessment.

13. Pilot Materials, Make changes

14. Assessment and Measurement There are two broad categories of assessments: • Formative: While the learning is occurring • Purpose to monitor student learning • Immediate feedback • Help students & faculty identify weaknesses • Low stakes • Summative: After learning has occurred • Purpose to evaluate learning against some benchmark • High stakes (graded)

15. Assessment and Measurement There are two broad categories of assessments: Example from “Water, Earth’s surface, and Human Activity” http://serc.carleton.edu/dev/integrate/teaching_materials/energy_and_processes/activity_2.html • Formative: • Objective 2-3. Identify physical characteristics associated with the collection, transport and deposition zones in a river system

16. Assessment and Measurement There are two broad categories of assessments: Example from “Water, Earth’s surface, and Human Activity” http://serc.carleton.edu/dev/integrate/teaching_materials/energy_and_processes/activity_2.html • Summative: • Explain how stream velocity (assume the steeper the slope, the faster the velocity) relates to the transportation and deposition of sediment. Use specific examples from Part 2 and 3 to support your answer.

17. Assessment and Measurement What is required from the Materials Development Rubric? • Assessments measure the learning goals • Assessments are criterion referenced • Assessments are consistent with course activities and resources expected • Assessments are sequenced, varied and appropriate to the content • Assessments address goals at successively higher cognitive levels Must score 13/15 on this section

18. http://serc.carleton.edu/dev/integrate/teaching_materials/energy_and_processes/assessment.htmlhttp://serc.carleton.edu/dev/integrate/teaching_materials/energy_and_processes/assessment.html Assessments are criterion referenced

19. Minerals Module: Formative In class activity: Mining a Muffin Exercise Students are given a muffin and a variety of tools to extract the “ore.” Students are asked a variety of questions related to the costs and benefits of removing the “ore” from the muffin

20. Minerals Module: Summative Exam Question: The drawing shows a hillside in which a mining company wants to open a mine, along with a scale bar to illustrate size and distances. What are the potential costs and benefits of extracting ore in this location?

21. Assessment and Measurement Some Really Good Summative Assessments Living on the Edge: Units 5 and 6 Summative Assessment – apply concepts related to volcanic eruptions to disaster relief and disaster planning for a community. http://serc.carleton.edu/integrate/teaching_materials/living_edge/assessment.html#file59223 Sustainable Ag: Fact sheet developed for local farmers (fact_sheet_student_handout.v6) – shows assessment overview and “Addressing Stakeholder Needs” http://serc.carleton.edu//integrate/teaching_materials/sustain_agriculture/activity6.html

22. Assessment and Measurement What will the assessment team need? • Enough assessment opportunities to conclusively demonstrate the level of learning achieved • Learning Objective level • Both formative and summative • Module/course goal level: Summative • These assessments need to show what students know and are able to do as related to the broader goals

23. Learning Objectives What is required from the Materials Development Rubric? • Assessments measure the learning goals • Assessments are criterion referenced • Assessments are consistent with course activities and resources expected • Assessments are sequenced, varied and appropriate to the content • Assessments address goals at successively higher cognitive levels Must score 13/15 on this section

24. Summary Pilot Materials, Make changes