Digital Commons Network^™

Creating Assessment Rubrics For Final Teacher Education Degree Projects: A Qualitative Case Study, Carla Fernández Garcimartín, Víctor Manuel López Pastor, Teresa Fuentes Nieto, David Hortiguela Alcalá

The Qualitative Report

This paper analyzes the process of creating the assessment instruments for the Final Year Project (FYP) by education faculty based on the opinions of the lecturers. Qualitative methodology was used, with a case study design and the in-depth interview as a data collection technique. Four lecturers participated as relevant informants. The results show that: (a) the faculty decided to create the instruments due to the lack of clear assessment criteria among the lecturers in the first years (2009-2015); (b) work was carried out on three assessment instruments over two years (2015-2017): a tutor's report (without grade), a document rubric (80% …

Plas 439: Organic Farming And Food Systems Faculty-Led Inquiry Into Reflective Scholarly Teaching Benchmark Portfolio, Christian Stephenson

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

Organic Farming and Food Systems is a senior and graduate level course for students in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture. This course was previously offered but has been significantly modified as I have taken on responsibility for the course. Goals for the course include student comprehension of the methods of organic and regenerative farming and the impacts of those methods on economic, environmental, and social sustainability. An additional goal is to build student competency in the evaluation of primary, secondary, and tertiary information resources and critical thinking surrounding issues in food production. Assessment for the course was through diverse …

Vmed 531: Introduction To Animal Welfare A Faculty-Led Inquiry Into Reflective Scholarly Teaching Benchmark Portfolio, Amy Walton

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This benchmark portfolio documents course design, student learning, and reflection of teaching methods for VMED 531 Introduction to Animal Welfare. This one credit hour course provides an overview of animal welfare topics and assessment through a veterinary medical lens. Participants are first year veterinary students that have been accepted into Professional Program of Veterinary Medicine (PPVM). This course creates a foundational knowledge base regarding animal welfare topics and fosters critical thinking with how veterinary treatments, surgeries, and animal-use practices influence animal welfare. The ability to utilize critical thinking skills and science-based evidence to create a sound solution is essential regarding …

Defining Best Practices And Validation For Curriculum Mapping, Hannah Smith, Jesse Chittams

College of Nursing Faculty Papers & Presentations

The alignment of curriculum content with standards is a quality improvement measure used to identify gaps or overlaps in academic content. Curriculum mapping results, while commonly used, are rarely reported. Undergraduate faculty mapped 11 courses in a single timepoint using a web-based curriculum mapping tool. Quantitative results were calculated and compared to defined client needs categories. A validation analysis was performed by mapping one course in triplicate. Faculty feedback following the exercise was obtained by online survey. Three client needs categories were determined to be marginally out of range in the initial analysis of the quantitative mapping data. The curriculum …

A Basic Investment In Mercy: Problematizing Assessment In The Basic Course, Kate Swartz

Basic Communication Course Annual

This essay addresses the assessment aspect of the Basic Course; namely, it problematizes our reliance as instructors on traditional grading schema that interfere with our students’ best interests. I address this problem with a mercy-centered approach that uses an ungrading assessment method. In doing so, I acknowledge potential issues with this approach as well as argue for its expanded use as a merciful, beneficial way to provide feedback.

Assessment ‘Responsabilities’ In The Basic Course: Evaluating Public Speaking Rubrics, Miranda N. Rouse

Basic Communication Course Annual

Procedures and practices that are ableist in the educational system have been long overlooked. Speakers having differing abilities than neurotypical or able-bodied individuals is often not something that is considered in basic course assessment tools. This is important to address because although there are institutional policies and procedures in place to help students with differing abilities, instructors of public speaking have the autonomy or power to determine how such accommodations will affect the speech grade determined by the assessment tool. Power relations are significantly complicated in educational settings when strict hierarchies are imposed, and when instructors abuse their authority, which …

The Inclusion Of Classroom-Related Dispositions In Teacher Evaluations, David K. Griffin

Excelsior: Leadership in Teaching and Learning

This paper examines various approaches to evaluating the classroom teacher and discusses the inclusion of dispositions in the evaluation process. A random sample of 150 teachers were asked to complete an online survey focusing on the inclusion of dispositions in their formal evaluations. They were asked to report what specific dispositions were evaluated, and if the specific dispositions were operationally defined. A summary of their responses to the survey items is discussed.

Information Literacy Across The Curriculum: A Faculty Professional Development Program, Jaime Corris Hammond

Instructional Design Capstones Collection

Information literacy is a set of skills that encompass conducting research, evaluating sources and authority, and ethically using information. While information literacy as a concept has existed for 50 years, higher education has struggled to meaningfully incorporate it into college curricula. The concept of “across the curriculum” instruction, most notably Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC), empowers faculty to incorporate skills outside of their discipline to increase learning. This information literacy program uses the concept of “across the curriculum” instruction, an American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) High Impact Practice, to incorporate and contextualize these skills in a variety of …

Teaching And Learning In Stem With Computation, Modeling, And Simulation Practices, Alejandra J. Magana

Purdue University Press Books

Computation, modeling, and simulation practices are commonplace in the STEM workplace, yet formal training embedded in disciplinary practices is not as standard in the undergraduate classroom. Teaching and Learning in STEM With Computation, Modeling, and Simulation Practices: A Guide for Practitioners and Researchers gives instructors a handbook to ensure their curriculum bridges the gap between the classroom and workplace by equipping students with computational skills and preparing them for a rewarding career in STEM. Grounded in theory and supported by fifteen years of education research at the undergraduate level, this book provides instructional, pedagogical, and assessment guidance for integrating modeling …

Instructional Decision Making In A Gateway Quantitative Reasoning Course, Deependra Budhathoki, Gregory D. Foley, Stephen Shadik

Numeracy

Many educators and professional organizations recommend Quantitative Reasoning as the best entry-level postsecondary mathematics course for non-STEM majors. However, novice and veteran instructors who have no prior experience in teaching a QR course often express their ignorance of the content to choose for this course, the instruction to offer students, and the assessments to measure student learning. We conducted a case study to investigate the initial implementation of an entry-level university quantitative reasoning course during fall semester, 2018. The participants were the course instructor and students. We examined the instructor’s motives and actions and the students’ responses to the course. …

Threshold Concepts In Quantitative Reasoning, Judith Canner, Jennifer E. Clinkenbeard

Numeracy

The idea of “threshold concepts” has been used to identify discipline-based concepts that are critical to that academic area. Threshold concepts are often difficult for students to assimilate in a meaningful way but, once done, can be powerful for the learner. In general, threshold concepts are 1) transformative to learner thinking; 2) bounded by the discipline; 3) integrative with other concepts; and 4) irreversible once understood (Meyer and Land 2003). This paper presents five threshold concepts in quantitative reasoning (QR) developed by transdisciplinary faculty workgroups that may be applicable for non-mathematics disciplines as well. They are as follows: 1) QR …

"I’Ll Wait Zero Seconds": Faculty Perspectives On Serials Access, Sharing, And Immediacy, Rachel Elizabeth Scott, Anne Shelley, Chad E. Buckley, Cassie Thayer-Styes, Julie A. Murphy

Faculty and Staff Publications – Milner Library

This study explores how faculty across disciplines access and share scholarly serial content and what expectations they have for immediacy. The authors conducted twenty-five in-depth, semi-structured interviews with faculty of various ranks representing all Illinois State University (ISU) colleges. The findings, presented in the words of participants and triangulated with data from local sources, suggest that faculty use a variety of context-specific mechanisms to access and share serial literature. Participants discuss how they use library services such as databases, subscriptions, interlibrary loan, and document delivery, coupled with academic social networks, disciplinary repositories, author websites, and other publicly available sources to …

Deep Change Theory: Implications For Educational Development Leaders, Caitlin Martin, Elizabeth Wardle

Publications

While chapters 1 and 2 explore the promise of theoretical frameworks for making conceptual change that leads to innovative action around teaching and learning in higher education, they also point out the challenges to this kind of work as teams of faculty strive to lead change in their programs and departments after completing the program. To summarize our claims thus far: one of the goals for the HCWE Faculty Writing Fellows Program is to empower faculty who participate to return to their departments to make programmatic changes—changes they identify as central to their work and values and program culture. The …

Aha! Centering Student Voices To Better Understand An Instruction Program, Andrea Wilcox Brooks, Cathy Craig, Meredith Riney

Communications in Information Literacy

This article describes using aha moments as an assessment approach to gain a better understanding of student learning in relation to the six frames in the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. Librarians asked students to share an aha moment following information literacy instruction sessions during the fall 2022 semester. Researchers coded responses to one of the six IL frames and found that student insights most often reflected learning aligned to the “Searching as Strategic Exploration” frame, though “Information Has Value” also had a strong presence. The results provided a holistic picture …

Using Team Rewards And Individual Assessment To Incentivize Collaboration In Team Projects, Prasart Jongjaroenkamol

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

Team projects are commonly used in higher education across different disciplines to promote cooperation among students. However, achieving this objective can be challenging. To address this issue, educators have explored various strategies, such as implementing peer evaluation or having periodic consultations with teams. In this paper, I present a novel approach to team assessment that combines team rewards with individual assessment. In this assessment, each team member independently takes a quiz, and the team's score is determined by the average performance of its members. Consequently, the team reward becomes intricately tied to the individual learning outcomes of all team members. …

An Slp Graduate Student’S Analysis Of Language In Children With Speech Sound Disorders, Madeline Janney, Donna Thomas

Journal of Interprofessional Practice and Collaboration

Purpose

Students in allied health professional (AHP) programs are instructed in evidenced-based evaluation practices and participate in interprofessional education and practice in order to identify disorders (e.g., speech, language, gross motor, fine motor) and provide effective treatment. The purpose of this paper is to present a small-scale research study of one graduate student in an AHP program that trains speech-language pathologists.

Method

A graduate student used retrospective methodology to examine the language skills of nine children with speech sound disorders (SSD) to determine if language impairment (LI) co-existed. The student learned and used a method of language sample analysis known …

People, Places, & Things: Connecting The University Of North Florida Library To First Time In College Student Retention, Trina Mccowan

Library Faculty Presentations & Publications

No abstract provided.

The Language Of 21st Century Skills: Next Directions For Closing The Skills Gap Between Employers And Postsecondary Graduates, Gabe A. Orona, Ou Lydia Liu, Richard Arum

Chinese/English Journal of Educational Measurement and Evaluation | 教育测量与评估双语期刊

The onus of preparing skilled employees for the modern workforce is largely placed on institutions of higher education. However, recent surveys consistently show a skills gap between what employers’ desire and what graduates possess. This review engages this discussion in the context of measuring and assessing 21^st century skills. We begin by succinctly reviewing literature pertaining to the skills gap, including what types of skills are commonly referenced, before moving to examine literature indicating the relations between current 21st century skills and job-related outcomes. Finally, we conclude with recommendations for higher education researchers examining skill development. Our recommendations cover …

They Shall Run And Not Be Weary, And They Shall Walk And Not Faint: 50 Years Of The Oru Field Test, Lora Conte, Anthony Domeck, Todd Farmer, Fritz G. Huber, Eric D. Hudgens, Scarlet R. Jost, Andrew S.I.D. Lang, Nancy V. Mankin, Terry V. Shannon, Glenn E. Smith, Angela L. Watson

Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning for Christians in Higher Education

A history of the development and changes of ORU’s field test over the last 50 years is presented followed by previously unpublished percentile values for N=14,076 recent prepandemic (2017–2019) field-test times for the distances for 1-mile, 1.5-mile, and 2-mile field tests for college students aged 18.9 years (N=2,198; 58.3% female), 19.1 years (N=1,574; 58.0% female), and 20.5 years (N=10,304; 57.3% female) respectively. The aim of this study is to establish an updated set of standard field test times that can serve as a valuable benchmark for assessing the cardio-vascular fitness levels of college students.

Teaching Undergraduate Students About Cultural And Linguistic Diversity: Assessment And Pedagogical Challenges, Gabriela Simon-Cereijido, Kai J. Greene, Lucía I. Méndez

Teaching and Learning in Communication Sciences & Disorders

Purpose: Diverse undergraduate students can play a critical role in increasing the number of culturally competent clinicians in the future. However, exploring how these students develop cultural and linguistic awareness is crucial. This study examined the development and assessment of cultural and linguistic awareness among a diverse group of undergraduate students who completed a dedicated course on cultural and linguistic diversity in communication disorders.

Method: We conducted quantitative and qualitative analyses to evaluate student growth. Ninety-seven undergraduate students from a public Hispanic-Serving Institution completed an adaptation of the ASHA's Cultural Competence Checklist: Personal Reflection at the beginning and end of …

Student Proficiency On High School Math Assessments And Their Relation To College And University Math Readiness, Tiffany Robinson

Dissertations

Data indicate that a significant number of first-year college students were inadequately prepared in high school to complete university-level mathematics courses. The purpose of this study is to evaluate student proficiency on high school mathematics assessments and their relation to student preparedness for university-level mathematics courses. The context of my study is a cohort of diverse, high school senior students in one state in the United States who have shown proficiency on mathematics assessments. The methodology I used was a mixture of qualitative and quantitative data, comprised of student and faculty index surveys at the high school and university level …

Reevaluating Student Engagement: Exploring And Applying Alternative Assignments In Higher Education Undergraduate Applied Saxophone, Anthony S. Cincotta Ii

Dissertations, 2020-current

Undergraduate applied saxophone study revolves around the conservatory model. This inflexible model, often referred to as a master-apprentice relationship, can create an instructor-centric power dynamic which does not address the needs of the modern student. A classroom where the power lies so heavily with the instructor can stifle student engagement and can create a sense of disenfranchisement. In this setting, students have limited input on their assignment selections. While curricula have evolved with regards to being more culturally diverse, relevant, and inclusive, the approach that educators use to deliver the material has remained largely unchanged. There is limited research on …

Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning (And What To Do Instead), Lori M. Costello

Journal of Applied Communications

Book review of Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning (and What to Do Instead), edited by Susan D. Blum with a foreword by Alfie Kohn

Securing The Right Skills: A Longitudinal Assessment Of College Students’ Writing And Public Speaking Self-Efficacy, T. Kody Frey, Jessalyn I. Vallade

Basic Communication Course Annual

This research investigated the developmental patterns of students’ writing and public-speaking self-efficacy throughout their experience in the basic communication course (BCC). Questions were posed regarding (a) whether students grew in their reported writing and public speaking self-efficacy over two semesters, (b) whether growth differed based on biological sex, and (c) whether affinity and apprehension (as sources of performance self-efficacy) played a role in student growth. Two multilevel models revealed significant differences in students’ initial status and rate of growth for each outcome. Specifically, sex, affinity, and apprehension influenced students’ starting positions in the course, while only apprehension had a significant …

Onward In Higher Education: Business Faculty Perspectives On Authentic Assessment, Farah L. Kashef, Matt Townsley

Journal of Research Initiatives

This mixed-method study explored business faculty’s perspectives on drawbacks and benefits associated with authentic assessment at 10 R1 Midwestern universities. In search of solutions, faculty were also asked to provide recommendations in implementing authentic assessment. Quantitative and qualitative findings suggest most business faculty are in favor of assessment strategies that promote higher order thinking and real-world practices. However, ongoing faculty professional development opportunities and reconsidering the assessment culture of higher education are needed to make this important shift towards authentic assessment.

A 5-Week Personalized Training Workshop To Assess And Evaluate Faculty Members Teaching Online, Felix O. Quayson, Christopher Zirkle

Journal of Research Initiatives

The authors developed the Skills of Inquiry (SoI) model accompanied by a logic model to assess and evaluate faculty members teaching online. The Skills of Inquiry is based on faculty members’ abilities to understand the online environments, skills development pertaining to online teaching, and acquisition of specific online skills. The Skills of Inquiry model was used to personalize a 5-week workshop training and development module specifically for faculty members teaching online. The training workshop is effective in training faculty members to acquire specific online teaching skills through customized and individualized professional development learning. The training is a self-paced asynchronous online …

Exploring How Student Athletes Balance Athletic, Academic, And Personal Needs Through Learned Needs Theory., Michael E. Rutledge Ii

Journal of Research Initiatives

The attempt to balance the requirements of athletic and academic demands prompts extensive research agendas from higher education and athletic stakeholders to examine how extrinsic and socio-environmental factors affect the desired outcomes of student athletes. Reputable motivation literature describes needs as the starting point of motivation and influences behaviors embedded within cultural and systematic structures. Thus, the purpose of this study is to understand how sport participation influences athletic and academic performance through Learned Needs Theory (LNT). This study provides insight to processes of motivation that contribute to knowledge, practical implications, and research that translates to research-based approaches to increase …

Focused On Pedagogy: Qr Grading Rubrics For Written Arguments, Ruby Daniels, Kathryn Appenzeller Knowles, Emily Naasz, Amanda Lindner

Numeracy

Institutional assessments of quantitative literacy/reasoning (QL/QR) have been extensively tested and reported in the literature. While appropriate for measuring student learning at the programmatic or institutional level, such instruments were not designed for classroom grading. After modifying a widely accepted institutional rubric designed to assess QR in written arguments, the current mixed method study tested the reliability of two QR analytic grading rubrics for written arguments and explored students’ reactions to the grading tools. Undergraduate students enrolled in a business course (N = 59) participated. A total of 415 QR artifacts from 40 students were assessed; an additional 19 …

Facilitating Programme-Level Assessment Working Teams To Develop Shared Rubrics Across A Ug And Pg Programme Portfolio In Business Education, Roisin Donnelly, Colin Hughes

Books/Book Chapters

This chapter is a reflective study reporting on a College-wide common rubrics initiative in a Technological University (TU) in Ireland. Assessment and feedback are enduring issues for the higher education sector both in Ireland (as well as internationally). By addressing these priorities, we are focusing on the connected areas of marking practices and feedback processes in a College of Business. The chapter highlights the collaborative nature of an initiative on programmatic assessment design, its breadth of scope, and the high levels of support provided to staff and students through the design process. In particular, rubrics are the main focus of …

2022-2023 Annual Student Assessment Report, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Assessment Center Reports

Annual Student Assessment Report produced by the SWOSU Assessment Center.