Where does one start? The end or the beginning?

Using blogs to share resources always pose such a challenge. Because of the "diary" form of the blog, there is chronological sequencing to deal with. Which raises the question: "Shall I share resources on assessment or should I start with trying to define goals and projected outcomes?"

Well, since the impetus for this blog was our discussion on evaluation/assessment, I'll start with a really useful book called Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATS for short) by Thomas A. Angelo and K. Patricia Cross. I first came across this book when I was in a PhD seminar on Teaching and Learning in Higher Education with Dr Linda Cannell, and have since found the 50 techniques really useful to achieve teaching goals.

What is classroom assessment? Here's a short answer lifted from the website of the Center for Teaching and Learning Services, University of Minnesota.

Classroom assessment is a practice that provides instructors feedback on what and how much their students are learning. Instructors use the information they gather in this way to measure the effectiveness of their teaching practices, make decisions, and implement changes that result in better student learning.

To gather this feedback, instructors administer assessment techniques which are delivered and collected in class. These can be used at various points during the session depending on the instructor's objectives and the feedback she wishes to receive. For example, a technique used at the beginning of class might gauge students' prior knowledge of the subject matter, allowing the instructor to tailor her content delivery to the specific needs of her audience. Others may be better suited for the middle or the end of the session, helping the instructor identify how well students have grasped the material.

What I really like about this book is that it helps teachers to think through their teaching goals using a teaching goals inventory. Beyond this step, the book helps to match your teaching goals with the most appropriate CAT to help with assessments.

Like I said, there are 50 techniques that can be used, and there is a sample of them from the Southern Illinois University site (click on the links in the left hand column)

Two of the most commonly used include: The Muddiest Point and The Minute Paper. Remember, what is happening with these assessments is that we are helping students evaluate what they know or don't know with the aim of providing teacher interventions which help students to grow. The type of assessments we are dealing with here are formative assessments, not summative assessments like finals which test students but often don't attempt to help them find out what went wrong!