Created by : Regina McEntee, Cherie Gibson & Megan Puls
1) Classroom Assessment Techniques (CAT) is a way to evaluate, using informal tools and procedures to monitor a students performance (Billings & Halstead, 2016). This type of learning is an ongoing assessment of the students, by the educator, to facilitate learning. There are three phases to this type of assessment planning, implementation, and responding. The planning phase is where a specific goal is chosen and needs to be specific for the students, and a CAT with the best fit needs to be chosen. The implementation phase is when the CAT is introduced to the class, it is up to the educator when this is done. Depending on the goal, is when it is implemented, then the educator must look at the results. The responding phase is giving the results of the CAT to the students involved. The results should be given to the students as soon as possible, and this helps to determine whether the goal was effective or not.
Billings, D., & Halstead, J. (2016). Teaching in nursing: A guide for faculty (5th ed.). Missouri: Elsevier.
Links
1.) http://www.celt.iastate.edu/teaching/assessment-and-evaluation/classroom-assessment-techniques-quick-strategies-to-check-student-learning-in-class href="http://www.ncicdp.org/documents/Assessment%20Strategies.pdf">
2.) https://cte.cornell.edu/teaching-ideas/assessing-student-learning/what-do-students-already-know.html href="https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/assessment/assesslearning/CATs.html">
Billings, D., & Halstead, J. (2016). Teaching in nursing: A guide for faculty (5th ed.). Missouri: Elsevier.
Links
1.) http://www.celt.iastate.edu/teaching/assessment-and-evaluation/classroom-assessment-techniques-quick-strategies-to-check-student-learning-in-class href="http://www.ncicdp.org/documents/Assessment%20Strategies.pdf">
2.) https://cte.cornell.edu/teaching-ideas/assessing-student-learning/what-do-students-already-know.html href="https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/assessment/assesslearning/CATs.html">
2) Authentic Assessment Video - Click here
Authentic assessment can be defined as education and instructional techniques that are focused on connecting information learned in an academic setting with real-world issues, problems, and applications. Authentic assessment is performance drive, therefore students are required to perform real-world tasks that demonstrate meaningful application of essential knowledge or skills that will reflect learner competency (Iwasiw & Goldenberg, 2015). Students will benefit in performing tasks in groups as they are likely to encounter such experiences when they enter the workforce. This allows the student to demonstrate their understanding of the content or skill as opposed to more traditional methods commonly seen on multiple choice tests which simply require students to memorize and regurgitate information. Tasks, skills, and knowledge are presumed to be meaningful to the learner, thus it is important to involve students in establishing criteria for evaluating success and in assessing the performance of themselves and others (Iwasiw & Goldenberg, 2015).
Authentic learning ultimately allows the individual the opportunity to make genuinely useful contributions to their community or their field of study, therefore, it is valuable for the teacher to foster a foundation suggestive of life-long learning (Iwasiw & Goldenberg, 2015). Assessment tasks should prepare the students to make complex judgments about their own work as well as the work of others. Assessment tasks should also prepare the students to develop decision-making skills which will be necessary as they embark on uncertain and unpredictable circumstances within their professional journey (Iwasiw & Goldenberg, 2015).
3) Four examples of CAT/Authentic Assessment evaluation of student learning:
A) The Muddiest Point (CAT) – This is a spur of the moment evaluation tool used to see the material through the student’s eyes. It is considered one of the simplest of the CAT techniques to be used, and provides for student participation and information recall. Students could be asked to anonymously identify something that they found to be difficult during a class. It will further identify an area of confusion that may exist.
B) One-Sentence Summary (CAT) – This is a way for students to simplify the information they have learned to produce a better understanding. They apply “WDWWWWHW” to each situation. This stands for “who does what to whom, when, where, how and why”. This will help the student to break down information into one simple structure. The students can be broken into groups for the ability to collaborate and form the summary. This technique can sometimes take a long time to finish and should be used with that thought in mind.
C) Story retelling (Authentic) - This technique is used to retell ideas in order to assess comprehension and reading strategies. This can be accomplished via a student giving an oral report on something that they have learned. This could be done in front of a class or individually with just the student and instructor.
D) Portfolio (Authentic) – This is a very commonly used assessment technique. A portfolio gives an overall look at a student’s accomplishments in performance and learning. This promotes student involvement, commitment and self-assessment, Students would be asked to include such things as awards they have been given, a breakdown of their grades (or transcript), case studies they have completed and reflections they have made.
4) Article Summary:
Poindexter, K., Hagler, D, & Lindell, D. (2015). Designing authentic assessment: Strategies for nurse educators. Nurse Educator, 40(1), 36-40.
The main focus of the article is to describe authentic assessment approaches and to provide examples that are incorporated into nursing education. The authors begin by stating that assessment methods are a vital part of an effective education process. Without assessment methods, we are unable to determine if or what learning occurred and thus do not have accountability or a foundation for improvement. First, the authors then provide a brief overview of authentic assessment, similar to what is noted above. Next, they acknowledge the fact that nursing education has shifted from a focus on decontextualized knowledge to an emphasis on teaching that promotes a sense of meaning, situated cognition, and action in clinical situations.
The article goes on to say that authentic assessments provide meaning beyond the grade as they involve the application of knowledge and the ability to make connections between tasks/skills and the real-world. The article validates that authentic assessment is not made the replace traditional assessment measures, however evidence supports the use of authentic assessment in the nursing arena as it allows students the ability to demonstrate and apply their knowledge and skill during situations and scenarios that reflect actual clinical practice environments.
The authors then describe the development of authentic assessments. To begin, they included a table of 8 guidelines depicting critical elements that help to determine the authenticity of an assessment. Next, they suggest determining if the assessment outcome will lead to the student producing a product or a performance that reflects real-world outcome expectations. They validate that students will draw from a wide range of skills and knowledge and that they will work towards achieving higher-order thinking, in order to problem solve and students will engage in self-reflection. Lastly, the environment in which authentic assessment takes place should resemble an actual practice setting and should have adequate resources for task completion.
The article touches on a variety of authentic assessment tools and how they support critical thinking skills, problem-based learning and teamwork, and collaboration and aim to help the student achieve outcomes. Some examples are portfolios, OSCE's, concept maps, and case studies. The authors place emphasis on technology-driven assessments such as simulation. The authors conclude by stating that authentic assessment enhances the alignment of the curriculum, assessment measures, and teaching strategies and that authentic assessment is integral in moving forward with the transformation of nursing education.
5) Article Summary
Steiner, H. H. (2016). The Strategy Project: Promoting Self-Regulated Learning through an Authentic Assignment. International Journal Of Teaching And Learning In Higher Education, 28(2), 271-282.
In this article the author is describing how the first year college student needs to learn how to go from a surface level learning to self regulated learning. When a student goes from the high school level to the college level they are not prepared for the deeper learning required. Promoting self regulated learning is optimal, however change is difficult for many. The more effort a student will put into changing the more successful the outcome.
There was project developed called the strategy project, it allows the student to choose which test, meet with the instructor, and then develop which strategy they will use. They will then look at all of this to determine whether is was successful or not and share the reflection with their fellow classmates. This was proven to be beneficial to students as they transition from high school to college level learning.
There were five sections that started the first course, this was taught by four instructors. Getting the students to understand the importance of the change in study habits and learning process. Many students did not have good study habits in high school and/or did not need to, making the transition to college even more difficult. In the beginning of the project, students found it as time consuming and not beneficial. As time went on throughout the course, the students were able to identify different learning strategies, this allowed for an increase in grade by a full letter in 45 % of the students. Although there was a small percentage, 13%, that did not show improvement.
This assignment helped the students learn self regulated learning, that was beneficial to most students. They were able to use metacognitive skills, time management, and self reflection, allowing for new learning strategies making students responsible for their learning.
Agnelo, T.A. & Cross, K.P. (n.d.) Classroom Assessment Techniques Examples. Retrieved from: http://www.ncicdp.org/documents/Assessment%20Strategies.pdf
Billings, D.M. & Halstead, J.A. (2016) Teaching in Nursing: A Guide for Faculty. (5th Ed). St. Louis, MO:Elsevier.
Iwasiw, C.L. & Goldenber, D. (2015) Curriculum Development in Nursing Education. (3rd Ed.) Burlington, MA: Jones and Barlett Learning.
Authentic assessment can be defined as education and instructional techniques that are focused on connecting information learned in an academic setting with real-world issues, problems, and applications. Authentic assessment is performance drive, therefore students are required to perform real-world tasks that demonstrate meaningful application of essential knowledge or skills that will reflect learner competency (Iwasiw & Goldenberg, 2015). Students will benefit in performing tasks in groups as they are likely to encounter such experiences when they enter the workforce. This allows the student to demonstrate their understanding of the content or skill as opposed to more traditional methods commonly seen on multiple choice tests which simply require students to memorize and regurgitate information. Tasks, skills, and knowledge are presumed to be meaningful to the learner, thus it is important to involve students in establishing criteria for evaluating success and in assessing the performance of themselves and others (Iwasiw & Goldenberg, 2015).
Authentic learning ultimately allows the individual the opportunity to make genuinely useful contributions to their community or their field of study, therefore, it is valuable for the teacher to foster a foundation suggestive of life-long learning (Iwasiw & Goldenberg, 2015). Assessment tasks should prepare the students to make complex judgments about their own work as well as the work of others. Assessment tasks should also prepare the students to develop decision-making skills which will be necessary as they embark on uncertain and unpredictable circumstances within their professional journey (Iwasiw & Goldenberg, 2015).
3) Four examples of CAT/Authentic Assessment evaluation of student learning:
A) The Muddiest Point (CAT) – This is a spur of the moment evaluation tool used to see the material through the student’s eyes. It is considered one of the simplest of the CAT techniques to be used, and provides for student participation and information recall. Students could be asked to anonymously identify something that they found to be difficult during a class. It will further identify an area of confusion that may exist.
B) One-Sentence Summary (CAT) – This is a way for students to simplify the information they have learned to produce a better understanding. They apply “WDWWWWHW” to each situation. This stands for “who does what to whom, when, where, how and why”. This will help the student to break down information into one simple structure. The students can be broken into groups for the ability to collaborate and form the summary. This technique can sometimes take a long time to finish and should be used with that thought in mind.
C) Story retelling (Authentic) - This technique is used to retell ideas in order to assess comprehension and reading strategies. This can be accomplished via a student giving an oral report on something that they have learned. This could be done in front of a class or individually with just the student and instructor.
D) Portfolio (Authentic) – This is a very commonly used assessment technique. A portfolio gives an overall look at a student’s accomplishments in performance and learning. This promotes student involvement, commitment and self-assessment, Students would be asked to include such things as awards they have been given, a breakdown of their grades (or transcript), case studies they have completed and reflections they have made.
4) Article Summary:
Poindexter, K., Hagler, D, & Lindell, D. (2015). Designing authentic assessment: Strategies for nurse educators. Nurse Educator, 40(1), 36-40.
The main focus of the article is to describe authentic assessment approaches and to provide examples that are incorporated into nursing education. The authors begin by stating that assessment methods are a vital part of an effective education process. Without assessment methods, we are unable to determine if or what learning occurred and thus do not have accountability or a foundation for improvement. First, the authors then provide a brief overview of authentic assessment, similar to what is noted above. Next, they acknowledge the fact that nursing education has shifted from a focus on decontextualized knowledge to an emphasis on teaching that promotes a sense of meaning, situated cognition, and action in clinical situations.
The article goes on to say that authentic assessments provide meaning beyond the grade as they involve the application of knowledge and the ability to make connections between tasks/skills and the real-world. The article validates that authentic assessment is not made the replace traditional assessment measures, however evidence supports the use of authentic assessment in the nursing arena as it allows students the ability to demonstrate and apply their knowledge and skill during situations and scenarios that reflect actual clinical practice environments.
The authors then describe the development of authentic assessments. To begin, they included a table of 8 guidelines depicting critical elements that help to determine the authenticity of an assessment. Next, they suggest determining if the assessment outcome will lead to the student producing a product or a performance that reflects real-world outcome expectations. They validate that students will draw from a wide range of skills and knowledge and that they will work towards achieving higher-order thinking, in order to problem solve and students will engage in self-reflection. Lastly, the environment in which authentic assessment takes place should resemble an actual practice setting and should have adequate resources for task completion.
The article touches on a variety of authentic assessment tools and how they support critical thinking skills, problem-based learning and teamwork, and collaboration and aim to help the student achieve outcomes. Some examples are portfolios, OSCE's, concept maps, and case studies. The authors place emphasis on technology-driven assessments such as simulation. The authors conclude by stating that authentic assessment enhances the alignment of the curriculum, assessment measures, and teaching strategies and that authentic assessment is integral in moving forward with the transformation of nursing education.
5) Article Summary
Steiner, H. H. (2016). The Strategy Project: Promoting Self-Regulated Learning through an Authentic Assignment. International Journal Of Teaching And Learning In Higher Education, 28(2), 271-282.
In this article the author is describing how the first year college student needs to learn how to go from a surface level learning to self regulated learning. When a student goes from the high school level to the college level they are not prepared for the deeper learning required. Promoting self regulated learning is optimal, however change is difficult for many. The more effort a student will put into changing the more successful the outcome.
There was project developed called the strategy project, it allows the student to choose which test, meet with the instructor, and then develop which strategy they will use. They will then look at all of this to determine whether is was successful or not and share the reflection with their fellow classmates. This was proven to be beneficial to students as they transition from high school to college level learning.
There were five sections that started the first course, this was taught by four instructors. Getting the students to understand the importance of the change in study habits and learning process. Many students did not have good study habits in high school and/or did not need to, making the transition to college even more difficult. In the beginning of the project, students found it as time consuming and not beneficial. As time went on throughout the course, the students were able to identify different learning strategies, this allowed for an increase in grade by a full letter in 45 % of the students. Although there was a small percentage, 13%, that did not show improvement.
This assignment helped the students learn self regulated learning, that was beneficial to most students. They were able to use metacognitive skills, time management, and self reflection, allowing for new learning strategies making students responsible for their learning.
Agnelo, T.A. & Cross, K.P. (n.d.) Classroom Assessment Techniques Examples. Retrieved from: http://www.ncicdp.org/documents/Assessment%20Strategies.pdf
Billings, D.M. & Halstead, J.A. (2016) Teaching in Nursing: A Guide for Faculty. (5th Ed). St. Louis, MO:Elsevier.
Iwasiw, C.L. & Goldenber, D. (2015) Curriculum Development in Nursing Education. (3rd Ed.) Burlington, MA: Jones and Barlett Learning.