Designing and Assessing
Mini-lessons
Ellen Iverson and Kristin O’Connell
SERC at Carleton College
September 2013
Workshop
Have open on your computer
(both linked from agenda):
One of your lessons
http://serc.carleton.edu/70849
Workspace discussion
http://serc.carleton.edu/74600
Why Strong Assessments are Needed?
What did you
want students
to take away
from this
activity?
What did
students take
away from the
activity?
Design an aligned assessment strategy:
• Consider the goal being assessed by
deconstructing it into its critical elements
• Link critical elements to cognitive levels
• Match elements to assessments
• Select appropriate type of scoring rubric
Design an aligned assessment strategy:
• Consider the goal being assessed by
deconstructing it into its critical elements
• Link critical elements to cognitive levels
• Match elements to assessments
• Select appropriate type of scoring rubric
Consider the goal being assessed
• What are the critical elements of that goal?
• Find one of the learning goals from your
mini-lesson- paste it into the discussion
thread (http://serc.carleton.edu/74600)
• What are the critical elements students
should know and be able to do that are
related to that goal?- consider, then type it
in the discussion as a reply
Design an aligned assessment strategy:
• Consider the goal being assessed by
deconstructing it into its critical elements
• Link critical elements to cognitive levels
• Match elements to assessments
• Select appropriate type of scoring rubric
Link Critical Elements to Cognitive Levels
• What constitutes learning for
each element?
• What are the cognitive levels
being addressed?
• Where does your learning
goal fit on this chart? –Type
as a reply in the discussion
thread
Design an aligned assessment strategy:
• Consider the goal being assessed by
deconstructing it into its critical elements
• Link critical elements to cognitive levels
• Match elements to assessments
• Select appropriate type of scoring rubric
Match Elements to
Assessments
• Look back at your learning goal
• What were the critical elements
you want students to know or do?
• How might you measure your
learning goal?
Match Elements to
Assessments
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Essay question
Lab report
Writing Assignment
Problem set
Presentation
Concept Map
Exam question(s)
Discussion
“Clicker” question
Think about your learning
goal and type in a
possible assessment
strategy as a reply in the
discussion thread
Match Elements to
Assessments
• Look back at your learning goal
• What were the critical elements you want students to know
or do?
• What is the cognitive learning level?
– Is it low level – knowledge/comprehension? Multiple
choice exam question or think-pair share
– Is it medium level – application? Concept map or
problem set
– Is it high level – synthesis? Essay question or assigned
paper
Design an aligned assessment strategy:
• Consider the goal being assessed by
deconstructing it into its critical elements
• Link critical elements to cognitive levels
• Match elements to assessments
• Select appropriate type of scoring rubric
Select an Appropriate Type of
Scoring Rubric
• Types of rubrics
– Holistic: set of descriptions used to assign a score to the
whole Example
– Analytic: set of components that are independently
evaluated (sum for score) Example (InTeGrate Materials
rubric)
• Consider the assessment you chose
– What type of rubric is more appropriate?
– How would you assign a score?
Assessment Methods
All with defined and reproducible criteria (answer key or rubric):
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Forced-choice or short answer questions
Short or extended essay questions
Concept maps
Concept sketches
Knowledge surveys
Oral presentations
Poster presentations
Problem sets
http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/assess/index.html
Why Strong Assessments are Needed?
What did you
want students
to take away
from this
activity?
What did
students take
away from the
activity?
Questions??
Consider the goal being assessed
Poor: Expose student to GeoMapApp and introduce it as
a valuable tool that they could use in their own research.
Better: Students understand the features (e.g., forearc,
backarc, etc.) produced at subduction zones and
specifically, where oceanic plates meet, and how we use
different types of data to see these features.
Best: Students should be able to demonstrate a correct
mental picture of crustal and lithospheric structure.
Consider the goal being assessed
examples:
Students will be able to:
• Predict which rivers might discharge organic carbon of
relatively high or relatively low radiocarbon content, and
which continental shelves margins might be sites of intense
carbon cycling vs efficient burial.
• Describe how seismic sections work, including the idea of
two-way travel time and varying seismic velocities
• Compare P-T paths recorded by metamorphic rocks to
thermal model predictions of P-T paths
• Distinguish between erosion and accretionary subduction
margins
Rubric example: