Resources for Assessment

Selected Resources on Assessment Available at Gelman Library or through its consortium:

Angelo, T.A., Cross, K. P. (1993) Classroom Assessment Techniques. A handbook for college teachers. 2nd edition. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Banta, T.W., Lund, J. P., Black, Karen E., and Oblander, F. W., Assessment
 in Practice: Putting Principles to Work on College Campuses. San Francisco:
Jossey Bass, 1996.

Banta, T.W., ed., Assessing Student Achievement in General Education: Assessment
Update Collections. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2007. 

Diamond, R. M., Designing and Assessing Courses and Curricula. A Practical Guide. San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1998. (See especially Chapter 13, “Developing a
Learning-Centered Syllabus”)

Fink, L.D., Creating Significant Learning Experiences: An Integrated Approach to  Designing College
Courses.  San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2003.  Fink’s integrated learning adds “caring” and
“human dimensions” into more traditional learning ideals. 

Marzano, Robert J. and John S. Kendall, The New Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, 2nd edition.
Thousand Oaks CA: Corwin Press, 2007.  A categorization and explanation for various modes of learning and thinking.  Chapter Four, “The New Taxonomy and the Three Knowledge Domains” helpfully examines six levels of “knowing” and categories a variety of types of thinking into these six levels.  The examples are concrete and vivid. 

Stevens, Dannelle D. and Antonia J. Levi, Introduction to Rubrics. Sterling VA: Stylus, 2005.  A how-to
for thinking about and writing your own rubrics. 

Suskie, Linda, Assessing Student Learning. A common sense guide, 2nd ed. San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass, 2009.  A clear guide.  Chapter 10, “Creating an Effective Assignment,” and chapter 18, “Using Assessment Results Effectively and Appropriately,” are especially valuable for faculty. 

Walvoord, Barbara, Assessment Clear and Simple. A Practical Guide for Institutions,
Departments, and General Education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2004.  Clearly-described practical tools for the course and classroom

Walvoord, Barbara, and Virginia Johnson Anderson, Effective Grading: A Tool for
Learning and Assessment. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1998.  An earlier practical and helpful set of tools and ideas for revising classroom time use and student participation and responsibility.

Wehlburg, Catherine M., Meaningful Course Revision. Enhancing Academic Engagement Using Student Learning Data. Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing, Inc., 2006.  Useful guide with analysis of a variety of active learning techniques and suggestions about how to make these work in practical ways. 

 

Recommended Websites with Assessment Resources:

George Washington University, Office of Planning and Assessment:
http://www.gwu.edu/~assess/courseassessment.html  This website includes links to easily downloadable and helpful documents and worksheets on course assessment, course goals and objectives, and other information.

American Association of Colleges and University (AACU):  http://www.aacu.org/value/rubrics/index_p.cfm?CFID=26856061&CFTOKEN=47486781  The AACU Value Rubric lays out 15 essential learning outcomes, which are quite ambitious and unlikely to be fulfilled in any single course.  But the descriptions offer some inspiration and practical ideas.  

ABET. Assessment Planning with Gloria Rogers.  http://www.abet.org/assessment.shtml.  Rogers is the assessment expert for ABET, the accrediting organization for Applied Science, Computing, Engineering and Technology Education.  Her papers, including “Assessment Tips for Programs,” are brief, straightforward, sensible, and informative basic guides. 

Assessment Resource Center for the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business: http://www.aacsb.edu/resource_centers/assessment/default.asp The rich site offers information about practices, tools, reading lists, and web links about business school curricula and courses.

Center for Critical Thinking: http://www.criticalthinking.org/
Site of the Foundation for Critical Thinking, it offers tools for teaching and assessment, definitions of critical thinking, and tools for some groups such as engineering and writing. 

Field-Tested Learning Assessment Guide: http://www.flaguide.org/start/assess_in_context.php  The site offers assessment information and models for science, math, engineering, and technology instructors, which are very helpful, but not updated since the National Science Foundation grant ended in 2001. 

Internet Resources for Higher Education Outcomes Assessments:
http://www2.acs.ncsu.edu/UPA/assmt/resource.htm  This enormous file of relevant links grouped under the headings General resources, Assessment handbooks, Assessment of specific skills or content, Individual institutions’ assessment-related pages, State boards and commissions, Accrediting bodies, Student assessment of courses and faculty is updated annually. 

National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and for Students in Transition: http://www.sc.edu/fye/resources/assessment/index.html  The site offers useful information about assessment for first-year student programs, including general education.

Rubric Library, California State University, Fresno: www.csufresno.edu/irap/assessment/rubric.shtml  The site has PDFs of rubrics by activity, e.g. oral presentation, writing, and for some disciplines, e.g. integrative science, theatre arts, political science. 

Shaun Longstreet, Assessment of Student Learning: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4ogt0yI8xA&feature=related  This is a clearly-stated and informative 9-minute video by the director of the Teaching, Learning, and Technology Center at UC-Irvine.  If you have trouble with the URL, go to YouTube and type in Shaun Longstreet.  That should get you to the video. 

Swarthmore College, Advice on Designing Scientific Posters:

http://www.swarthmore.edu/NatSci/cpurrin1/posteradvice.htm Exceedingly helpful, detailed how-to guide for faculty and students with up-to-date references for poster software and incorporation of PowerPoint.