DYU Orientation Assessment Explained

Defining Assessment

How do we find out that students have achieved the objectives and are able to perform the intended outcomes? We must ASSESS their learning.

There are two types of assessment.

Formative assessment is done along the way in the course. It might come in the form of homework, quizzes, or discussions.
Summative assessment is usually done at the end of a unit or course to assess mastery. It might come in the form of projects, exams, or a presentation.

Confused? Let's see these in action!

Assessment Examples

Objective	Formative	Summative
To explain the different magma geochemistries derived from partial melting of the mantle in different tectonic regime.	Discussion	Exam
To demonstrate the application of molecular graphics to drug design.	Homework	Project
To familiarize students with a number of substantive eighteenth-century texts. Students will be trained in the close reading of language and its relation to literary form.	Reflection	Final Paper

Rubrics and Authentic Assessment

Assessing exams and quizzes can be self-explanatory - there is either a right or wrong answer. However, assessing complex, multi-component require a tool to keep grading consistent and to provide clear guidelines to students. A rubric is a great tool to grade such assignments. Criteria define the topic being assessment and the levels identify the score or score range for how well the student achieved that topic.

Complex, multi-component assignments that allow students to express their creativity and voice are referred to as authentic assessments. Authentic assessments are not just harder to grade that exams or quizzes because there are multiple components, but also because each student will achieve the levels of each criteria topic in different ways.

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Holistic vs. Analytic Rubrics

There are two different kinds of rubrics. Analytic rubrics provide students with at least a rating score for each criterion, though often the rubric for analytic scoring offers teachers enough room to provide some feedback on each criterion. Holistic rubrics give students a single, overall assessment score for the paper as a whole.

Gradebook

Now that we've covered assessment and rubrics, you must now determine how to set up your gradebook. Your gradebook, whether physical or digital will help you to keep track of your students' grades. We always recommend using the Canvas gradebook whether you teach online or not because your students will be able to keep track of their own grades.

There are generally two different ways to set up a gradebook. A points-based gradebook simply adds up the points per assignments. A percentage-based gradebook totals the percentage of each category to 100%.

There are pros and cons to each gradebook method. A points-based gradebook easily adds up to a total, but not having the total amount of points add up to 100% may be confusing for students. Students may also not understand the concept that they will essentially be failing until they turn in nearly all of their assignments by the end of the semester.
A percentage-based gradebook allows you to add as many assignments to a category as you need or take them away as you need, and the total amount of assignments will simply weight the category.

There is no right or wrong way; you simply must choose a gradebook method that is right for you.

Points-Based Gradebook

Percentage-Based Gradebook

25 pts. Module 1 Discussion

30 pts. Module 2 Discussion

35 pts. Module 1 Homework

55 pts. Reflection
155 pts. Exam

250 pts. Project

400 pts. Final Paper

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950 Points

Discussions 10%

Module 1 Discussion 100 pts.
Module 2 Discussion 100 pts.

Homework 10%

Module 1 HW 100 pts.
Reflection 100 pts.

Exam 20%

Exam 100 pts.

Project 20%

Project 100 pts.

Final Paper 40%

Final Paper 100 pts.

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100%

Hopefully, this page provided you with the information needed to look at your own course assessments in a different way.