Wenqian Wang
Return to: ETAP 623 Spring 2018 Section 6476 | Wenqian's mini-course
About me
I am a second year PhD student of Educational Psychology and Methodology at SUNY Albany. Before I started my PhD program, I taught Chinese as a second language in China. I found teaching is really cool and want to work as a teacher in the future. During my study in the US, I worked as a teaching assistant for some human developmental courses and educational psychology courses. I also worked as a teaching assistant for Intensive English Language Program (IELP) and worked as translator for Common Core tests in Guilderland Elementary School.
I am taking ETAP 623 instructional design to help improving my teaching for both my future career and meeting the requirement for my program. In my program, every PhD student has to independently teach at least one college level course before graduation. I am a little nervous, but also very excited about this. Hopefully, I can work on my own Ed Psych course soon.
My research interests are focused on learning and technology; motivation, learning, and performance, and comparison studies between education in China and in US. Currently, I am a member of Future Faculty Leadership Council (FFLC). It is a very nice way to help graduate students teaching. If you are interested in teaching as well, hope to see you in our workshop.
My Topic and Purpose
My topic is educational assessment. It has been defined as "the systematic process of documenting and using empirical data on the knowledge, skill, attitudes, and beliefs to refine programs and improve student learning" (Educational assessment, 2018). For example, teacher giving out a quiz in class to know how much students learned from former classes is educational assessment. Graduate schools use GRE test as one evidence of admitting graduate students is also educational assessment. Educational assessment covers a wild range of topics. Summative assessment, formative assessment, standard test, Classical Test Theory, and Item Response Theory are all talked in educational assessment. By understanding educational assessment, educators can better understand their students and help students learn more effectively.
Learning Outcomes
By the completion of mini-course, students will be able to:
-Differentiate summative assessment and formative assessment;
-Design formative activities in education practice;
-Provide effective feedback to foster learning (i.e. wiht Perkins' ladder of feedback);
-Check validity and reliability of an assessment tool;
-Summarize Classical Test Theroy;
-and Recognize a standard test and reflect its role in learning.
Needs Assessment
1. Instructional problem: When talking about assessment, people always think about tests and quiz, which are used to measure how much students have learned. Actually, except evaluate students' learning results, assessment can also foster learning. Secondly, it is hard for students to understand validity in context. Without context, it is easy for people to misinterpret validity. Last, it is not easy to view standard tests in a critical way and see both of its good points and bad points.
2. What is to be learned: It is important to compared the differences and similarities of formative and summative assessments. It is also important to learn how to use formative assessment to foster learning. To fully understand and evaluate an assessment tool, we need to learn validity and reliability, and how to apply it in context. To understand Classic Test Theory can also help with understanding the nature of an assessment tool. Finally, we need to take a look into our standard tests, and learn how to evaluate one.
3. Characteristics of learners: The most obvious characteristic of my students is great diversity. Students who take this class have different motivations, goals, and interests. Some of them want to be teachers in the future, and some of them might want to develop tests and write items. Students have very different backgrounds. For example, some of them are interested in taking one or two education related courses, and some are worked in professional areas for years and come back to school to get improvements. Also, some of them are international students. Students vary a lot in ages, and some of them are not traditional students.
Analysis of the Learner and Context
Learners
The learners are people who taking graduate level educational assessment course. One most important feature of learners is diversity. They might have different background knowledge of educational assessment. They might be motivated by different goals.
Context
The context of this course is made of performance context, learner context, cultural context, and theoretical context. New knowledge and skills learned form this course will help understand and judge an assessment tool. The learning will happen both in and out off classroom. Learners will be asked to finish assigned readings out off class and exchange ideas with classmates in class. The cultural context is based on the current test practice. The theoretical context includes Classic Test Theory, the definition of validity, and reliability.
Task Analysis
1. Goals:
Terminal Goal: At the very end of the course, students will be able to analyze an assessment tool, using knowledge of reliability, validity, and Classic Test Theory. Students will also be able to develop an assessment tool, based on their needs.
Enabling Goals: To reach the terminal goal, students should be able to tell apart formative assessment and summative assessment. Students will be able to offer effective feedback to foster learning. Students will be able to understand reliability, validity, classic Test Theory
2. KASI
Knowledge: -what is formative assessment and summative assessment -what is reliability and validity -Classic Test Theory
Attitudes: -understand that assessment can be used to foster learning, not only evaluate learning -all tests are not perfect, but can be reliable and valid enough -view standard tests in a critical view
Skills: -offer effective feedback -evaluate and judge assessment tool -analyze standard test
Interpersonal Skills: -effectively communicate with classmates -effectively communicate with students via feedback -effectively communicate with instructor,by understanding the role of formative assessment
3. Pedagogical Approach
Unit 1:by offering multiple examples, students can understand formative assessment and summative assessment more comprehensively
Unit 2:by reading major studies about validity, reliability, and Classic Test Theory, students can better understand those definitions
Unit 3:by holding a debate on the advantages and disadvantages of standard tests, students can better understand standard tests
Performance-based Objectives
By the end of the mini-course, students will be able to:
-Develop a formative assessment tool to use in the topic of the course they are interested in teaching and use it to foster learning;
-Proved support evidence for the assessment they developed and report why it is appropriate for the learning goal of the course;
-Evaluate a standard test, by examine its reliability, validity, cutting score, and anything needed;
-Self-assess their own learning outcomes.
Curriculum Map
Map out the sequence of learning units and activities to achieve the defined objectives.
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References
Educational assessment. (2018, March 03). Retrieved March 09, 2018, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Educational_assessment