Overview
This 5-day synchronous, Zoom-based seminar series is designed to support instructors in (re)designing a comprehensive assessment plan that supports learning for all students in courses they teach. The Monday and Friday 1-1 individual conversations are set up to focus on each participant’s specific courses and contexts. The Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday interactive sessions will focus on an aspect of assessment design and planning, then move 45 - 60 minutes of work time, and close with a short wrapping up segment. Options for the working sessions include working alone, consulting with other participants, and/or with session facilitators.
Early on, participants will identify and reflect individual assessment beliefs; gain grounding in a 4A’s framework for course design - with components including course learning aims, activities, assessments, and atmosphere; learn ways of building accessible assignments; explore ways Canvas supports assessment; and learn more about barriers to student success such as underdeveloped participation and feedback skills, exam anxiety and cognitive overload.
Throughout the week, we will review key resources, discuss examples of effective practices for designing, responding to, and evaluating inclusive, accessible assessments, and address practices that foster academic integrity. During work sessions, participants will reflect on a day’s discussion and resources to create an assessment plan that incorporates both informal assessments as opportunities to practice learning, and more formal assessments for demonstrating learning that aligns with course learning aims.
Learning Outcomes
- Participants in this seminar will work to create course assessments that
- convey core purpose(s) of each assessment, as well as identify required criteria, skills and tasks
- align with course aims to support and measure student learning
- reflect principles and practices of assessment research on inclusion and accessibility
- leverage campus “virtual learning environments” - Canvas and Zoom - to support assessment
Register
Please complete this Application Form (z.umn.edu/Assessment-deep-dive-appl) to join.
Questions
Email Ilene Alexander (alexa032@umn.edu) for more information.
Topics and Schedule
This series meets from 9 am until noon on May 8, 9, 10, and 11. Apply for this series by 4 pm on May 1. We will inform applicants of their acceptance soon thereafter.
Day 1 - Individual consultations focused on reflection on beliefs and research about assessment in higher education in setting out individual goals for the seminar
Day 2 - Participants will begin developing a comprehensive assessment plan
Day 3 - Participants will explore ways of (and why/how to) design inclusive, accessible assessments that promote academic integrity
Day 4 - Participants will address “grading for growth”
Day 5 - Individual consultations to share assessment plans
Facilitators
Ilene Alexander (alexa032@umn.edu), Center for Educational Innovation, and guest instructors as co-facilitators for days 2-4.
Accessibility & Accommodation Requests and General Questions
Accessibility & Accommodation Requests
Please let us know what accommodations or access needs can we help facilitate so that we can set up Deep Dive sessions that are inclusive to you. To help us learn about and plan for accommodations or access needs, we would appreciate an email message sent to the Center for Educational Innovation (cei@umn.edu), and to the Deep Dive facilitator (alexa032@umn.edu). Sending your email two weeks ahead of the Deep Dive start (by 24 April) will help us to provide seamless access.
Questions
If you have questions about this program, please contact us at cei@umn.edu.