Recorded April 10, 2024
Assessment is a crucial part of teaching, but it seems like the consensus on what makes for effective and fair assessment is always in flux. In this session we'll explore how to provide students with multiple paths to success using varied assessment methods embedded throughout a curriculum. Watch the video to pick up plenty of ideas you can start using right away!
Download the presentation deck
Download the assessment materials link sheet
If you’re looking for a quick assessment idea that you could use in your classroom tomorrow, check out the UP notebook in our World History courses (e.g. the Unit 6 Problem Notebook) or the DQ notebook in Big History. OER Project teacher Megan Suits loves using this activity to formatively assess in the classroom, while also fostering student self-reflection about their own learning:
"One of my favorite assessments in my classroom is the Unit Problem notebook (aka Driving Question notebook in Big History). This activity appears in each unit twice: once at the beginning and once at the end of the unit. I kick off this activity by telling students to share what they know when we begin something learning new. I make sure to tell them this is low stakes and there are no wrong answers, and that at this point I would not expect them to knows much, and that they will revisit this again after they’ve learned a whole lot more!
The first time students see this, they are able to evaluate and respond to statements that are connected to the concepts of the unit. I can use it as a quick guide to informally assess what students already know about topics they are going to learn about in class. Throughout the unit, I encourage students to revisit this activity - to check in with themselves that they are focusing on some of the most important concepts in the unit. Then at the end of the unit, students are able to fully evaluate the statements again, reflect on their previous answers, and explain how their knowledge has grown. I often use this last pass at the Unit Problem notebook as a more formal assessment."
We also loved hearing about your takes on the importance of failure for learning in the classroom. You can continue that conversation here, or chat about assessment more generally in our thread on assessments in OER Project.
Questions? Email us at events@oerproject.com.
About Skills Clinics
OER Project Skills Clinics are collaborative sessions for teachers looking for a deeper dive into a particular skill. Let the learning experts at OER Project guide you through concepts and tools that you’ll be ready to use in your classroom right away.
Each session will be impactful as a standalone, but we also encourage you to follow the Skills Clinic series throughout the year. The insights from these sessions will build on one another, providing you with a complete and intensive professional development experience!
