ENGLISH LANGUAGE
TESTING AND
ASSESSMENT
TOPIC NO.1
SLOs Defined-The Student
Learning Outcomes (SLO
WEEK1
SLOs Defined-The Student Learning Outcomes
(SLO) assessment process is a means to discover
if students are learning what they are expected to
learn in courses and programs throughout IVC.
Course-level Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
course-level SLOs focus on what a student will
be able to do as a result of completing a course.
These address the measurable and observable
outcomes you expect to see in a student at the
end of the semester in terms of knowledge, skills,
and attitude.
The assessment of SLOs is useful in helping
professors know where their teaching and
learning activities have and have not been
successful. SLOs also let students know what
they can expect to attain as a result of completing
the course.
TOPIC NO.2
Objectives vs. Outcomes
WEEK1
When faculty constructs or adjust their
curriculum, performing what is known as a
“course outline of record” update, part of the
process includes affirming both the course
objectives and the course learning outcomes.
Sometimes, the difference between objectives
and outcomes can be difficult to discern, as they
both play an important role in the learning
process.
The ASCCC has written an “SLO Terminology
Glossary” to help local academic senates and
faculty in understanding and communicating the
lexicon of assessment. In this glossary, the
difference between objectives and outcomes is
made as follows:
• Objectives are small steps that lead toward a
goal; for instance, the discrete course content that
faculty cover within a discipline. Objectives are
usually more numerous and create a framework
for the overarching Student Learning Outcomes
which address synthesizing,
evaluating and analyzing many of the objectives.
• Student learning outcomes are the specific
observable or measurable results that are
expected after a learning experience. These
outcomes may involve knowledge (cognitive),
skills (behavioral), or attitudes (affective) that
provide evidence that learning has occurred as a
result of a specified course, program activity, or
process.
An SLO refers to an overarching outcome for a
course, program, degree or certificate, or support
service area (such as the library). SLOs describe a
student's ability to synthesize many discreet skills
using higher-level thinking skills and to produce
something that asks them to apply what they've
learned.
SLOs usually encompass a gathering together of
smaller discrete objectives (see definition above)
through analysis, evaluation, and synthesis into
more sophisticated skills and abilities. CLOs, then,
comprise the measurable evidence of student
learning that occurs as a result of taking classes
through IVC.
.The CLOs for any given course are expected to
be attained when students are successful, and
they are guiding “big ideas” faculty want
students to comprehend and utilize during and
after their learning experience.
Process-The U.S. Department of Education has
called for colleges and universities to engage in a
process of continual self-examination and
reflection with the goal of improvement. As part
of this process, the outcomes and means of
assessment are determined by members of a
particular department or program for each course
and the program as a whole.
.Course-level SLOs are linked to Program SLOs
(PSLOs) and Institutional SLOs (ISLOs), as
shown in the chart below:
Faculty and SLO Coordinator Responsibilities-
Results will not be used as the basis for
evaluation or disciplinary action for individual
faculty members. However, as part of the regular
professional duties of faculty, instructors are
expected to participate in the SLO process.
The SLO Coordinator works directly with
departments to assist in developing their
outcomes, determining the means of assessment,
compiling the results of that assessment,
analyzing those results, and making changes to
their program or unit if necessary to improve
student learning.
TOPIC NO.1
Authentic Assessment
WEEK2
Authentic assessment can be either a short-term
or long-term assignment for students. There is no
specific length of time attached to an authentic
assessment learning opportunity. However,
"within a complete assessment system, there
should be a balance of longer performance
assessments and shorter ones" (Valencia, 1997).
According to Lawrence Rudner, authentic
assessment should require that students be active
participants in learning and be able to
demonstrate knowledge and skills.
The following is a list of examples of authentic
assessment that meet one or both of these
requirements - active participation and/or
demonstration of knowledge and skills. As you
read through this list, keep in mind that some of
the examples will work better for you depending
on your grade level and topic area.
Make a note of the examples of assessment that
you could use in your own classroom.
Authentic Assessment examples:
A form of assessment in which students are asked
to perform real-world tasks that demonstrate
meaningful application of essential knowledge
and skills -- Jon Mueller
Engaging and worthy problems or questions of
importance, in which students must use
knowledge to fashion performances effectively
and creatively. The tasks are either replicas of or
analogous to the kinds of problems faced by adult
citizens and consumers or professionals in the
field." -- Grant Wiggins -- (Wiggins, 1993, p.
229).
"Performance assessments call upon the
examinee to demonstrate specific skills and
competencies, that is, to apply the skills and
knowledge they have mastered." -- Richard J.
Stiggins -- (Stiggins, 1987,
What does Authentic Assessment look like?
An authentic assessment usually includes a task
for students to perform and a rubric by which
their performance on the task will be evaluated.
Click the following links to see many examples
of authentic tasks and rubrics.
TOPIC NO.2
Traditional Assessment
WEEK2
By "traditional assessment" (TA) I am referring
to the forced-choice measures of multiple-choice
tests, fill-in-the-blanks, true-false, matching and
the like that have been and remain so common in
education. Students typically select an answer or
recall information to complete the assessment.
These tests may be standardized or teacher-
created. They may be administered locally or
statewide, or internationally.
Behind traditional and authentic assessments is a
belief that the primary mission of schools is to
help develop productive citizens. That is the
essence of most mission statements I have read.
From this common beginning, the two
perspectives on assessment diverge. Essentially,
TA is grounded in educational philosophy that
adopts the following reasoning and practice:
1. A school's mission is to develop productive
citizens.
2. To be a productive citizen an individual must
possess a certain
body of knowledge and skills.
3. Therefore, schools must teach this body of
knowledge and skills.
4. To determine if it is successful, the school must
then test students to see if they acquired the
knowledge and skills.
In the TA model, the curriculum drives
assessment. "The" body of knowledge is
determined first. That knowledge becomes the
curriculum that is delivered. Subsequently, the
assessments are developed and administered to
determine if acquisition of the curriculum
occurred.
