Assessment
Learning Module Evaluation and Assessment Instruments
Assessement instruments were designed based on Student Assessment of Learning Gains (SALG). Besides the quantitative summative assessment, surveys were designed to collect data on studens’ demographic information, their attitude and perception, which includes categories such as:
1. The class overall
- The instructional approach taken in this class
- How the class topics, activities, reading and assignments fit together
- The pace of the class
2. Class Activities
- Attending lectures
- Participating in discussions during class
- Listening to discussions during class
- Participating in group work during class
- Doing hands-on classroom activities
3. Assignments, graded activities and tests
- Graded assignments (overall) in this class
- The number of tests
- The spacing of tests
- Quizzes
- The fit between class content and tests
- The feedback on my assignments (overall)
4. Class resources
- The primary textbook
- Online materials (other than teacher-provided online notes or presentations)
- Online notes or presentations posted by instructor
- Visual resources used in class (i.e. PowerPoint, slides, models, demonstrations)
5. Information given in class
- Explanation of how the class activities, reading and assignments related to each other
- Explanation given by instructor of how to learn or study the material
- Explanation of why the class focused on the topics presented
6. Support for the individual learner
- Interacting with the instructor during class
- Interacting with the instructor during office hours
- Working with teaching assistants during class
- Working with teaching assistants outside of class
- Working with peers during class
- Working with peers outside of class
7. Understanding of class content
- The main concepts explored in class
- The relationships between the main concepts
- How ideas from this class relate to ideas encountered in other classes within this subject area
- How ideas from this class relate to ideas encountered in classes outside of this subject area
- How studying this subject area helps people address real world issues
8. Increases in skills
- Finding articles relevant to a particular problem in professional journals or elsewhere
- Critically reading articles about issues raised in class
- Identifying patterns in data
- Recognizing a sound argument and appropriate use of evidence
- Developing a logical argument
- Writing documents in discipline-appropriate style and format
- Working effectively with others
- Reading comprehension of technical concepts
- Writing skills x. Communication skills
- Deductive reasoning skills
- Inductive reasoning skills
- Preparing and giving oral presentations
9. Class impact on attitudes
- Enthusiasm for the subject
- Interest in discussing the subject area with friends or family
- Interest in taking or planning to take additional classes in this subject
- Confidence that you understand the material
- Confidence that you can do this subject area
- Your comfort level in working with complex ideas
- Willingness to seek help from others when working on academic problems
10. Integration of learning
- Connecting key class ideas with other knowledge
- Applying what I learned in this class in other situations
- Using systematic reasoning in my approach to problems
- Using a critical approach to analyzing data and arguments in my daily life
11. Self rating of skill in specific content areas
- Integration of collaborative and investigative learning to improve my understanding of the course material
- Understanding the importance of technical advances and their impact on society
- Understanding the role of ethics in technical advances
- Explaining the functionality of sensors, their characteristics, and interface requirements
- Explaining the theory of analog and digital signal conditioning circuits
- Explaining the application of analog and digital signal conditioning circuits
- Demonstrating how to use testing equipment in a lab environment
- Demonstrating how to use software packages in a lab environment
- Learning new data acquisition systems
- Learning new software packages
- Explaining the theory and practice of analog and digital interfaces between different types of sensors and computer systems
Based on feedback from faculty, teaching assistant, and students, a set of new assessment instruments based on Bloom’s taxonomy is created to collect data on students’ perception of the learning outcome for specific leanring modules: remembering, understanding, applying, analyzinig, evaluating, and creating.