This term, CETL supported conversations with faculty members in the Bachelor of Science Nursing (BSN) program around assessment. These three sessions, which were designed to spark conversation around challenges with and potential ideas for assessment and evaluation were entitled: Foundations of Assessment, Creating Assessments, and Evaluating Assessments. Because we have never run a series on assessment like this before, we wanted to reflect a bit on the experience and what we see as next steps for this series.
The outcomes for attendees of session one, Foundations of Assessment, were to be able to:
- Explain the purpose of assessment in post-secondary nursing education
- Align assessment methods with course learning outcomes
- Distinguish between assessment for, as, and of learning
- Select an appropriate assessment tool for a specific learning outcome
The central discussion for the 20 minutes we had for this first session was around that third outcome: the distinction between assessment for, as, and of learning which we broke down in the following table including examples from BSN assessments:
| Type | Purpose | Examples |
| Assessment for Learning (formative) |
|
Practice quizzes, draft care plans, skills practice with feedback |
| Assessment as Learning (formative) |
|
Reflective journaling, self-assessment (video skills assessment) |
| Assessment of Learning (summative) |
|
Unit/module quiz, final exam, final care plan |
Session two covered Creating Assessments. The attendee outcomes for this session, which we were fortunate to have an hour plus to cover, were to be able to:
- Begin to design an assessment plan for your course(s)while aligning assessment methods with course learning outcomes (as discussed last time)
- Consider scaffolded (e.g. formative) assessments towards larger (e.g. summative) assessments
- Be transparent with learners re the purpose of each assessment in your course(s)
- Integrate authentic assessments (even in Theory classes)
- Provide alternative assessments from a UDL lens
A large part of this conversation revolved around what an assessment plan looks like (it outlines how learning is assessed, ensures alignment with learning outcomes, and promotes fairness, transparency, and balanced workload). We also discussed the importance of scaffolding larger assessments, of working together as a program to ensure students arenât overloaded with assessments all at the same time, and of being clear with students around the purpose of each assessment and how each supports meeting the course learning outcomes.
Finally, the topic of session three (one hour long) was Evaluating Assessments. Attendee outcomes for session three were to be able to:
- Describe how assessment can be used to support student learning
- Describe the characteristics of valid, reliable, and fair assessments
- Explain the key features of effective feedback that support student learning (including peer feedback)
We discussed how well-designed assessments and assessment feedback provide:
- A window into studentsâ learning: What students know, understand, and can do independently
- Opportunities for students to reflect on and deepen their learning
- Data to inform instruction: What needs to be revisited, clarified, reinforced, or extended to deepen learning
We also discussed the statistics available in D2Lâs Quiz and Rubric tools and how they can be used to support student learning and measure assessment validity. Attendees were encouraged to reach out to an eLearning instructional designer for support with assessment design and understanding analytics, and we encourage faculty in other departments to do the same.
Due to the nature of the profession BSN students are entering, reflective practice is a critical component of student learning, learning to give and receive feedback is emphasized in two RN level competencies, and teaching and learning in this program is strongly relational. This means that much of what we discussed was also a sharing of assessment practice already in place, giving us some additional examples to add to future offerings of this series.
We are looking forward to working with BSN faculty, as well as with faculty in other programs, as they begin or continue to apply some of what we discussed. If you are interested in learning more, or in having CETL come and run a similar series for your program or department, contact Emily Schudel.