ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING PROJECT

PALOMAR COLLEGE, SAN MARCOS, CA

DEPARTMENTAL PROJECT TEAM

FIRST REPORT

CREATING BENCHMARKS IN THREE DISCIPLINES

February 24, 2000

This document is a collection of educational assessment benchmarks, presented in the form of efficient and easily applied rating scales, comment sheets, and criteria lists. Under the guidance of Palomar College's Assessment of Learning team (ALP), five Palomar faculty created these benchmarks by applying the college's list of Core Skills to the content and activities in one of the their current courses.

This first report records the outcome of the Departmental Project Team's one-semester planning phase (August-December, 1999). It is divided into four sections: 1."Mathematics" by Fari Towfiq and Robert Jones, 2. "Performing Arts" by Michael Mufson, "English as a Second Language" by Lee Chen, and 4. "English as a Second Language" by Cynthia Watson.

A second report due in August 2000, will summarize the Team's applications of their plans during the Spring 2000 semester. Its purpose will be to recap the team members' experiences during their implementation semester and to share their reflections on the results of their work.

THE DEPARTMENTAL PROJECT TEAM

The five members of the Departmental Project Team represent three disciplines at Palomar College. Two of its members, Fari Towfiq and Cynthia Watson, the Team's coordinators, also serve on the ALP team. A brief overview of Pilot Team membership follows.

MATHEMATICS

Robert Jones, Assistant Professor, is following his new assessment-inclusive syllabus in his Pre-Algebra class.

Fari Towfiq, Associate Professor, is implementing the pilot assessments in her Intermediate Algebra classes.

Towfiq and Jones worked together to formulate the benchmarks for Mathematics and are using the same assessment methods and feedback forms in their respective classes. They have been very careful to make their assessments

convenient enough to fit into mathematics courses that must cover a prescribed number of chapters in a standardized text in 16 weeks.

PERFORMING ARTS

Michael Mufson, Associate Professor, Theater Arts, is applying the benchmarks that he formulated to his Introduction to Theater class, which includes improvisation, workshop scripting, and performance of the students' own pieces.

ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE

Lee Chen, Assistant Professor, has included his writing assessment benchmarks in the syllabus of his on-line ESL Advanced Writing class. His benchmarks are just as useful in the "real-space" classroom as they are in the virtual classroom.

Cynthia Watson, Associate Professor, is teaching a Literacy Level English as a Second Language class using videotape assessment as a source for feedback and evaluation in the two language modes of speaking and listening.

SECTION 1

MATHEMATICS BENCHMARKS

Fari Towfiq and Robert Jones

Fari Towfiq and Robert Jones have selected two Core Skill areas to assess in their respective algebra classes. In the first area of Cognition, they provide for the assessment of students' use of the five Core Skills of Analysis and Synthesis, Problem-solving, Creative Thinking, Quantitative Reasoning, and Transfer of Knowledge. The "Skills Assessment Cover Sheet" (#1 below) is a feedback form to be filled out by the instructor and attached to students' homework or exam papers after a grade has been assigned. Towfiq and Jones do not intend for this Cover Sheet to determine any part of their students' grades. In their classes it is for on-going feedback only.

The next four forms single out Teamwork in the Core Skill area of Social Interaction. Each provides for feedback/assessment from various perspectives on team participation and team presentations.

SKILLS ASSESSMENT COVER SHEET

Five Core Skills in the area of Cognition

(to be attached to the front page of work turned in)

Skills Assessment for

Test # / Homework #:

1. Analysis & Synthesis Understanding & building upon concepts to establish connections between them & advance to valid conclusions.

•Look at question/problem

Needs

Improvement

Outstanding

Comments

2. Problem Solving Analyzing problems and developing, evaluating & testing solutions.

•Look at question/problem

Needs

Improvement

Outstanding

Comments:

3. Creative Thinking Formulating ideas and concepts in addition to using those of others.

•Look at question/problem

Needs

Improvement

Outstanding

Comments:

4. Quantitative Reasoning Using mathematical concepts and methods to understand, analyze, and explain concepts in quantitative terms.

•Look at question/problem

Needs

Improvement

Outstanding

Comments:

5. Transfer Applying knowledge & skills to new & varied situations.

•Look at question/problem

Needs

Improvement

Outstanding

Comments

2. PEER ASSESSMENT OF TEAM PRESENTATIONS

Core Skill: Teamwork

• Complete and return to the presenting team.

Review for Test #

Team Members:

Topic:

1. Speaking Members speak in an understandable and organized fashion to explain their ideas:

Needs

Improvement

Outstanding

Comments

2. Writing Members write in an understandable and organized fashion to explain their ideas:

Needs

Improvement

Outstanding

Comments:

3. TEAM SELF ASSESSMENT FORM

Core Skill: Teamwork

• Complete & return with all self-assessment forms to your instructor.

• The purpose of this form is to provide feedback on each member’s participation. Answer each question honestly:

Questions (1 = lowest; 5 = highest)	Member 1	Member 2	Member 3
Did member attend all group meetings?
Did member work well with others?
Did member contribute quality ideas to the project?
Did member explain ideas clearly to group?
Did member listen carefully to ideas raised by group?

How does your group rate the overall effectiveness of working together?

(1 = lowest; 5 = highest)_____________________________________________

Comments:

4. SELF ASSESSMENT FORM

Core Skill: Teamwork

Self-Assessment for

Team Review for Test #

• Complete & return with team assessment form to your instructor.

Questions (1 = lowest; 5 = highest)	Score
Did you attend all group meetings?
Did you work well with others?
Did you contribute quality ideas to the project?
Did you explain your ideas clearly to your group?
Did you listen carefully to ideas raised by your group?

Describe your most significant contribution to your team’s presentation:

How would you rate the amount of your participation? Questions (1 = lowest; 5 = highest.)

How would you rate the quality of your participation? Questions (1 = lowest; 5 = highest.)

5. INSTRUCTOR EVALUATION OF TEAMWORK

Core Skill: Teamwork (Social Interaction area)

Review for Test #

Team Members:

Topic:

1. Cohesiveness & Organization:

Comments:

2. Speaking:

Comments:

3. Writing:

Comments:

Overall Score: (#1 + #2 + #3)

SECTION 2

PERFORMING ARTS BENCHMARKS

Michael Mufson

Michael Mufson chose the general Core Skills (ALP website) categories of Social Interaction, Aesthetic Responsiveness, and Cognition as the basis for his Introduction to Theater Arts assessment pilot. His first two feedback forms--"Self Assessment" and "Peer Assessment"--focus on the Social Interaction abilities of "Teamwork" and "Effective Citizenship." Students use them to assess their three collaborative projects. His third feedback form, "Visual Representation Assessment," applies to individual students' Visual Representation projects. It focuses on the Cognitive category of Analysis and Synthesis.

(Core Skill: Social Interaction)

Self Assessment
Name:		# Of participants in your group:
# Of class sessions devoted to this project.	# You missed:		# You were late:
Describe the project in one sentence:
On a scale from 1 to the # of participants in your group, rank the e amount of f your participation in relation to the rest of the group. (1 = the top)
On a scale from 1 to the # of participants in your group, rank the quality of f your participation in relation to the rest of the group. (1 = the top)
Describe your most significant contribution to the project:
On a scale of 1 to 5 rate your ability to sway others to your idea or opinion (5=highest).
On a scale of 1 to 5 rate your ability to consider and accept others’ ideas (5=highest).
Describe one ocassion in the planning process on which you had to compromise:

Peer Assessment Form

(Have each member of your group use one column to assess your participation)

Your Name:

Project:

The purpose of this form is to provide feedback on your peers' group participation skills. It is essential that you answer each question honestly. Use the comment boxes below for additional feedback.

Questions (5-highest; 1=lowest)

Participant 1

Participant

Participant 3

Participant 4

Participant 5

Participant 6

Participant 7

Did student contribute often to the project?

Did student contribute quality ideas to the project?

Did student listen carefully to all the ideas raised by the group.

Did student attend all the group meetings?

Did student work well with others?

Did student compromise when necessary?

Did student explain ideas clearly to the group?