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Stephen Brookfield (and others) talk about having students keep learning journals, in which they reflect on and record their own learning process throughout the course. I have never tried to have students keep strictly "learning journals." However, working with beginning and high-beginning ESL students, I do have them write in journals at the beginning of nearly every class period. I respond to their writings once a week, both to model correct grammar and spelling, and to understand them as people and as learners. They often write about personal experiences, and I ask them simple questions related to their learning process. Especially if you have students for longer than 10 weeks, you can really form a nice relationship with them through the journal. Sharon Hagy Basic Skills Specialist Mt. Hood Community College (503) 491-7590 [log in to unmask] > -----Original Message----- > From: ted panitz [SMTP:[log in to unmask]] > Sent: Friday, October 06, 2000 7:19 PM > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Alternative/unique student assessments > > Hi Listers, > > I would like to initiate a discussion around the question: > > "Do you use unique or interesting assessment techniques in your classes > which help you get to know your students on a more personal level as > well as evaluate their progress in the course?" > > I am interested primarily in student centered type classes, which > include a wide variety of teaching/learning paradigms such as > cooperative and collaborative learning, problem or project based > learning, inquiry based learning, etc. I would also like to hear from > people who use other approaches such as lecture or lecture discussion. > > Many if not all of us are familiar with Cross and Angelo's work on > using alternative assessment techniques before during and at the end of > classes in order to obtain information from and about our students. Some > > questions they address, in the One Minute Paper for example, are what > the students think they have learned during a class and what questions > students may have after a class is completed. I see these as being more > content driven. What I am looking for here are approaches that are more > personal and/or give you a better understanding of the nature of your > students, their approach to learning, learning style, level of > motivation, > outside influences on their lives, etc. > > Regards, > Ted > > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > Here are some of my experiences and observations about using alternative > > assessment techniques in cooperative learning classes. > > Cooperative learning activities which I use in my classes afford me > with unique opportunities to observe students interacting, explaining > their theories, arguing for a particular point of view, helping their > peers and being helped. Only a few minutes of observation during a class > > period can provide significant insights into my student's ability and > performance level. > > In using observations I look for a hierarchy of abilities similar to > Bloom's taxonomy. > > 1. Do they know the basics- definitions, formulas, vocabulary, rules, > and procedures needed to analyze and solve problems? > 2. Can they apply their knowledge to similar problems or questions? > 3. Are they able to extend their reasoning and analysis to new > situations or problems? > 4. Can they create their own problem statements or questions based upon > the underlying concepts being studied? > 5. Can they explain their reasoning in writing or verbally to their > peers? > > By asking each of these questions I can identify the stage of > development the student has reached and make recommendations as to what > material and procedures the student might apply to help him/her > understand the concepts better. > > There are many benefits to observing students at work in groups with > their peers. > 1. You can observe a student working through a complete problem or > assignment versus seeing only the final product (exam or paper). > 2. You can observe their reasoning techniques, level of basic knowledge, > > and concept attainment. > 3. You can identify their dominant learning style by observing whether > their presentation in pairs or groups is oral, visual or kinesthetic. > This information can be invaluable if you help tutor the student in or > out of class. (As an aside, cooperative learning lends itself to using > multiple learning style presentations throughout each class). > 4. Brief, specific interventions are possible by the teacher or other > students to provide help and/or guidance for students having > difficulties. I try to make these in the form of guiding questions > versus statements of fact or direction. This is very effective but can > lead to frustration on the students' part until they get used to a > questioning response from the teacher instead of a mini lecture. > 5. Informal conversations take place between individuals, groups and the > > teacher, which help highlight problem areas the entire class may be > having. These discussions also help create class environment, which is > more personal, as students get to know the teacher and the teacher > learns about the students. > 6. Shy students will participate more with their peers in small groups > than in a large class and they too can be observed. It is very helpful > to identify students who are shy in order to encourage their > participation in non threatening ways. > > By the time a test is given I know exactly which students will > perform well and which will not. I often suggest that students postpone > taking an exam if I have observed that they are not ready. I use a > mastery testing method, which allows for this approach. This requires an > > extra effort on my part to have multiple tests available. I find that > the positive effect of encouraging students to take tests when they are > truly ready far outweighs potential problems. The one caveat here is > that the students must keep up with the course if they want to finish in > > one semester. Their options are to repeat the course or take an > incomplete and finish during the next semester if they do not finish on > time. On occasion I have passed students on exams who have such high > test anxiety that they cannot function under exam conditions but work > perfectly well outside of the pressure of the exam. By relying on > observations I can have the student demonstrate in their groups how to > answer test questions or I can invite them to my office to have them > show me their solutions one on one instead of in a public setting. I can > > have them make oral presentations in class or out of class, in their > groups or on the board before the whole class at their discretion. This > has the effect of relaxing students when they see they are not going to > fail since they have several alternative ways of being assessed. > Invariably their self-esteem builds to the point where they can overcome > > their test anxiety. They have demonstrated to themselves as much as to > the teacher that they can understand the concepts and demonstrate their > competence. > > The benefits of using observations as an assessment tool to help > students understand when they have mastered course material are > numerous. This approach reduces anxiety markedly, raises students' self > esteem, puts them in control of their own destiny and emphasizes that > they are responsible for their own learning The results they obtain are > based upon their efforts, not the teacher's.