4.4 What do I really want to know?

Instructors are interested in using data to track engagement - for instance, knowing that a student is engaged on the basis of having visited a page or accessed a video. But is this the instrument that should be measuring engagement? Or do we need a better way of approaching how we might reasonably answer the question?

Colin DeLong, Director of University Data & Institutional Reporting, University of Minnesota

 

I used the data from Page Views to find out if students had done the pre-work for my in-session class. This information can tell me if students have accessed the course readings.

But what I really wanted to know was: do my students understand the content?

Next semester I'll try something different. I'll check Page Views so I can message students who have not accessed important content Links to an external site. - I'll remind them that the content is important and relevant.  I'm also going to develop weekly low-stakes Canvas quizzes that require them to answer a few short questions about the content. This will tell me how prepared students are for class, and hold them accountable for their learning.

 

From our peers: Review, Amend, Apply: What Will You Keep This Fall? Laura Brown on Low-Stakes Assessments

   Indiana University

 

From What Will You Keep This Fall? Laura Brown on Low-Stakes Assessments at Indiana University:

In this week’s “What Will You Keep this Fall?” video, we are talking with Dr. Laura Brown from the Chemistry Department about a few lessons she’s learned from this past year, and specifically about her use of low-stakes assessments. She has incorporated Quick Checks in each module, allows students to re-do parts of exams, and added peer-review activities on an assignment. She has evidence that student learning has improved, including reductions in typical achievement gaps.

Watch "What will you keep this fall?" Links to an external site.

From our peers: Low and High-Stakes Quizzes in Canvas

 Iowa State University

 

About "Low and High-Stakes Quizzes in Canvas" from Iowa State University:

A meaningful and purposeful assessment paired with constructive feedback can help learners understand and address their achievement gaps and organize future learning. Canvas quizzes provide a way for instructors to deliver helpful feedback, assess and accommodate learning. And remember, frequent graded assignments, in general, improve learning outcomes for students (Jones, n.d.). Even better – if these exercises are low stakes, they can improve learning outcomes without increasing student anxiety (Guskey, 2003)!

Learn more about "Low and High-Stakes Quizzes in Canvas" at Iowa State University Links to an external site.