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7 Assessing Success

Student Reflection as Assessment

Throughout the semester you will want to assess your progress on your goals. Well-designed student reflections can engage students and help us measure our successes. Below is a question bank and two methods of using student reflection as assessment.

 

Reflection Question Bank

Has the class met your hopes, dreams, and expectations?

What has helped you have a positive experience in this class?

What might you want to try next to enhance your learning in this class?

What are some of the key learnings you’ve gained from the course?

What connections with classmates have been significant for you?

How has any part of our class changed your understanding of the world and yourself?

In what ways can you apply the knowledge you’ve gained to your other classes?

In what ways can you apply the knowledge you’ve gained outside school?

What are some ways you can be active in making/maintaining a (more) positive learning environment?

What might you need from us as instructors in making/maintaining a (more) positive learning environment?

Classroom Community Scale

The Classroom Community Scale, developed by Alfred Rovai, is meant to map student experience and community in your course. This 20-question survey measures two important aspects of classroom life: students’ sense of belonging and their learning connections with peers. The results can show you where your class community is strong and where it might need some attention, so it’s particularly useful when you’re trying to build a more collaborative learning environment or when you want to check how recent changes in your teaching approach have affected the classroom dynamic.

Connectedness

1. I feel that students in this course care about each other
3. I feel connected to others in this course
5. I do not feel a spirit of community
7. I feel that this course is like a family
9. I feel isolated in this course
11. I trust others in this course
13. I feel that I can rely on others in this course
15. I feel that members of this course depend on me
17. I feel uncertain about others in this course
19. I feel confident that others will support me

Learning

2. I feel that I am encouraged to ask questions
4. I feel that it is hard to get help when I have a question
6. I feel that I receive timely feedback
8. I feel uneasy exposing gaps in my understanding
10. I feel reluctant to speak openly
12. I feel that this course results in only modest learning
14. I feel that other students do not help me learn
16. I feel that I am given ample opportunities to learn
18. I feel that my educational needs are not being met
20. I feel that this course does not promote a desire to learn

Critical Incident Questionnaire

The Critical Incident Questionnaire (CIQ) was created by Stephen Brookfield. It’s a straightforward 5 questions that helps you and your students reflect on the learning experience. At the end of class, you’ll give your students five quick questions about their experience, like what moments caught their attention, confused them, or surprised them. When you collect these responses each week, you’ll get a clear picture of how your students are engaging with your course, spot patterns in what’s working (and what isn’t), and more quickly adjust to your students’ needs.

Please take about five minutes to respond to the questions below about this weekend’s class. Don’t put your name on the form – your responses are anonymous. If nothing comes to mind for any of the questions just leave the space blank. At the next class we will share the group’s responses with all of you. Thanks for taking the time to do this. What you write will help us make the class more responsive to your concerns.

  1. At what moment in class this weekend did you feel most engaged with what was
    happening?
  2. At what moment in class this weekend were you most distanced from what was
    happening?
  3. What action that anyone (teacher or student) took this weekend did you find most
    affirming or helpful?
  4. What action that anyone took this weekend did you find most puzzling or confusing?
  5. What about the class this weekend surprised you the most? (This could be about your
    own reactions to what went on, something that someone did, or anything else that
    occurs).

Resources

Classroom Community Scale

Critical Incident Questionnaire

 

 

 

License

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Culturally Responsive Pedagogy Toolkit Copyright © by Elliot Mead is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.