Assessment in HIST 382
This page describes assessment conducted within the
course. This is not evaluation, or grading. To read about how grades are
figured and where you stand, go to the Evaluation
page. What
is it?
Assessment means asking the question, "How are we
doing?" Within a department we gather data in order to assess whether
our student majors are learning what they need to learn as they go through
the program. Across the university we gather data to assess whether students
are getting the basic skills and general knowledge they need. Within a
course, we check now and then to make sure things are going as planned and
moving toward the goals of the course. As the terms are used here,
"assessment" is different from "evaluation." I evaluate
your individual work in the course, through such devices as exams, in order
to determine grades. At the end of the course you evaluate my work with the
standard student evaluation of instruction form. Assessment is the things we do in
addition to these individual evaluations to see how we are doing. In
assessment I'm not concerned with individual performance; items are not
graded. I'm concerned with how things are going for the group. How
does it work?
Simple. Now and then I ask you to give me some feedback on
the progress of the course--sort of a snapshot. I may ask you to fill out a
questionnaire or card in class; respond to a question via e-mail; or
participate in a discussion of some aspect of the course in class or via the
electronic discussion list. Just follow along, and you'll know what to do. If
it's not graded, why should I do it?
Two reasons. The first is to help out. Just one little way
of making a better university. The other reason is concrete and
personal. In this course participation counts. Although items for assessment
are not graded, your participation, or lack thereof, is noted. |