Using self-reflection to engage students in the assessment of participation
When it comes to class participation, how well do our students know what is expected of them? How can we help students understand that participation can enhance their learning?
Obstacles to promoting student mental health through assessment practices, with Kira Smith
In its inaugural miniseries, the Teach.Learn.Share podcast asked members of our community to weigh in on the connections between assessment, learning, and student well-being. The conversations centred on how to leverage learning-focused assessment practices to potentially improve students’ well-being.
Quick quiz: McGill student perspectives on assessment for learning
Assessment for learning (also known as formative assessment) means providing students with frequent (often low-stakes) practice opportunities to demonstrate their learning and receive feedback so they know how their learning is progressing.
Feedback strategies: Engaging students in dialogue
How can we engage students with feedback and encourage them to take greater responsibility for their learning before, during, and after assignments? The goal of this 4-part webinar series is to address these concerns with feedback strategies that engage students in dialogue. We will present several strategies suited to writing assignments such as essays, research (term) papers, and lab reports.
Equitable assessment of participation: What, why, and how?
Listen to this brief recording (or read the transcript) and then consider some reflection questions intended to support you in equitably assessing students’ participation in your course.
Assess class participation
In-class participation should be tied to students’ achievement of course learning outcomes. You may want to signal that connection to students and motivate them to participate by assigning a grade. This TL KB article offers strategies for assessing class participation that support students’ learning, are equitable for students, and manageable for you.
Insights into students’ assessment prep: Analyzing recorded lecture data
Discover how to analyze recorded lectures and gain insights into how students prepare for assessment tasks.
Access the resource (PDF)Peer assessment and FeedbackFruits
Have you tried using peer assessment in your courses? Peer assessment can help students reflect on their work and learn to provide constructive feedback. This webinar will introduce you to key parameters for designing peer assessment activities and get you started with FeedbackFruits - a tool to manage peer assessment online.
Register here!Assessment for learning to support well-being: Listen in!
To spark much-needed discussions around assessment for learning and its potential to foster healthier learning environments for both students and instructors, we invite you to listen to the Teach.Learn.Share podcast on assessment and well-being where members of the McGill community offer their perspectives on a range of topics.
Fostering student well-being through assessment
The Office of Science Education has been conducting a study on well-being in the classroom. This panel will share some thinking that has come from the study, with panelists discussing experiences and strategies for fostering student well-being in relation to assessment (e.g., flexible grade schemes). Attendees are invited to share questions in advance of and during the session.
Developing meaningful assessment criteria
Under PASL, instructors must include explicit criteria to describe the key elements of students’ learning. Did you know that having meaningful assessment criteria allows you to see whether students are learning what you want them to? Looking for support to develop criteria? Join us for this workshop where we invite you to bring an assessment task (paper, presentation, report, exam, etc.) from one of your courses.
Quick quiz: Providing feedback: Commenting and grading
Feedback is a key ingredient of assessment for learning. Take this week’s quiz to explore the different strategies and resources available in the Teaching and Learning Knowledge Base for providing students with meaningful feedback.
Feedback strategies: Engaging students in dialogue
How can we engage students with feedback and encourage them to take greater responsibility for their learning before, during, and after assignments? The goal of this 4-part webinar series is to address these concerns with feedback strategies that engage students in dialogue. We will present several strategies suited to writing assignments such as essays, research (term) papers, and lab reports.
Consider Indigenous assessment approaches
This TL KB article offers links to resources that discuss the role of assessment in Indigenous cultures, and methods of assessing students’ learning in keeping with Indigenous knowledges and systems. As you read, consider which methods you might wish to implement in your courses. Read about McGill instructors' approaches to assessing student participation.
Course Design Workshop (in person)
In this hands-on workshop, we will discuss learning-centered course design principles and support you with developing an in-depth Course Plan, which you can use to help prepare your course outline. This is a great opportunity to exchange feedback among peers to improve course design and teaching approaches.
