Self-assessment design for adult SAT preparation course students

Adult learning self-assessments can prove influential for motivating students (Stipek, Recchia, & McClintic, 1992, cited in Ross, 2006, p. 7). The assessment developed for this assignment was designed to enable students to provide feedback both about their instructor as well as about the course they took from their instructor. Assessments help students who might not be able to convey their learning progress otherwise (Loacke, 2004). Specifically, this assessment was an opportunity for adult learners with students within Miami-Dade county public schools to reflect on their learning experiences with teachers in an effort to improve them in the future. As such, there were two primary facets of the assessment: a Likert-based questionnaire (in which a rating of 1 was disagree and 5 was strongly agree), and a pair of essays in which students discussed, respectively, what aspects of the course and of the pedagogue's instruction they would like to improve. Student effort factor heavily into these assessments, which is important (Rolheiser, Bower, & Stevahn, 2000, p.77). Student assessments are a valuable way to supplement teacher assessments, which are not always reliable (Ross, 2006, p. 4).

The hypothetical learner subject covered in the assessment pertained to the adult learners. The bulk of the assessments administered were to adult students taking a SAT preparation course, however. The specific outcomes that we measured included the degree of improvement students felt they made during the tenure of the course, how the teacher affected that improvement or lack thereof, as well as how other particulars of the course (its structure, classroom environment, homework, and the teaching style of the instructor) affected their learning. The target population involved, therefore, was a group of middle-aged parents taking this course at Amador Valley High School.

ASSESSMENT

The assessment was administered with very strict instructions. It was given at the end of the final day of class without the instructor present so students had autonomy. A separate administrator (other than the teacher) issued the assessment and allowed students as much as time as is required to complete it. The assessments were then sealed into an envelope which the teacher was not privy to until after she had turned in the final grades. For learners with special needs, they will be given the same accommodations that they are given for general learning to complete the assessment. Those who need translations into American Sign Language or Braille are readily supplied these accommodations the same as they are during general classroom sessions.

INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS SECTION

I chose a norm referencing scoring rubric to elucidate how the course was perceived from a comprehensive perspective, so that patterns of student and teacher behavior are discernible. For the Likert scale (5) is strongly agree, (4) is mostly agree, (3) is somewhat agree, (2) is barely agree, and (1) is disagree. The rubric for the essay starts with Excellent Work (5) -- Thesis: salient and readily referenced in all paragraphs; Structure: conforms to the standard five-paragraph format; Examples: Are eminent and highly appropriate to prove points. Good work (4) -- Thesis: discernible and referenced in most paragraphs; Structure: the five paragraph structure is used with some effectiveness; Examples: Are relevant and supports the thesis well. Average (3) -- Thesis: not necessarily as demonstrable as it could have been; Structure: There is some evidence of the five paragraph structure; Examples: Contain some relevancy but could use improvement. Needs work (2) -- Thesis: Not very well developed or present throughout the essay; Structure: limited usage and effectiveness of the five paragraph format; Examples: Lack clear relevance. Failing -- Shows a marked lack of effort or conforming to convention in terms of thesis, structure, and examples. The validity of the assessment will be protected by having students write the same sort of essays they were instructed to write during the course, and by sealing the results from the teacher until the grades are passed out.

CONCLUSION

Assessing adult learner students in their SAT verbal section class can provide valuable feedback for how a pedagogue can adjust his curriculum to better serve the learners (Ministry of Education, 2006d, p.15). The two-pronged assessment (using a questionnaire and a pair of essays) is a comprehensive way of getting this information. Providing a rubric in clear language (Wiggins, 1998) that adheres to the course standards ensures a degree of uniformity in responses. The results elucidate what aspects of the course the instructor can adjust.