Assessment planning checklist

Purpose

1. Is this assessment intended to help students learn? (i.e., see formative assessment)
   1. If it is intended to help learning, consider the importance of providing feedback
2. Is this assessment intended to measure student ability or learning ?  (i.e., see summative assessment )
   1. If it is to measure learning, how does it contribute towards the course grade?
3. How does this assessment and its elements align with the learning outcomes you are trying to assess?
   1. Does the assessment align with the course-level learning outcomes?
   2. Do individual assessment elements/questions align with detailed-level learning outcomes?

Approach

1. How will the assessment be conducted?
   1. Does it need to be an exam, or would another approach work?
   2. How will students access and complete the assessment?
   3. Have you considered the student resources and time required, and any related issues of equity?
2. How are you ensuring validity and reliability?
   1. Will the assessment results allow you to draw accurate conclusions about student learning?  (i.e., validity)
   2. How will you ensure consistency in grading? (i.e., reliability)
   3. Have you considered using a rubric to help graders and to enhance validity and reliability?

Academic Integrity

1. How do you plan to communicate academic integrity expectations of the assessment to students?
2. If the assessment is being used for generating grades, what additional strategies do you have in place to  identify and mitigate academic misconduct?

Practicality

1. What hardware and other resources are needed to complete the assessment?
   1. For you?
   2. For students?
   3. For TAs?
2. Have you considered using a rubric to communicate expectations for completing the assessment?
3. When will the assessment…
   1. Instructions or details be available to students?
   2. Be completed by students?
   3. Graded or evaluated?
   4. Feedback be returned to students?
4. How will student questions regarding the assessment be answered?  (e.g. how can students seek clarification on the assessment task?)
5. Who will be grading or evaluating the assessments?
   1. Is there software avaialble that could help instructor or TA graders?
   2. Does it make sense to use students in the course as peer- and/or self-evaluators?
6. Are the assessment results needed for accreditation?  If so, have you reviewed the section on accreditation?