Syllabus

To download this file in pdf format, please click here 1. Syllabus EPSE 310A Generic 25 Feb 2014 (final,web)

 

UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

FACULTY OF EDUCATION

 

EPSE 310A: Assessment and Learning in the Classroom

Section —

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course introduces teacher candidates to principles and practices for fair and effective classroom assessment.  A coordinator and a team of instructors will support teacher candidates in becoming reflective, receptive, knowledgeable, and skilled in their assessment practices.  Key topics in this course include: a) the purposes of assessment in relation to teaching and learning, b) strategies, tools and professional judgment for assessing learning, c) communication about assessment criteria, procedures and results, and d) issues encountered by teachers and students in classroom assessment. This is a 2 credit course.

As a teacher candidate in elementary or intermediate education, you will take EPSE 310A from February 17 to March 28, 2014 (24 hours).  Section [number] will meet on [day 1] from [time to time] and on [day 2] from [time to time] in [Building, room #].

 

CONTACT INFORMATION

Instructor
Email
Office
Phone
Office Hours
Social Media

 

Coordinator	Robin D. Tierney, OCT, PhD
Email	robin.tierney@ubc.ca
Office	Scarfe Library Block, Room 286
Office Hours	Mondays, 4:00 to 5:30 pm

For any questions relating to this course, please follow these steps:

1. Check the course syllabus and the website for the answer.

2. Email your instructor or ask after class.

3. Email the coordinator. Be sure to put the course number and section in the subject field.

 

EPSE 310 LEARNING OUTCOMES

This course is designed to support you, as a teacher candidate, in the process of:

• Becoming aware of and thinking about how your experiences, knowledge, and values influence your teaching and assessment practices.   LO1 – REFLECTIVE

• Recognizing the knowledge, experience and values that diverse learners bring to classroom learning.   LO2 – RECEPTIVE

• Understanding the purposes of educational assessment and the current principles that guide practice.   LO3 – KNOWLEDGEABLE

• Developing the ability to select and create tasks and tools for fair and effective assessment.  LO4 – SKILLED

 

REQUIRED READING

As a teacher, you will build a professional library with varied resources to support your practice. The textbook below is required reading for this course. You may purchase a print copy in the UBC bookstore or an e-version through CourseSmart. You may also share a copy with someone in your section. Two copies of the textbook and additional resources (see p.5) are also on reserve for you in the Scarfe Education Library.

• McMillan, J. H., Hellsten, L. M., Klinger, D. A. (2011). Classroom assessment: Principles and practice for effective standards-based instruction (1^st Canadian ed.). Toronto, ON: Pearson Canada, Inc.

We will be referring to this textbook regularly during class. With the full schedule for this term, you may not have time to read the entire textbook. Key chapters are indicated on the course timeline, and your instructors will highlight information that will be useful immediately and for later in practice.

 

POLICIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Academic Honesty

Honesty is essential for participation in professional and academic activities. You should be familiar with the UBC definition of academic honesty, and follow accepted guidelines for acknowledging intellectual property in your course work. We recommend that you read the UBC Learning Commons tips for avoiding plagiarism. Suspected cases of plagiarism will be investigated and reported. You will find more information on these sites:

http://www.calendar.ubc.ca/vancouver/index.cfm?tree=3,286,0,0

http://www.ubc.ca/okanagan/library/citations/apa.html

http://learningcommons.ubc.ca/resource-guides/avoiding-plagiarism/

Accommodations

We strive to include all students, including those with special learning needs in this course. Please let us know (or have the UBC Disability Resource Center let us know) if you have a disability documented with the UBC Disability Resource Centre and/or if you need any special accommodations to enable you to fully participate in this course. We will respect the confidentiality of the information you share and work with you to meet your learning needs. We adhere to UBC Policy 73: Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities. This information is located at http://www.students.ubc.ca/access/drc.cfm

Attendance, Participation & Learning/Assessment Tasks

Your attendance and active participation in all ESPE 310 classes is essential. UBC Bachelor of Education Policies and Guidelines on attendance, assignments and participation will be followed (pp.10-11). You can read the full document at: http://teach.educ.ubc.ca/files/2013/08/BEd-Policy-Guidelines-2013-14.pdf

Absences must be approved by the Teacher Education Office. Please do not ask your EPSE 310 instructor to approve an absence.  Email Bette Shippam (bette.shippam@ubc.ca) or Lorrie Miller (lorrie.miller@ubc.ca) in the TEO if you are absent for any reason, and copy your instructor.

Extensions cannot be granted for the learning/assessment tasks in EPSE 310 due to the condensed schedule.

Collegiality

We will be engaging in critical discussion about our knowledge, beliefs, and experiences as learners and educators. We will have different perspectives, and we may not agree on some topics or issues. Please keep in mind that respect and trust are vital for a constructive learning environment.  Be sensitive to the privacy and learning of others, and use a collegial tone in all communications.  The UBC Respectful Environment Statement is available online:

http://www.hr.ubc.ca/respectful-environment/files/UBC-Respectful-Environment-Statement.pdf

Electronic Devices

You will need a laptop or tablet to work on learning/assessment tasks in class and to submit your work electronically for this course.  Please speak to your instructor if you do not have a laptop or tablet.

Please use electronic devices during class time strictly for activities related to course work, and turn off cell phones and other distractions during presentations and discussions. Let the instructor know if you need to leave your phone on for dependants.

Language

Please incorporate and use gender-inclusive language (i.e., non-sexist) in your oral and written communication. This language positions women and men equally; it neither excludes, nor demeans the status of either.  It does not stereotype genders, nor does it use false generics (e.g., using man-made instead of hand crafted). In addition, this language requires an attention to gender balance in personal pronouns. For example use “he and she” or balance gendered examples, referring to both male and female examples. You may also recast subjects into the plural form (e.g., when a student raises his hand to when students raise their hands).

Please incorporate and use person first language in your oral and written communication. Disabilities and differences are not persons and they do not define persons, so do not replace person-nouns with disability-nouns. Avoid using, for example, the schizophrenic, the hearing impaired, the dyslexic student, the developmentally disabled child. Instead, emphasize the person, not the disability, by putting the person-noun first. For example, say students who have dyslexia, a person who stutters, the child with a hearing impairment.

Grading

Decisions about your achievement in this course will be criterion-referenced. Explicit criteria will be given to you at the outset of each learning/assessment task. The final grading scheme for the course will be dichotomous, meaning that your standing will be submitted in the UBC system as either Pass or Fail. In accordance with the UBC Academic Calendar and the Bachelor of Education Policies and Guidelines (2013-2014, p.10), you will be expected to demonstrate a high-level of achievement, and revise any work that is not considered acceptable by the instructor and/or course coordinator.

http://teach.educ.ubc.ca/files/2013/08/BEd-Policy-Guidelines-2013-14.pdf

http://www.calendar.ubc.ca/vancouver/index.cfm?tree=12,202,320,160

 

LEARNING/ASSESSMENT TASKS

You will engage in a variety of learning/assessment tasks during this course. These tasks are designed to contribute to your professional portfolio and assist you in demonstrating the Standards for the Education, Competence & Professional Conduct of Educators in British Columbia (2012).

Your standing (Pass/Fail) at the end of this course will be determined using the final versions you submit for three learning/assessment tasks. You will be expected to work on these tasks on an ongoing basis with feedback from peers and your instructor.

1. Assessment Vignettes

Vignettes (short cases) describing dilemmas and issues in assessment will be read and discussed in class. You will write two vignettes about your assessment experiences (150-250 words each).  Reflecting on your personal experiences with classroom assessment will enable you to build on your existing knowledge and make conscious decisions about your assessment practices. You will unpack and discuss the assessment purposes and quality issues in your vignettes with support from the instructor, and you will be working with your peers to give and receive constructive feedback.

2. Assessment Talks

There are many occasions when teachers talk about their assessment practices with students, parents, colleagues and administrators. This task will help you use classroom assessment terminology accurately in preparation for your career as a teacher. After learning about key terminology, you will prepare notes for and make two audio-video recordings. In one you will explain the purposes of classroom assessment in a mock parent-teacher conference, and in the other you will discuss assessment quality in a mock job interview. You will use a self-assessment form to support your learning for this task.

3. Development of an Assessment Task/Tool

Characteristics of a variety of assessment tasks/tools will be discussed during class. You will develop an assessment task/tool for use during your practicum or later in practice. You will provide a written description of the task/tool, justify the choices you made in its development, and discuss how it will allow you to make high-quality inferences about the learning of diverse students.

Detailed information about each of these three tasks will be given to you in separate hand-outs.

You will have multiple opportunities to ask questions and receive feedback on your work during class. Final revised versions of all three learning/assessment tasks must be submitted for summative assessment on time for a Pass standing.  Due dates are indicated on the course timeline.  It is not possible to grant extensions on the learning/assessment tasks in EPSE 310 because of the short schedule.

 

EPSE 310A – Course Timeline

1 [Date]
Discussion Questions	What is involved in this class? What is classroom assessment?
Read Before Class	Chapter 1 – The Role of Assessment in Teaching                          KEY CHAPTER
L/A Tasks	Assessment Vignettes – Draft in class
2 [Date]
Discussion Question	What types of learning will you assess?
Familiarize Before Class	Chapter 2 – Learning Expectations and Outcomes
L/A Tasks	Assessment Vignettes – Begin analysis in class
3 [Date]
Discussion Question	How will you make high-quality inferences about learning?
Read Before Class	Chapter 3 – High-Quality Classroom Assessment                          KEY CHAPTER
L/A Tasks	Assessment Vignettes – Continue analysis in class
4 [Date]
Discussion Question	What information would be useful before you start?
Familiarize Before Class	Chapters 4 – Assessment Before Teaching
L/A Tasks	Assessment Vignettes Due – Complete and put in Dropbox by end of day

5 [Date]
Discussion Question	How will you assess during learning to support teaching and learning?
Read Before Class	Chapter 5 – Assessment During Teaching and Learning              KEY CHAPTER
L/A Tasks	Assessment Talks – Draft jot notes in class
6 [Date]
Discussion Question	What methods can you use to assess knowledge?
Familiarize Before Class	Chapter 6 – Assessing Knowledge
L/A Tasks	Assessment Talks – Continue jot notes in class
7 [Date]
Discussion Question	What methods can you use to assess reasoning and critical thinking?
Familiarize Before Class	Chapter 7 – Assessing Reasoning
L/A Tasks	Assessment Talks – Recording sessions during class time
8 [Date]
Discussion Question	When and why will you use performance assessments?
Familiarize Before Class	Chapter 8 – Performance Assessments
L/A Tasks	Assessment Talks Due – Complete and put in Dropbox by end of day

9 [Date]
Discussion Question	When and why are portfolios used for classroom assessment?
Familiarize Before Class	Chapter 9 – Portfolios
L/A Tasks	Assessment Task/Tool – Plan and describe in class
10 [Date]
Discussion Question	How will you assess affective outcomes?
Familiarize Before Class	Chapter 10 – Affective Domain
L/A Tasks	Assessment Task/Tool – Describe and analyze in class)
11 [Date]
Discussion Question	How will you identify and accommodate students with special needs?
Familiarize Before Class	Chapter 11 – Accommodations
L/A Tasks	Assessment Task/Tool – Analyze and refine in class
12 [Date]
Discussion Question	How will you grade and report on student learning?
Read Before Class	Chapter 12 – Grading and Reporting                                               KEY CHAPTER
L/A Tasks	Assessment Task/Tool Due – Complete and put in Dropbox by end of day

Last day to withdraw without a W standing: February 24, 2014.

Last day to withdraw with a W standing: March 03, 2014.

 

SELECTED RESOURCES ON CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT

* These books are on reserve for you in the Scarfe Education Library (until March 28, 2014).

*Airasian, P. W., Engemann, J. F, & Gallagher, T.L.  (2007). Classroom assessment: Concepts and applications (Canadian ed.). Toronto, ON: McGraw Hill.

Andrade, H. G. (2005). Teaching with rubrics: The good, the bad, and the ugly. College Teaching, 53(1), 27-30.

Assessment Reform Group. (2002). Assessment for learning: 10 principles. Available from http://assessmentreformgroup.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/10principles_english.pdf

Black, P., Harrison, C., Lee, C., Marshall, B., & Wiliam, D. (2004). Working inside the black box: Assessment for learning in the classroom. Phi Delta Kappan, 86(1), 9-21.

British Columbia Ministry of Education. (2009). Reporting Student Progress: Policy and Practice. Available from http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/classroom_assessment/09_report_student_prog.pdf

British Columbia Ministry of Education. (2009). A Guide to Adaptations and Modifications. Available from http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/specialed/sped_res_docs.htm

British Columbia Teachers Federation. (2013). Teaching to Diversity: ESL, Learning Assistance, Special Education. Available from http://www.bctf.ca/TeachingToDiversity/

Brookhart, S. M. (2003). Developing measurement theory for classroom assessment purposes and uses. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, 22(4), 5-12.

*Brookhart, S. M. (2004). Grading. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Canadian Assessment for Learning Network. (2013). What is assessment for learning?  Available from http://www.cafln.ca/Resources.html

*Chapuis, J. (2009). Seven strategies of assessment for learning. Boston: Allyn & Bacon/Pearson.

*Cooper, D. (2011). Redefining fair: How to plan, assess, and grade for excellence in mixed-ability classrooms.  Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

Cowie, B., Moreland, J., & Otrel-Cass, K. (2013). Expanding notions of assessment for learning: Inside science and technology primary classrooms. Rotterdam, The Netherlands: Sense Publishers. (e-book)

*Earl, L. E. (2003). Assessment as learning: Using classroom assessment to maximize student learning. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, Inc.

Earl, L., & Katz, S. (2006). Rethinking classroom assessment with purpose in mind: Assessment for learning, assessment as learning, assessment of learning. Western and Northern Canadian Protocol for Collaboration in Education: Governments of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Saskatchewan, and Yukon Territory. Available from http://www.wncp.ca/english/subjectarea/classassessment.aspx

*Gronlund, N. E. & Cameron, I. J. (2004). Assessment of student achievement (Canadian ed.).  Toronto, ON:  Pearson Education Canada, Inc.

Guskey, T. R. (2011). Five obstacles to grading reform. Educational Leadership, 69(3), 16-21. Available from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/nov11/vol69/num03/Five-Obstacles-to-Grading-Reform.aspx

*Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation. (2003). The student evaluation standards. Arlen Gullickson, Chair. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

*O’Connor, K. (2009). How to grade for learning, K-12. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

*McMillan, J. H. (Ed.). (2013). SAGE handbook of research on classroom assessment. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

*McMillan, J. H., Hellsten, L. A., & Klinger, D. A. (2011). Classroom assessment: Principles and practice for effective standards-based instruction (Canadian ed.). Toronto, ON: Pearson Canada, Inc.

Moon, T. (2005). The role of assessment in differentiation. Theory into Practice, 44(3), 226–233.

Neal, M. A. (2012). Appreciative assessment: Inquire!  Education Canada, 52(2).  Available from http://www.cea-ace.ca/education-canada/article/appreciative-assessment-inquire

Perry, N., & Winne, P. (2013). Keys to promoting self-regulated learning.  BC Teacher Newsmagazine, 25(5).  Available from http://bctf.ca/publications/NewsmagArticle.aspx?id=29340

Principles for Fair Student Assessment Practices in Canada. (1993). Edmonton, AB:  Joint Advisory Committee. Available from  www2.education.ualberta.ca/educ/psych/crame/files/eng_prin.pdf

Shepard, L. (2000a). The role of assessment in a learning culture. Educational Researcher, 29(7), 4-14.

Tierney, R. D. (2013). Beware the bicycle: Six strategies for fair classroom assessment. Education Canada, 53(1). Available from http://www.cea-ace.ca/education-canada/article/beware-bicycle

Tomlinson, C. A. (2005). Grading and differentiation: Paradox or good practice?  Theory into Practice, 44(3), 262-269.

*Torrance, H. (Ed.) (2013). Educational assessment and evaluation: Major themes in education. New York, Routledge.

Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design (2^nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

*Wiliam, D. (2011). Embedded formative assessment. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press