"There is no doubt that creativity is the most important human resource of all. Without creativity, there would be no progress, and we would be forever repeating the same patterns."
-Edward de Bono
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About a month ago I wrote a blog post titled "The Shoulds and Should Nots of Academic Assessment: A Work in Progress" about my (evolving) philosophy on academic assessments. To compliment that blog post, I have decided to dive into an assessment that I have experienced as a learner and discuss the ways in which this assessment supports the key components of my assessment philosophy. Additionally, this blog post will serve as an example of an assessment that I would categorize as well-aligned with my assessment philosophy.
I am currently in the midst of completing the final two classes of the Michigan State University (MSU) program that will award me a master's degree in Educational Technology. One of my final classes is a Capstone Portfolio class, which takes the place of the traditional thesis essay class that many people complete as a culmination of their learning during the course of their degree. Instead of a thesis essay, MSU requires students to create an online Capstone Portfolio, a collection of work completed throughout their degree to showcase their best work. This is a highly personalized experience for students at MSU, and besides a few required components, students have complete freedom in the end product that they will submit. As this is a very individualized project, there is not much more to touch on when describing the project itself, so I will now begin to make connections between the Capstone Portfolio Project and my personal academic assessment philosophy that help make this project a powerful example of what I view as a "good" assessment.
Assessments should be equitable and accessible for all students
The Capstone Portfolio project provides all students with the chance to be successful despite various barriers that they might face. As a student at MSU, you have the ability to work with the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities (RCPD) that will provide various accommodations for class assignments. In addition to this, because this project is so individualized, students have the ability to make it what they can, whatever their "best" work may be.
Assessments should be used to form future instruction and as a reflection of the teacher's pedagogical practices
As a student participating in this assignment, I cannot provide distinct evidence that Capstone Portfolios are being used to form future instruction, however, from an educator standpoint, this project lends itself well to identifying ways to improve future instruction and pedagogical practices. Not only can an educator identify areas of misconceptions and gaps in learning through this project, but they can also reflect upon the ways in which specific pedagogical practices have (or have not been) beneficial to students.
Assessments should be used to provide feedback to students and continue the process of learning
This aspect of my academic assessment philosophy might be the strongest area for the Capstone Portfolio. Many professors that teach within this master's program have adopted ungrading policies, in which every student begins with a 4.0 grade in the class and has the ability to keep that 4.0 by the end of the semester by responding to various types of feedback and reflecting on current work. Specifically for the Capstone Portfolio project, feedback is timely, comes from both peers and professors, and is tangible and specific in order to encourage self-reflection and growth. The somewhat anxiety-inducing weight of receiving an overall "good" grade is lifted, and instead the focus is on adopting a growth mindset and learning not only how to be critiqued, but also how to critique others.
Assessments should be relevant and meaningful to students and enable students to apply knowledge to various contexts
The Capstone Portfolio project ticks all of the boxes in the meaningful and relevant components of what makes an assessment "good" according to my assessment philosophy. The personalized and individualized aspects of this project means that a student is able to create exactly what they feel is most important for showcasing their learning throughout the program. This master's program is not just for educators, but for anybody who is interested in educational technology, which means that students have the ability to personalize this project to fit their specific context. For myself, my Capstone Portfolio project is meant to showcase my unique skills and capabilities for a future employer in the education field. Part of the requirements of this assignment is that each student needs to include three pieces of "flair" that fit well into their own personal purpose. For example, I have included elements of my classroom, my teaching philosophy, past lesson plans, and other components that showcase who I am as a teacher. This individuality allows me to engage in components of my portfolio that will serve me best in my future.
Assessments should be an opportunity for mistake-making and self reflection within our students
This element of my academic assessment philosophy goes hand-in-hand with the feedback element that I touched on earlier. Not only do students completing this project receive endless and specific feedback each week, in addition to this, students are also required to act on that feedback. Part of the "ungrading" process is a student's ability to receive feedback, reflect on that feedback, and make necessary changes that will improve their work. This project provides countless opportunities for students to do just that.
Assessments should provide opportunities for student choice to increase motivation, equity, and student ownership
When it comes to motivation, I am someone who sometimes struggles to take action toward assignments. However, when an assignment or task includes various opportunities for student choice, I am so much more likely to take action. When I began my Capstone course this past May of 2023 and learned of the requirements and areas of student choice for this project, I was so motivated to get started that I came home from teaching each day and worked for hours on updating my portfolio. This example goes to show how powerful student choice can be in providing opportunities and experiences for increased motivation, equity, and student ownership in the educational setting.
Overall, this assignment is what I would perceive as the best assessment that I have ever participated in. It aligns almost perfectly with each aspect of my assessment philosophy which is backed by research that I have found throughout the creation of my philosophy. Participating in this assignment from a student perspective has encouraged me to provide more of the elements of my philosophy into my classroom assessments as I continue to learn best practices for academic assessments.
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