Synthesis Statement
The project I am using to demonstrate my learning in this area, which was a collaboration with Brian Davidson and Rebecca Wilder, came out of an interest in better understanding whether digital privacy and security should be issues addressed through education. When Edward Snowden revealed that massive scope of government data collection it highlighted this as an area of concern, especially given how pervasive digital communications and social media have become. In effect, the entire project is a start at trying to assess whether there is a gap in education surrounding this issue and how to best address it if there is one. There is also a more specific form of assessment and evaluation embedded in the project in the form of a survey that was conducted of CCE/AHE students and librarians and the accompanying infographic analyzing the results.
I am proud of this project for a variety of reasons, but I think that it is particularly interesting as an example of assessment and evaluation because of how it evolved. We had the survey evaluating people’s feelings surrounding issues of digital privacy and security, but then we also decided to invite other forms of feedback as well. Embedded on the site is a social media interaction with a friend of mine who works in computer communications. He critically examined the survey and our approach to gathering information and gave constructive feedback that helped shape our thinking around the topic. We found in discussing this issue with different people that there were misunderstandings around basic issues like terminology so we decided to build a component into our project site on each page asking for feedback. Finally, our findings around this issue, as basic as they are, were compelling enough to have one of our last class periods rededicated to a panel discussion, including those of us working on the project and Brian Davidson’s dad who happens to be a computer security consultant. All of that goes to show that assessment and evaluation can take on many forms and can significantly influence the direction of a formal learning experience.
Assessment plays a major role in other forms of teaching and learning as well, something that is clear to me in my work as a librarian, where most interactions could be described as informal or nonformal in nature. Many of the interactions I have with students or faculty are one-on-one where I am helping a patron use a research tool, evaluate a source, or properly document sources. Since a great deal of learning around these activities requires getting familiar with technical processes it is essential that I use formative assessment practices. For example, it does not do any good for me to demonstrate to a patron how to use Western Libraries research databases if they do not even know how to find and choose among the databases in the first place. So there is a constant formative assessment taking place with any research consultation I do where I am constantly checking in with the patron to ensure that what we are doing makes sense to them. At the end of a consultation I like to ask something to the effect of “What are you going to do next?” as a form of assessment as well since it helps me evaluate my own practice and see if there are gaps in what we covered that will result in unmet needs.
Formative assessment in virtual teaching and learning, a major part of my work, is at first blush trickier than face-to-face. However, with an appreciation of what virtual tools enable us to do there can be very rich interactions in online environments. For example, using Google Docs I can have very rich formative interactions with students as part of their work towards creating a research bibliography. Each step along the way, I am able to see where individual students may be having trouble and give feedback to help shape their research and writing. Likewise, Thompson and Lee (2012) have written about formative assessment in online classes where they are able to start a dialog of sorts using screencasting.
I believe that attention to formative assessment, and creative approaches to implementing it, have to be a major part of my educational practice. Bloom’s (1984) 2 Sigma Problem research shows how one-to-one interactions greatly increase mastery learning, something we all probably already intuitively know, but it helps to have the data to support the point. Even though this study was focused on summative assessment, I think that it is a great example of why formative assessment, much like the one used by librarians in research consultations, is so effective. As I reflect on my practice as a librarian and educator, and work towards a better understanding about how informal, nonformal, and formal education interrelate in real-life situations, it has helped me better understand the value librarians bring to the learning process.
I am proud of this project for a variety of reasons, but I think that it is particularly interesting as an example of assessment and evaluation because of how it evolved. We had the survey evaluating people’s feelings surrounding issues of digital privacy and security, but then we also decided to invite other forms of feedback as well. Embedded on the site is a social media interaction with a friend of mine who works in computer communications. He critically examined the survey and our approach to gathering information and gave constructive feedback that helped shape our thinking around the topic. We found in discussing this issue with different people that there were misunderstandings around basic issues like terminology so we decided to build a component into our project site on each page asking for feedback. Finally, our findings around this issue, as basic as they are, were compelling enough to have one of our last class periods rededicated to a panel discussion, including those of us working on the project and Brian Davidson’s dad who happens to be a computer security consultant. All of that goes to show that assessment and evaluation can take on many forms and can significantly influence the direction of a formal learning experience.
Assessment plays a major role in other forms of teaching and learning as well, something that is clear to me in my work as a librarian, where most interactions could be described as informal or nonformal in nature. Many of the interactions I have with students or faculty are one-on-one where I am helping a patron use a research tool, evaluate a source, or properly document sources. Since a great deal of learning around these activities requires getting familiar with technical processes it is essential that I use formative assessment practices. For example, it does not do any good for me to demonstrate to a patron how to use Western Libraries research databases if they do not even know how to find and choose among the databases in the first place. So there is a constant formative assessment taking place with any research consultation I do where I am constantly checking in with the patron to ensure that what we are doing makes sense to them. At the end of a consultation I like to ask something to the effect of “What are you going to do next?” as a form of assessment as well since it helps me evaluate my own practice and see if there are gaps in what we covered that will result in unmet needs.
Formative assessment in virtual teaching and learning, a major part of my work, is at first blush trickier than face-to-face. However, with an appreciation of what virtual tools enable us to do there can be very rich interactions in online environments. For example, using Google Docs I can have very rich formative interactions with students as part of their work towards creating a research bibliography. Each step along the way, I am able to see where individual students may be having trouble and give feedback to help shape their research and writing. Likewise, Thompson and Lee (2012) have written about formative assessment in online classes where they are able to start a dialog of sorts using screencasting.
I believe that attention to formative assessment, and creative approaches to implementing it, have to be a major part of my educational practice. Bloom’s (1984) 2 Sigma Problem research shows how one-to-one interactions greatly increase mastery learning, something we all probably already intuitively know, but it helps to have the data to support the point. Even though this study was focused on summative assessment, I think that it is a great example of why formative assessment, much like the one used by librarians in research consultations, is so effective. As I reflect on my practice as a librarian and educator, and work towards a better understanding about how informal, nonformal, and formal education interrelate in real-life situations, it has helped me better understand the value librarians bring to the learning process.
Artifact
References
Bloom, B. S. (1984). The 2 sigma problem: The search for methods of group instruction as effective as one-to-one tutoring. Educational Researcher, 13(6), 4–16. doi:10.3102/0013189X013006004
Thompson, R., & Lee, T. M. J. (2012). Talking with students through screencasting: Experimentations with video feedback to improve student learning. The Journal of Interactive Technology and Pedagogy, 1. Retrieved from http://jitp.commons.gc.cuny.edu/files/2012/03/Talking-with-Students-through-Screencasting_-Experimentations-with-Video-Feedback-to-Improve-Student-Learning.pdf
Thompson, R., & Lee, T. M. J. (2012). Talking with students through screencasting: Experimentations with video feedback to improve student learning. The Journal of Interactive Technology and Pedagogy, 1. Retrieved from http://jitp.commons.gc.cuny.edu/files/2012/03/Talking-with-Students-through-Screencasting_-Experimentations-with-Video-Feedback-to-Improve-Student-Learning.pdf