certificate in university teaching · certificate in university teaching . the most common question...
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Blueprints are based on
matching instructional objectives / course content to test items in correct proportions
Questions at the higher mental
processes level subsume knowledge and understanding and application levels.
the list of course objectives, the topics covered in class, the amount of time spent on those topics, textbook chapter topics, and the emphasis and space provided in the
text. In some cases a great weight will be assigned
to a concept that is extremely important, even if relatively little class time was spent on the topic.
A Table of Specifications benefits students in two ways. First, it improves the validity of teacher-made tests. Second, it can improve student learning as well.
A Table of Specifications helps to ensure that there is a match between what is taught and what is tested. Classroom assessment should be driven by classroom teaching which itself is driven by course goals and objectives.
In the following chain, Tables of Specifications provide the link between teaching and testing.
Objectives Teaching Testing
Tables of Specifications can help students at all ability
levels learn better.
By providing the table to students during instruction, students can recognize the main ideas, key skills, and the relationships among concepts more easily. The Table of Specifications can act in the same way as a concept map to analyze content areas.
Teachers can even collaborate with students on the construction of the Table of Specifications- what are the main ideas and topics, what emphasis should be placed on each topic, what should be on the test? Open discussion and negotiation of these issues can encourage higher levels of understanding while also modeling good learning and study skills.
choosing the measurement goals and domain to be covered,
breaking the domain into key or fairly independent parts- concepts, terms, procedures, applications, and
constructing the table.
Table of Specifications (Test Blueprint) is a two-way chart which describes the topics to be covered by a test and the number of items or points which will be associated with each topic.
Sometimes the types of items are described, as well. A simple table might look like this:
Quiz 2: Animal Farm
Facts About the Book (e.g. Author, Influence)
Characters And Events
Thematic Elements
Number of Questions 2 5 3
Bloom's Taxonomy Cognitive Level
Knowledge Application Analysis or Synthesis Total
Classification 3 3 6 (24%)
Structure 5 3 8 (32%)
Reproduction 2 2 4 (16%)
Medical 2 2 3 7 (28%)
Total 12 (48%) 5 (20%) 8 (32%) 25
Learning Objective Levels – Cognitive Domain % of representation on test
Subject Matter % of representation in the unit of
study
Knowledge only
Comprehension
Nature of Electricity
30 15 15
Ohm’s Law 10 5 5 Series Circuits 15 15 10 Parallel Circuits 15 10 5 Series-Parallel
Circuits 30 15 5
Content Knowledge Comprehension Application Total Percentage
Real Estate Law 16 8 8 32 40%
Real Estate Practices 4 12 16 20%
Financing/ Mortgage Markets
8 8 8 24 30%
Real Estate Math 8 8 10%
Total 28 28 24 80
Percentage 35% 35% 30% 100%
Can be very detailed Often used in distance / modular learning
programs Indentify detailed content divisions and
learning types as well as activities and objectives
Best of both worlds - test and course blueprints
Allows you to generate an evaluation scheme for any course based on valid assessment
Considers learning objectives and desired student outcomes in assembling your grading scheme
Learning objectives must be detailed, clear, and behavior-based
Consider levels of Blooms’ (or similar) taxonomy carefully
Make sure that the assessment tools you choose complement the specific learning objectives
Learning objective: To demonstrate effective communication skills in a group
setting. Appropriate assessment tool: Peer-evaluated group project Inappropriate assessment tool: Multiple-choice exam
Learning Objective: Identify all dog breeds, their associated groups, common breed characteristics and inheritable
conditions.
Appropriate Assessment Tool – Multiple Choice Exam Inappropriate Assessment Tool – Term Paper
Learning Objective
Unit Quiz
Term Paper
Group Project
Final Exam
List …… 60% 40%
Describe … 20% 40% 20% 20%
Compare…. 50% 10%
Design…. 80% 20%
Explain….. 20% 10% 10%
Learning Objective
Midterm Applied Assignment
Group Project
Final Exam
List the primary symptoms of the childhood psychological disorders addressed in the course.
60% 40%
Describe the effects of these disorders on family systems
20% 20% 20%
Compare treatment protocols for designated disorders.
50% 40% 10%
Design a treatment plan for a child with a designated disorder given case information
40% 40%
Explain the biological influences on the childhood disorders covered in class.
20% 10% 10%
Learning Objective
Quiz 1 Project Quiz 2 6 Lab Assignments
Final Exam
Describe the primary research methodologies used in the Social Sciences
60% 40% 30%
Apply published descriptive statistics to concrete problems for accurate interpretation
40% 20% 20% 30%
Critically analyze the validity and reliability of published research studies
40% 40% 10%
Compare the validity of different research methods to a variety of concrete research problems.
60% 30%
Using SPSS to analyze datasets and interpret findings
80%