Are you able to explain an assessment topic and engage an audience with limited knowledge or experience in under three minutes?
Three minutes is kind of a big deal in Australia. Originating at the University of Queensland, the Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) is an annual competition (now held in over 350 institutions worldwide) for PhD students from any discipline. The rules: Participants must explain their research in under three minutes to an audience presumed to have no background or expertise in their field of study. Being able to explain a complex topic both succinctly and persuasively to an audience with limited time, knowledge, or even interest, is a tremendous skill to have at your disposal.
This got us thinking: what a great tool this would be for assessment coordinators! At Watermark, we
frequently hear questions like, “What is the difference between course and program assessment?” or “How
is assessment different from grading?” Often, we only have a few minutes to answer such questions and don’t always have a fancy PowerPoint deck on hand to explain.
We decided to create a series of 3-Minute Assessment Talks (3MATs) which will focus on key areas of
assessment that can sometimes be challenging to explain. You only need three minutes!
This 3MAT focuses on the differences between course– and program-level assessment—which, from experience, seems to be an area often misinterpreted and commonly inquired about.
Each of the eight items discussed in this eBook should take about 20 seconds to present.
1. Course-level assessment generally seeks to answer questions like: “Are students collectively achieving the intended course learning outcomes?” or “Do multiplecourse sections achieve similar outcomes?” and “How prepared are students for progression onto subsequent courses within the program?”
2. Program-level assessment generally seeks to answer questions like: “Do the program’s courses enable students to cumulatively achieve the program’s intended learning outcomes?” or “How well does the program prepare students for graduation/employment?” and “Is the program fulfilling its mission, meeting discipline-specific accreditation standards, and advancing institution-wide goals?”
3. Course-level assessment focuses more narrowly on course-specific learning outcomes. For example, upon successful completion of the Great British Bake Off course, students will be able to “prepare a traditional layered Victoria sponge cake with strawberry jam and fresh cream.” Luvvly-jubbly! (That’s “lovely” to you.)
4. Program-level assessment focuses more broadly on program learning outcomes. For example, upon successful completion of the Baking and Pastry Arts degree, students will be able to “produce a variety of international and classical desserts and demonstrate how they are utilized in the contemporary food service industry.” Smashing! (That’s “terrific” to you.)
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5. Course-level assessment usually measures student learning near the end of a course (typically using a final paper, exam, or presentation). |
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6. Program-level assessment often measures the cumulative effect of student learning near the end of a program after the majority of the program’s core courses have been completed (for example, capstone project, thesis, or portfolio). |
7. Course-level learning outcomes are usually aligned to program-level learning outcomes, which are then aligned to institutional learning outcomes or goals.
8. In order for both course- and program-level assessment to be meaningful and effective, expected learning outcomes, scoring rubrics, and common embedded assignments (that will gather enough evidence to meet the assessment criteria) need to be defined and agreed upon by faculty teaching the courses.
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As you can see, it is possible to explain the differences between course- and program-level assessment in under three minutes if you focus on the major points.
Don’t forget to visit the Watermark Resource Hub for more 3MATs and other resources to help you advance meaningful assessment at your institution
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