There are many different types of assessments that you will be exposed to in this class. Traditionally, a lot of assessments are marked, which is known as summative assessments. However, this keeps the onus of assessment on the instructor and limits the opportunity for you to be able to assess your own understanding. By challenging this way of thinking and adding in more formative assessments, or assessments that aren’t for marks, we can help prepare you as the learner for a life filled with growth and opportunities.
My goal is to keep you as the learner at the center of learning. By allowing you to start to assess your own work, you will gain a much deeper understanding and will able to make your own connections to the learning materials. Autodidactics are learners that can self-assess their own learning and make meaning of it (Harapnuik, 2021). They are able to succeed in many different learning environments because they are self-motivated and not dependent on the instructor to assess them (Harapnuik & Thibodeaux, 2021).
I want to prepare you to be not only successful in this course, but also for your future careers. If you are continually relying on someone else to assess your skills and knowledge, you miss out on the opportunity to self-assess your work. This skill will allow you to be successful in your schooling, as well as your future career.
I encourage you to view me as your mentor or coach on your learning journey. I am there to help you make connections within your own experiences to the learning materials. I want to push against the traditional role of delivering the content of the course to you, to one of facilitating authentic learning opportunities (Harpnuik & Thibodeaux, 2021) This will help you understand the materials within this course in a way that is much more effective than simply memorizing the information.
Assessments in A & P
Assessment OF Learning
For Assessment OF Learning, I will be using quizzes and tests, or summative assessments (for marks). These let me know you have learned the material in a way that allows you to prepare for your licensing exam.
Assessment FOR Learning
Another assessment I like to use is Assessment FOR Learning, or a formative assessment (not for marks, or very few marks awarded). I use this as evidence to determine your level of understanding of the materials to inform me where to take my teaching. It helps me to plan the next steps in the lessons. You will see this type of assessment as group discussions, low stakes quizzes during lecture, verbal quizzes during lab, or poster sessions. You will see a lot of this type of assessment in our labs.
Assessment AS Learning
I want you to guide your studies towards Assessment AS Learning. Ideally, you will take this information and use it in all of your classes, not just anatomy and physiology. This type of learning is where you as the learner take on the responsibility for your own learning. You ask yourself questions about your own learning and the learning process, and you start to explore how to improve your learning (Harapnuik, n.d.). The reason I want you to move towards this is that it allows for a deeper understanding of the materials, and also teaches you how to learn. Some of these assessments include working in a group with your peers, reflecting on what you know or don’t know, and continually evaluating yourself and your understanding.
I aim for a balance between the different types of assessments to enable you to deepen your understanding of the materials and become less reliant on me to determine how you are doing in the course. By taking a more self-directed approach to your learning, you start to become an Autodidactic Learner. This allows you to lead your own learning journey with me a support system, mentor, or guide. Of course, I am always happy to help and support you through your journey!
References
Harpnuik, D. (2021, Aug 16). Assessment OF/FOR/AS Learning. Its About Learning. It’s About Learning | Assessment OF/FOR/AS Learning
Harapnuik. D. & Thibodeaux. T. (2021, Mar 18). Assessment Of/For/As Learning. Learners Mindset Fundamentals. (Video). YouTube. Assessment as Learning
T&L National Forum For the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (n.d.). Assessment OF/FOR/As Learning. Assessment OF/FOR/AS Learning – National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education