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Primary Trait Analysis: A Tool for Classroom-Based Assessment

Author(s): Judith A. Baughin, Evelyn F. Brod and Deborah L. Page


Source: College Teaching , Spring, 2002, Vol. 50, No. 2 (Spring, 2002), pp. 75-80
Published by: Taylor & Francis, Ltd.

Stable URL: http://www.jstor.com/stable/27559087

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College Teaching

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Primary Trait Analysis
A Tool for Classroom-Based Assessment
Judith A. Baughin, Evelyn F. Brod, and Deborah L. Page

Abstract. The article describes Primary Trait ment assessment initiatives may . . . have (1993, 10). With classroom-based assess
Analysis (PTA) as a technique for instructors become a rush ... to ensure educational ment, "External evaluators are able to
interested in classroom-based assessment. The
quality by providing concrete evidence engage in a more holistic assessment of
study continues with the history of PTA at
Raymond Walters College (RWC) and about instructional performance" (1998, student learning by examining actual
explains how RWC faculty developed PTA 50). As all educational institutions are examples of student performance rather
scales to communicate learning objectives and aware, accrediting agencies require than by relying only on numerical ratings.
evaluative criteria to students. The article pro assessment to be documented. St. Ours This leads to consensual validation of
vides several specific scales as examples. This
and Corsello confirm, "Faculty no longer learning outcomes" (Farmer 1993, 10).
work demonstrates that PTA can be easily
adopted in any classroom to improve teaching need to be convinced of the importance of Another advantage is that PTA improves
and learning. these efforts; they are now willing to share teacher/student communication regardless
their observations, plans, and outcomes of discipline. The nature of the assign
derived from the assessment process" ment, the expectations, and learning out
(1998, 6). Unfortunately, the process of comes become more obvious to both
Primary Trait Analysis (PTA) is an
effective tool for classroom-based assessment often takes on a life of its own. teacher and student. Classroom research
assessment. It can be used to Albone appeals to our common sense on at the University of Cincinnati, Raymond
this issue with the statement that "assess Walters College (RWC) is based on the
improve teaching and learning outcomes
as well as improve dialogue within depart ment should be the consequence of an premise that "[cjlassroom teachers know
ments. It may also be used to fulfill accred ongoing quality program, not a goal for its the data earliest and most thoroughly, and
iting associations' assessment require own sake" (1998, 6). because they own it they have strong
ments. Primary Trait Analysis scales Primary Trait Analysis fulfills this incentives to act on it" (Walvoord, Bardes,
provide a basis for modifying assign requirement easily. One strength of this and Dent?n 1998, 10). RWC has been
ments, determining class focus, and estab measure is that it is discipline specific; it successfully using Primary Trait Analysis
has been used successfully in disciplines since 1995 to assess its educational
lishing department and institutional goals.
The National Center for Postsecondary as diverse as biology, chemistry, English, process. As a result, 80 percent of all
Improvement states, "the outcomes foreign language, history, math, and many full-time faculty in 100 percent of the
assessment movement in higher education
others. It allows an instructor to define departments use Primary Trait Analysis
has steadily, and rather quietly, gained goals and evaluate and assess student (Academic Assessment Committee 1998).
achievement of the goals as each disci In this article we will demonstrate how
momentum. In fact, the push to imple
pline requires. Farmer was an early pro PTA has become a successful assessment
ponent of this facet of assessment. He tool at RWC and that it can be adopted at
Judith A. Baughin is a professor of analyzed discipline specific and generic any school, college, or university.
Romance languages and chair of the foreign assessment designs and found that "facul
language department, Evelyn F. Brod is a ty in different disciplines have different
What Is Primary Trait Analysis?
professor of Spanish, and Deborah L. Page Primary Trait Analysis is a rubric scale
expectations of students at the point of
is an assistant professor of German, all at the
University of Cincinnati, Raymond Walters graduation, as determined by the frame that communicates to students exactly
College. works of their respective disciplines" what is expected of them on an assign

Vol. 50/No. 2 75

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ment and what they must do to achieve a of the importance of what is to be subsequent poster sessions where faculty
certain grade. Creation of a PTA scale learned. Learning is more effective and in many of RWC's academic and
puts into precise words what it is that the efficient when learners have explicit, rea career-oriented programs shared their
instructor requires from student work. As sonable, positive goals, and when their newly designed primary trait scales. In
Walvoord contends, we all know what an goals fit well with the teacher's goals. response to the interest generated
A paper looks like, just as we all recog The ways in which learners are assessed throughout the college, the RWC faculty
nize B, C, D, and F work.1 But instructors and evaluated powerfully affect the ways formally adopted Primary Trait Analysis
sometimes fail to communicate this infor they study and learn" (1993, 11-12). as its assessment tool (Walvoord and
mation to the student effectively. The Thus the use of the PTA technique favor Anderson 1998, 172). RWC is a two-year
process of creating a PTA scale requires ably influences student learning, our pri college affiliated with a major Carnegie
that the instructor inform the students of mary goal as teachers. Research I institution. It offers a multi
the learning objectives of the assignment plicity of disciplines, all of which use
while specifying the evaluation criteria PTA at RWC PTAs. This indicates the universal
for that assignment. Such a grading rubric promise of the technique and underlines
enables the instructor to communicate the RWC faculty began to use Primary the fact that this model can be used wide
behavioral objectives for each letter Trait Analysis as an assessment tool in ly in any educational setting.
grade. Initially, the instructor must strug September 1995. In anticipation of the The RWC faculty began to develop
gle with the precise wording necessary to 1999 outside accreditation of the college, PTAs, recognizing that the process would
communicate goals and objectives clear the Academic Assessment Committee of state more clearly what each instructor
ly. But this investment of time reaps divi Raymond Walters College invited Bar was already doing. As mentioned previ
dends. Walvoord and Anderson cite the bara Walvoord to present a workshop to ously, by the end of the 1995 academic
following benefits to instructors who use the entire faculty on Primary Trait Analy year, the majority of full-time faculty in
an assessment tool such as PTA. The sis scale construction and use. Walvoord all RWC departments had written and
explicit nature of a PTA scale can: asked faculty to consider this question, used one or more PTA scales. The Col
"Which assessment method has universal lege Academic Assessment Committee
Save time in the grading process faculty participation, enjoys superb stu asked all departments to complete a year
Allow you to make that process consis dent participation, is never accused of end report in which they indicated how
tent and fair violating academic freedom, provides many of their faculty members were
Help you explain to students what you detailed diagnostic assessment of student using PTA rubrics in the assessment
expect learning, is tightly linked to teaching, . . . process. The examples in this article illus
Show you what to teach has a tight feedback loop into classroom trate how widespread and varied the use
Identify essential relationships between learning and into teacher planning, and is of PTA rubrics was and still is at RWC.
discipline information and processes cheap to implement? Answer: Grading, We will focus primarily on foreign lan
Help students participate in their own when it is well-done" (Walvoord and guages, using sample PTAs as models,
learning, because they know what they Anderson 1995, 8). and then give additional examples from
are aiming for In the past, faculty members have other disciplines.
Help students evaluate their own and always managed to assign grades; howev Our work with PTA had a significant
each other's work er, "as isolated artifacts?when no one impact on communication within the
Save you from having to explain your knows what they mean?grades are not departments. It has led to spirited discus
criteria to students after they have useful for departmental or institutional sions involving teaching, learning, and
handed in their work, as a way of justi assessment" (Walvoord, Bardes, and assessment and has enabled the creation
fying the grades they are contesting Dent?n 1998, 1). The all-inclusive nature and maintenance of a written departmen
Help student peers give each other con of PTA, one that would easily conform to tal/institutional memory. "The most suc
structive feedback on plans and drafts the principles of good practice for assess cessful, long-lasting CA [Classroom
Help team teachers or teaching assis ing student learning as summarized by Assessment] programs are embedded in
tants grade student papers consistently the American Association for Higher and connected to the institutional culture"
Help teachers of sequenced courses Education (1992), motivated the faculty. (Angelo 1995, 13). The assessment pro
communicate with each other about The proposed process used classroom gram established by the college faculty,
standards and criteria grades to assess not only student learning, which was based in the classroom and
Form the basis for departmental or but also classroom teaching, program directly tied to teaching, contributed sig
institutional assessment (1998, 65). efficacy, and even the college's ability to nificantly to the ten-year accreditation
meet general education goals stated in the granted in March 1999. The visiting team
This list demonstrates the power of the RWC mission statement (Functional Mis summed up its findings by saying, "The
PTA scale as an assessment tool. As sion Statement 1999). The success of this institution has implemented academic . ..
Angelo enumerates in goals 2, 3, and 8 of workshop inspired the faculty to pursue a assessment and has made assessment a
his "Teacher's Dozen List": "Learning new and unique educational journey. Par part of the campus culture" (Couch
requires focused attention, and awareness ticipation in the PTA scales process led to 1999).

76 COLLEGE TEACHING

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Primary Trait Analysis Scales? inform students at any time where they prepared and who had been actively
A Process, Not a Result stand with regard to the participation per engaged during the entire class rated
When put into practice, PTA rubrics go centage of their overall grade. The themselves correctly as 4s or As. Like
through various iterations. Initially, instructor adds together the total points wise, those who were unprepared and
instructors grapple with precise wording.
the student has earned, divides by the unengaged rated themselves accordingly.
After using the scale with students, they total points possible, and arrives at a par Thus, an added benefit of using such a
see the need to make changes. Benander ticipation grade for the term. device to assess classroom participation
et al. contend that "assessment scores are Scale: is that it allows the students to assume

useful only if those scores can directly 4 points (A): You voluntarily partici ownership of and responsibility for their
inform teaching and learning in the class pate with a high degree of accuracy. You progress. The process of assigning that
room" (2000, 281). These modifications are fully prepared for class and have com grade usually took less than a few min
may involve the particular assignment, pleted all assigned work with few errors. utes after each class. The positive results
in the classroom, with added volunteer
the manner of teaching, or even entire You are prepared to ask questions about
courses and curricula. After using the anything you do not understand. You take participation, and meaningful classes to
PTA scale on a class assignment, the the risk of speaking. which students came prepared, already
instructor looks at the distribution of 3 points (B): You voluntarily partici aware of what they did not understand,
grades earned by the students and calcu pate with a lesser degree of accuracy. You highlighted this PTA scale's success.
lates data pertaining to student perfor are fully prepared for class and have com
Assignment: Oral Presentation
mance. The results guide the instructor in pleted all assigned work. However, you
analyzing, modifying and improving not may have produced significant errors in In beginning and elementary French
only the PTA scale, but also teaching homework preparation. You are prepared classes, the instructor requires students to
practices. Anderson and Walvoord (1991) to ask questions about anything you do give a five- to ten-minute presentation in
point out that significant improvement in not understand. You take the risk of French about their families. The activity
student learning is possible when instruc speaking when prompted. affords students the opportunity to use the
tors use a PTA scale to assess that learn 2 points (C): You rarely volunteer and vocabulary and structures they have stud
ing and then change their teaching meth have a low degree of accuracy. You are ied and practiced in a more authentic sit
ods accordingly. This closes the feedback not sufficiently prepared and your home uation. With appropriate modifications by
loop, a crucial factor of the assessment work may be incomplete or very inaccu individual instructors in other disciplines,
process. rate. You do not risk speaking initially. this rubric could form the basis for any
You lack total engagement in class. oral presentation:
Sample PTA Scales 1 point (D): Your preparation is not evi
dent. You do not respond unless called A: Student speaks in French 90-100 per
The following examples demonstrate cent of time. Student makes few or no
upon directly. Your responses are general
various styles of PTA scales. Although mistakes in French. Student does not
ly not accurate enough to communicate
they are devised for particular disciplines, use notes during presentation. Student
clearly. You are engaged in the class
they are neither course nor discipline spe turns in outline of presentation on
cific. activities on the most minimal level, with
no apparent attempt to speak. time. Student uses excellent pronunci
0points (F): You are absent from class. ation, vocabulary, and/or sentence
Assignment: Daily Participation (sample
structure. Student uses originality or
from Elementary German)
The instructor reasoned that being able imagination in presentation (props
Meaningful preparation for and partic to use a more objective tool to assign a such as a family photo and/or a family
ipation in each class meeting are essential grade for participation positively assisted tree). Student speaks for five to ten
to a student's success in a foreign lan evaluation of oral performance and stu minutes.
guage and many other courses of study. dent lesson preparation. Students had B: Student speaks in French 80-90 perc
To make evaluation of participation as something concrete upon which to base ent of time. Student makes some mis
objective as possible, this PTA scale their daily activities in the classroom, and takes in French. Student may occa
addresses the speaking goal of a depart as some stated, they felt a sense of per sionally refer to notes. Student turns in
ment's curriculum. As with all faculty sonal responsibility in determining their outline of presentation on time. Stu
who must assign a grade to student class own success during each class meeting. dent needs some work on pronuncia
room performance, foreign language fac At least once in the course, the instructor tion, vocabulary, and/or sentence
ulty struggle with this component of eval gave students the opportunity to rate structure. Student uses some original
uation, which students often view as themselves, and they were very accurate ity or imagination in presentation. Stu
more subjective than a test, quiz, or paper in rating their own participation when dent speaks for five to ten minutes.
grade. The instructor distributes the PTA they used this scale. Other instructors C: Student speaks in French 70-80 per
scale for oral participation and assigns a may choose to have students rate them cent of time. Student makes mistakes
daily grade. Other instructors may prefer selves more frequently. Those students in pronunciation, vocabulary, and/or
to assign a weekly grade. Faculty can who knew they had come to class fully sentence structure. Student uses writ

Vol. 50/No. 2 77

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ten notes frequently. Student does not as mentioned earlier by Walvoord and five complete sentences in Spanish on
turn in outline on time. Student Anderson (1998, 65). one or more of the compositions, and
demonstrates insufficient preparation. there are some errors that sometimes
Assignment: Keeping a Journal (may be
Student uses minimal originality or adapted for any discipline) interfere with the meaning.
imagination in presentation. Student
The journal assignment PTA rubric for 2 points (C)
speaks for five to ten minutes.
Elementary Spanish guides students in You meet the requirements as listed
D: Student speaks in French 60-70 perc
ent of time or less. Student makes developing writing power and style in the in 4 (A) except you write less than five
second language while providing them complete sentences in Spanish on one or
many substantial mistakes in French.
the opportunity to practice compositionmore compositions, do not use appropri
Student uses written notes throughout
topics that may appear on each chapter ate vocabulary from the current chapter,
the presentation. Student does not turn
in outline. Student needs extensive test. The instructor gives students a PTA and make several significant errors
for the format of the compositions (not which affect the meaning of the compo
work in one or more of the following
included here). This PTA covers the writ sition.
areas: pronunciation, sentence struc
ing style (dialogues, narratives, post You use the same or similar style on
ture, and use of vocabulary. Student
cards, autobiographies, want ads), all the compositions, and your spelling
uses no props in the presentation. Stu
mechanics (writing on every other line, contains some errors.
dent speaks for less than five minutes.
writing in ink, writing the date as
Class has difficulty following French
required), and presentation (using a 1 point (D)
and/or presentation.
required folder, writing each composition You meet the requirements as listed
F: No presentation.
on a separate page, maintaining all the in 4 (A) except you write less than five
This presentation has been assigned for entries in chronological order). This complete sentences in Spanish on one or
a number of years, but students have assignment addresses the writing compo more compositions, you use inappropri
become more successful since the PTA nent of the foreign language curriculum ate vocabulary, there are many significant
was developed. Before this scale was used, and complements the college's general errors in grammar, usage, spelling, punc
the length of the presentations varied con education goal of effective writing in all tuation, and/or accents. The styles of the
courses. It could also be used in ESL
siderably, students did not always organize compositions may be repetitive and it
the presentations using all the components (English as a Second Language) courses, may be difficult to comprehend what you
the instructor required, and they often read or adapted for any brief writing assign have written.
from their papers. The scale has made stu ment in any discipline.
Journal Grade (PTA Scale)
0 points (F)
dents focus on what can be presented with
in the time frame required and established You do not hand in your journal, or
4 points (A)
in the PTA. It tells the students exactly you hand it in late.
You write a minimum of five and a
what the instructor expects and lets them The instructor gave the journal assign
know that, in addition to using the target maximum of ten original, complete sen ment for years, but only since 1995 in
language, they must include some origi tences in Spanish for each week's entry. PTA format. Prior to that year, she gave
nality or an imaginative element. The You use appropriate vocabulary from students oral instructions such as "Get a
instructor also requires an outline well in the chapter being studied.
folder," and "Write a weekly composi
advance of the presentation, as indicated in You write the sentences as a para
tion using the grammar we are studying
the PTA rubric. graph or conversation with a topic sen
tence and other sentences related to the
in the chapter." The instructor's goals
In addition, the instructor regularly were not totally clear, and students had
topic sentence, or theme. (You vary the
asks students to help grade the presenta great difficulty completing the assign
tions. She selects two or three students at style throughout the year.)
ment satisfactorily.
random, and they evaluate one another
You base your composition on a The PTA scale has communicated
based on the criteria listed. Each student grammar point being studied that week in
much more effectively the instructor's
the current chapter.
has at least one opportunity to participate requirements and goals and thus has
There are very few errors, none of
in the evaluation process. Students, helped students achieve the quality of
which affects the meaning or the compre
already familiar with the PTA from using work they need to attain to receive the
hension of the composition.
it to complete their own presentations, desired grade. Improved student perfor
find it easy to use this rubric with their You spell correctly.
mance has consistently resulted. Data
peers. From student assessment and the You use appropriate punctuation and
collected over two years show that
instructor's own evaluation, both based on write accents accurately.
although the number of As did not
You hand the journal in on the date
the rubric, the instructor assigns the increase in year 2, the total of As and Bs
grades. Teacher evaluations and those of indicated during class. rose from 61 percent to 70 percent, indi
the students largely coincide since both 3 points (B) cating increased communication and
use the PTA guidelines. This confirms the You meet all of the requirements as understanding between instructor and
consistency and validity of the PTA scale, listed in 4 (A) except you write less than students. As, Bs, and Cs went from 76

78 COLLEGE TEACHING

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percent the first year to 87 percent in the
second. Furthermore, the combined total Table 1.?Scale: Density Determination
of Ds and Fs fell from 24 percent to 13
percent, a drop of nearly 50 percent in Trait Criteria Score
below-average performance. Clearly, the
PTA helped the majority of students
improve their language writing skills on Drawing a graph Graph has a title, labels on the axes, appropriate 3
this assignment. scale, best fit line, and the correct variables on the axes.
With each use of the PTA, the instruc One of the above characteristics is missing. 2
More than one of the characteristics is missing. 1
tor incorporated minor clarifications and
Determining the Has selected 2 points on the best fit line and correctly 3
refinements to guide students even better.
equation of line calculated the value of the slope, including units. Has
The physical appearance of this PTA extrapolated the line to determine the value of the y
scale has spotlighted significant informa intercept when x = 0.
tion. The new, efficient bullet format and Has correctly determined either the slope or the intercept, 2
but not both.
separation of content from form have
Has incorrectly calculated both. 1
enabled students to focus on the assign
ment requirements while improving their Application of Has manipulated the equation of the straight line and used 4
the equation it to calculate the x variable given y, and vice versa. The
writing skills. The scale tells students answer includes units.
they must pay careful attention to details Same as above but omits units. 3
like correct spelling, topic sentences, Only correctly calculates the x variable given y; units may 2
proper punctuation, correct accent usage, or may not be included.
and elimination of errors. Instructors in Only correctly calculates the y variable given jc; units may 1
or may not be included.
other disciplines may wish to emphasize
different aspects of the writing assign Source: Benander et al. 2000, 287
ment. Using this PTA scale has shown
that "student learning outcomes can be
clearly related to specific teaching[,] and the PTA once again to isolate those items Indicates an appropriate use for the
changes in teaching methods should be (Benander et al. 2000, 288-89). She will source, and appropriate additional
reflected in the outcomes" (Benander et then have created another teachable information
al. 2000, 281-82). moment. The instructor reported that Answers succinctly and accurately
Because instructors usually know what "student learning in this area improved three of the questions*
concepts are challenging for students, noticeably .... Clearly, being explicit Accurately summarizes the informa
using a PTA scale for those assignments about my criteria and standards had tion in the source
can help isolate specific difficulties and rewards for both the students and me." The writing is organized, with few mis
improve teaching and learning. The PTA (Benander et al. 2000, 289). takes in proofreading and editing, and
in table 1 was designed by a chemistry Another RWC instructor in History/ ideas are expressed in an unambiguous
instructor at RWC for a lab on density Women's Studies uses the following PTA manner
determination. in her American Issues and Problems A Grade of C indicates that a student
The data obtained using this PTA with course. has achieved the following:
students informed the instructor that they
Assignment: Source Evaluation Paper
were unable to determine the best fit line, Attempted to indicate an appropriate
use for the source
A grade of A indicates that a student
though that information was taught in a
has achieved the following: Answered two of the questions*
prerequisite course. She created a new
first lab exercise where students worked Accurately summarizes the informa
Displays creativity, as well as knowl
tion in the source
specifically on graphing and line equa edge, about the best use for the source
tions. Whereas only 16 percent of the stu and the additional information which The writing conveys information, but
dents were able to correctly identify the the meaning is not always clear, and
might be useful in evaluating the source
best fit line the first year, 60 percent were Answers succinctly and accurately all
there are more errors in grammar,
able to do so during the year following the questions asked about the source*punctuation, and spelling
the instructional change. The data A Grade of D indicates that a student
Accurately summarizes the informa
obtained during the second year provided tion in the source
has achieved the following:
the instructor with additional informa
The writing is clearly organized, care
tion, but also informed her that although Answered one of the questions*
fully proofread and edited, and ideas are
60 percent were able to calculate the line Accurately summarizes the informa
expressed in an unambiguous manner tion in the source
equation, 28 percent were unable to
determine either the slope or the inter A Grade of B indicates that a student
No organization to the writing, little
cept. Therefore, she intended to rewrite has achieved the following: evidence of proofreading or editing

Vol. 50/No. 2 79

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A Grade of F indicates that a student improve teaching by clarifying assign teen general, research-based principles for
has done the following: ments, modifying criteria, and changing improving higher learning in our class
rooms. AAHE Bulletin 3:3-13.
goals as needed. Students receive a con
Answered no questions* -. 1995. Improving classroom assess
crete guide so that they know exactly ment to improve learning: Guidelines from
Failed to accurately summarize the
information in the source
what has to be done, how it has to be research and practice. Assessment UP date:
done, and when it has to be done. Progress, Trends, and Practices in Higher
The writing fails to convey any useful Education 7(6): 1-2, 12-13.
information Primary Trait Analysis serves as an
Benander, R., J. Dent?n, D. Page, and C.
excellent benchmark against which stu
Skinner. 2000. Primary trait analysis:
*Questions dents and teachers can measure success
Anchoring assessment in the classroom.
and achievement. It demonstrates to the The Journal of General Education 49(4):
1. Who were the authors (or makers)? What
outside evaluator that learning has taken 280-302.
was the source of their authority?
2. Who was the audience? What assump place. We recommend the Primary Trait Couch, R. 1999. Rationale, strengths, and
tions did the author have about the knowledge challenges. NCA Visiting Team Prelimi
Analysis Assessment Tool for use in any
or background of the audience? nary Report on Raymond Walters College
teaching and learning setting. Accreditation Visit.
3. What was the purpose of the text, both
explicit and implicit? When and where was Farmer, D. W. 1993. Course-embedded
Key words: Primary Trait Analysis, assessment: A teaching strategy to improve
the text produced? How was it distributed?
4. What biases or contradictions are there in assessment, grading, standards student learning. Assessment UPdate:
the document? (Kornbluh 2001) Progress, Trends, and Practices in Higher
NOTE Education 5(1): 8-11.
The reader can see from the variety of Functional mission statement. Assessment at
1. Barbara Walvoord made this statement
PTAs included here, that this rubric style Raymond Walters College. 1999 [Internet]
during the September 1995 workshop for Available: World Wide Web, <http://www.
is available to all instructors, regardless RWC faculty. At that time she was a colleague
rwc.uc.edu/phillips/index_assess.htm>.
of discipline, and that it has measurable and a professor of English at the University ofKornbluh, A. 2001. [Source Evaluation
benefits in the classroom. Cincinnati. At present, she is concurrently
director of the John Kaneb Center for Teach Paper]. Unpublished raw data, University of
Cincinnati, Raymond Walters College.
ing and Learning and a professor of English at
Conclusion the University of Notre Dame, Indiana.
National Center for Postsecondary Improve
ment. 1998. Tracking a subtle storm:
Assessment plays an important role in Assessment policies in higher education.
REFERENCES Change 30(2): 47-50.
education today. Teachers must be able to
Academic assessment committee. 1998. St. Ours, P., and M. Corsello. 1998. Faculty
show administrators, the general public,
[Internet] Available World Wide Web driven assessment: A collaborative model
and national accrediting associations <http://www.rwc.uc.edu/phillips/index_ass that works. Assessment UPdate: Progress,
what they are accomplishing in the class ess.htm>. Trends, and Practices in Higher Education
room and how they are evaluating stu Albone, K. R. 1998. Avoid being assessmen 10(4): 6-8.
tized! Assessment UP date: Progress, Walvoord, B. E., and V. G. Anderson. 1995.
dents' progress. Students want to know An assessment riddle. Assessment UPdate:
Trends and Practices in Higher Education
what they must do to achieve high grades. Progress, Trends, and Practices in Higher
PTA is an invaluable tool in this entire 10(3): 6.
American Association for Higher Education. Education 7(6): 8-11.
process. All educators can use this 1992. Principles of good practice for -. 1998. Effective grading: A tool for
method. Different proficiencies, depend assessing student learning. Washington, learning and assessment. San Francisco:
ing on the discipline, can be assessed D.C.: AAHE. Jossey-Bass.
with a PTA scale. PTAs can also be Anderson, V. J., and B. E. Walvoord. 1991. Walvoord, B. E., B. Bardes, and J. Dent?n.
Thinking and writing in college: A study of 1998. Closing the feedback loop in class
changed from one assignment to the next students in four disciplines. Urbana, IL: room-based assessment. Assessment
and from one year to another. This mal National Council of Teachers of English. UPdate: Progress, Trends, and Practices in
leability gives the instructor a chance to Angelo, T. A. 1993. A 'teacher's dozen': Four Higher Education. 10(5): 1-2, 10-11.

80 COLLEGE TEACHING

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