After defining learning objectives for your course, you will need to determine ways
to measure how students meet those objectives. While multiple-choice exams are a common
method of assessing student learning, they are often limited to fundamental learning
such as understanding key concepts and recalling facts. Assessment strategies for
higher-order learning may include performance tasks, project-based assessments, collaborative
activities, and discussion prompts that require application, analysis, or creative
problem-solving.
Assessment for learning, also known as formative assessments, are intended to monitor
student learning and provide ongoing feedback. These types of assessments help instructors
to evaluate areas where students may be struggling to improve their teaching approach
and providing feedback on student progress, creating more learner efficacy and helping
students to improve their learning. Summative assessments are intended to evaluate
student learning at the end of an instructional unit-level module. These types of
assessments are assessed according to a benchmark such as a grading scheme or other
learning standards.
When Can This be Beneficial?
Formative assessments and communicating student progress is highly beneficial for
student motivation and achievement (Ambrose et al., 2023; Jardine & Frome, 2023; William,
2011). While grades indicate the degree to which a student meets criteria, they do
not inform the student of the aspects they may not have done as well in, or how to
improve.
The appropriate timing and frequency of feedback is also an important consideration.
Research tells us that even minimal feedback can lead to an increase in student performance
(Ambrose et al., 2023). When it comes to determining the time and frequency of feedback,
it is bets to think in terms of what best supports your expectations for students'
learning. For example, if you are expecting students to practice problem-solving skills
or to collect multiple forms of data for a project, the consideration of when to provide
appropriate feedback may look different than what you would provide on the first draft
of a writing assignment.
Research has shown that students often learn more from repeated testing than from
repeated exposure to the material (Biggins et al., 2015; Karpicke & Roediger, 2008).
While exposure to material helps students store information, it's more important that
they can actively practice what they are learning to organize their knowledge and
apply what they have learned (Ambrose et al., 2023). Including a variety of assessment
activities in your course provides students with multiple opportunities to practice
and demonstrate their learning.
Ideas for Implementing Assessment Strategies
The types of assessments used in a course are determined by the learning objectives
and the types of learning or thinking you want to measure. When thinking about formative
and summative assessments, it is also important to consider how students will receive
feedback on their work and your expectations on how they will incorporate this feedback.
Formative and Summative Assessment Strategies
Formative Assessments (low-stake assessment)
Summative Assessments (high-stake assessment)
Weekly quizzes or no-grade quizzes
Final exams
Polls/Clickers
Standardized tests
Outlines and first drafts
Individual or group project
Classroom discussion/exit ticket
Research paper
1-minute reflection
Internship or capstone experience
Peer reviews & self-assessments
Presentation or performance
Homework assignments
Portfolio
Note: This list is intended to be an idea starter. Contact the FCTL for additional
ideas on formative and summative assessment activities.
Types of Learning Assessment Activities
Learning Type
Action Verb
Learning Objective
Discussion Questions
Assessment Activity
Remember
Define
Describe
Identify
Label
List
Recall
By the end of this module, students will be able to define_____.
What did you notice about _______?
Practice activities or quizzes (multiple choice, true/false, etc.)
Understand
Demonstrate
Describe
Discuss
Explain
Paraphrase
Summarize
By the end of this module, students will be able to describe _______ in their own
words.
What will happen if _____?
Summarize or explain....
How can you demonstrate ______?
Practice activities or quizzes (multiple choice, true/false, etc.)
Discussion Boards
Concept Map
Apply
Apply
Calculate
Experiment
Illustrate
Predict
Solve
By the end of this modeul, students will be able to calculate ______.
What would happen if _____? What would you have done in this situation ________?
Discussion
Reflection Paper
Problem Set
Case Studies
Analyze
Analyze
Contrast
Debate
By the end of this module, students will be able to differentiate between ____ and
____.
Why is this important? What do they have in common? How are they different?
Papers/Reports
Case Studies
Debates
Group or Collaborative Project
Evaluate
Assess
Compare
Contrast
Critique
Determine
Interpret
By the end of this module, students will be able to determine whether using _____
or ______ is more approporiate.
Why is this happening? How does ____ affect ____? What are the strengths and weaknesses?
Papers/Reports
Peer Review Activities
Critiques, Reviews, Studies
Create
Compose
Create
Design
Develop
Formulate
Generate
By the end of this module, students will be able to design original homework problems
dealing with _______.
What is another way to look at _____? What is the solution of the problem of ______?
Project (research, performance, etc.)
Portfolios
Papers/Reports
Peer-Reviewed Presentations
Note: This matrix is intended to be an idea starter. Contact the FCTL for additional ideas on assessment methods.
Bloom's Taxonomy of Learning Domains
Bloom's Taxonomy is a common framework for classifying different levels of student
learning and associated action words for writing learning objectives. These learning
types are ordered from lower-level thinking like Remember and Understanding to higher-level thinking like Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, and Create.
Implement frequent and varied opportunities for assessment rather than a few high
stakes assesments. Increasing student engagement in an online classroom will also
increase students satisfaction with online learning.
Scaffold assignments using low-stake weekly assignments that prepare students for
more in-depth discussions or that will lead to larger projects or assignments.
Integrate questions into videos or recorded lectures to promote learning and assess
student understanding.
Look for alternatives to high-stake exams. The stress of high-stake testing, low confidence
that may be intensified by a lack of interaction or feedback, and the added stress
of online testing can contribute to cheating online.
Move to Open Book Exams. This exam format promotes student learning and helps to defuse
the likelihood of students inappropriately using other resources to complete the exam.
Include questions that ask students to write a short reflection on what they have
learned.
Design your online course to focus on active learning and evaluate if a final exam
is even necessary. The following decision tree may help you to determine if an online
exam is needed or if other assessment methods are more appropriate in the online environment.
Contact the FCTL for additional ideas on online assessment methods.
Learn More
Explore the following resources and support to learn more about this topic.
FCTL
FCTL Can Help
FCTL staff are available to discuss ideas or concerns related to designing assessments.
Contact the FCTL to schedule a consultation. The FCTL Academic Community located in
Brightspace contains extensive resources and informational documents on a variety
of teaching and learning topics.
Books
Books on Designing Assessments and Student Learning
The following books can be found in the FCTL Faculty Library in Meyer Library Room
204.
Ambrose, S.A., Bridges, M.W., Lovett, M.C., DiPietro, M., & Norman, M.K. (2023). How learning works: Eight research-based principles for smart teaching (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass.
Angelo, T. A. & Zakrajsek, T. (2024). Classroom assessment techniques: A handbook for college teachers (3rd ed.).Jossey-Bass.
Hundley, S. P. & Kahn, S. (Eds). (2019). Trends in assessment: Ideas, Opportunities, and issues for higher education. Stylus.
Lang, J. M. (2013). Cheating lessons: Learning from academic dishonesty. Harvard University Press.
Stevens, D. D. & Levi, A. J. (2005). Introduction to rubrics: An assessment tool to save grading time, convey effective
feedback and promote student learning. Stylus.
Walvoord, B. E. & Anderson, V. J. (2010). Effective grading: A tool for learning and assessment (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass.
This free web-based resource has an extensive library of high-quality 3-4 minute videos
that demonstrate a variety of teaching activities and classroom assessment techniques.
MSU faculty have free access to this resource site which includes a variety of teaching
topics including assessment for learning.
References
The following resources were used in creating this Teaching Notes guide.
Ambrose, S.A., Bridges, M.W., Lovett, M.C., DiPietro, M., & Norman, M.K. (2023). How learning works: Eight research-based principles for smart teaching (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass.
Biggins D., Crowley E., Bolat E., Dupac M., Dogan H. (2015). Enhancing university
student engagement using online multiple-choice questions and answers. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 3(9). https://doi.org/10.4236/jss.2015.39011
Fisher, D. Pl, Brotto, G., Lim, I., & Southam, C. (2025). The impact of timely formative
feedback on university student motivation. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education 50(4). https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2025.2449891
Jardine, H., & Frome, G. (2023). Undergraduate teaching and learning assistants provide
feedback as part of a formative assessment system. Journal of College Science Teaching, 54(2). https://doi.org/10.1080/0047231X.2024.2400333
Karpicke, J.D., & Roediger, H.L., III. (2008). The critical importance of retrieval
for learning. Science, 319. 966–968. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1152408
