Assessments that Support Andragogy

I've been asked to explore the assessment end of andragogy a bit, something I am happy to wrestle with, as I'm been experimenting rather heavily this academic year with my students. Before I launch into my thoughts though, I'd like to capture Karen's comments that include her middle school perspective, as I believe they lay a nice foundation. Below was posted by Karen earlier in the week:

Karen said...

I kid you not, guess what we are doing in 8th grade English this week? Students are presenting SELF-designed projects demonstrating mastery of four content standards. Guess what their peers are doing? Using a CLASS-created rubric to assess their peers. After each presentation we debrief the rubric and share our thoughts on the content/presentation. Is it great and engaging? YES! Are the 13/14 year olds using critical thinking skills and metacognition? YES! Can they ALWAYS fairly grade the girl that is now "going out" with their ex? Not really. As a middle school teacher, I have the rare delight to interact with young adults. It is such a treat to see them take on adult skills and roles, and then cry because, "If I did exactly what was asked, why didn't I get a 4 (exceeds standard)?" More and more, teacher training programs and professional development for young people are leaning more towards what you are defining as "andragogy": prior knowledge, existing skills, metacognition, connection to schema. It is interesting to read the responses of those arguing that mature high school students qualify. You are right, but are underestimating the abilities of your middle-schoolers. The challenge comes with the fact that all of them are at different points on the spectrum of maturity and the ability to think critically. Some need to be coddled, others take your instruction and develop their own knowledge into something far more advanced than you had hoped. While it is exciting and satisfying, it is also "pull your hair out" frustrating! I have to remind myself 20 times a day that they are really just kids, and that just because some of them are capable of advanced thinking and social skills, we are working together for them ALL to attain those abilities. What if we teamed up some kids from middle school with college students? How would that turn out?

So, if 8th graders can successfully, collaboratively create a rubric and evaluate the work of their peers, why is it so odd to bring that into the realm of adults? It shouldn't be. As Karen points out, the ability to manage these assessments phases in and out with her learners, but they can do the task. I have no reason to expect that I can't bring my professional students to the level of middle schoolers, even if they don't all necessarily like being more directly responsible.

To give a bit of reference, my professional students are studying dentistry, and I am the course director for their first clinical experiences with one another. In years past, I was not the director, but served as an attending during the clinical exercises that accompany the didactic material. In this course they cover introductory basics, things such as infection control, ergonomics, patient interviewing, and begin their very early clinical examination experiences. In past years the "what are we doing today" as they would enter clinic would make me crazy, as we lost at least 30 minutes to organization that I felt they should be responsible for BEFORE coming into the clinic. This year having the latitude of course director for the first time, I decided to apply andragogical assessment principles to address what I saw as weaknesses in the course structure.
Specifically, my students are being asked to blog individual learning plans (ILP) and self-assessment reports (unfortunately abbreviated to "SAR") before and after each clinical exercise. The ILP requires each student to blog a plan before entering the clinic based on the outline of the clinical assignment I provide, and the SAR requirement includes blogging a self-assessment within 48 hours after the clinic. Both ILPs and SARs use a template I have provided that guide the student through the process of planning or self-assessing. Part of why I felt this was an appropriate approach is that each individual student only has clinic rotation every other week. In the intervening week they have other rotation activities, as well as the remainder of their courses, and I know from experience, that novice clinicians do not retain clinical behaviors well over a two-week span. In the past, I often felt that each clinic was the first clinic, as very little transferred from exercise to exercise. By instituting the blogging requirement I hoped to solve clinic inefficiencies on both ends. I want my class to come in prepared and knowing exactly what they need to accomplish, and I don't want them to have to learn the same things over and over again. I want the act of planning their own approach to the clinical exercise to guide them in becoming self-directed clinicians. I want their self-assessment reports to allow them to remember what they learned each time they were in the clinic and enable them to build upon those skills rather than simply re-learning them, as well as prepare them for a career of self-assessment as is necessary for any professional.

There are other things that are a bit outside the norm that I am having them do, but I think these required reflections are the meat of the alternative assessments I've employed thus far. So, how's it working? Better than I'd hoped is the short answer. I received my course evaluations from fall this week, and only one student commented on "busy work" relative to the blogging. I expected much worse (don't we all get a little queasy when the evals come out?). Further, the blogs themselves, yes I am reading 88 blogs a week, give the best indication of their success. Over the 12 weeks of instruction this class has had thus far, I can already clearly see indications of increased self-awareness in the class. I do give them an outline for each, and they answer the questions I pose, but it is clear that they are able to correct themselves when they recognize their weaknesses. Example: I ask in the SAR outline, "Where did you feel weak in clinic today and how can you approach remedying this identified weakness?", many students have blogged that they have trouble obtaining vital signs, and plan to take their equipment home and take blood pressure on their roommates over the weekend. A perfect example of an adult directing their specific learning needs! I get very happy to read such posts.

Do all the posts contain outstanding reflection? No. Clearly a minority of the class is doing what they are told and no more, but even then, I occasionally see evidence of self-correction and over time I see that the value of these exercises is becoming more apparent to a larger group.

I feel I have a long way to go, but I also feel I've made significant progress in highlighting the need to my students to continue to develop meta cognitively. To rely more on their OWN opinions of their work and hone their ability to assess themselves and remediate their self-identified weaknesses. Do I have a role in all that? Of course. I'm the net. I'm the place they come when they are lost and need more specific guidance. I'm the voice that replies to their posts and congratulates great ideas and affirms correct approaches when it's clear that the need for validation is present. They are not alone. I am right beside them, where I think I should be. Instead of following my every step, I feel more authentic to what I know they will need in practice by guiding and not directing their progress.

That is the state of andragogical assessment in my course at the moment. Are there others working with this type of guided self-assessment?