Using Learning Progressions, Knowledge Surveys, and Post-Exam Reflections to Drive Student Ownership over Learning
Summary
In this set of course-long materials and assignments, students are given the tools to take ownership over their own learning progression. Students are given a clear set of "study guide" prompts for each day's content and are encouraged to stay on task heading up to each exam. Before each exam, students must complete a knowledge survey to assess their readiness for the exam. After each exam, students must complete a post-exam reflection assignment that encourages them to determine where they are doing well and where they can improve.
Learning Goals
Students should gain a greater metacognitive awareness about their own study skills, test-taking abilities, and time expenditure. In addition, they should have a greater sense of their responsibility toward their own learning.
Context for Use
This is a difficult 200-level Human Anatomy & Physiology course. Maximum class size is 24 students, but I think this could be used in a much larger class, as it doesn't require a lot of individual attention. Rather it does require quite a bit of set-up time before the quarter begins to create and implement useful, clear material for the students. A critical component of this course-long activity is for students to feel that the instructor cares about their success and is reading their feedback on the post-exam reflections, as there is a component of trust involved.
Description and Teaching Materials
The first 3 files are the three learning progressions for the course, which include both directed reading and study guide prompts for each lecture of the quarter. The study guide prompts then become the knowledge surveys administered before each exam.
The fourth file is the post-exam reflection assignment.
The fourth file is the post-exam reflection assignment.
Teaching Notes and Tips
Assessment
by its nature, the students themselves are determining whether they are achieving the learning goals for the course. The students will only receive full points for post-exam reflections that are thorough and complete.