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Multi-Pronged Assessment

Considerations for a Multipronged Approach

Conduct a Student Needs Assessment

What kind of technology do students have access to? What is their internet service like? Do they have things that may interfere with their test-taking abilities? Here is a sample survey that has been used by some faculty to figure out in advance what challenges may be faced during an assessment.

Turn on Canvas Quiz Log

Canvas Quiz Log is a tool that can be turned on for each of your Canvas courses and will help you determine if students are navigating away from the Canvas space during quizzing.

Include an Academic Integrity Quiz or Agreement

As part of your regular exam or quiz, ask your students to review and complete an academic integrity quiz or agreement.

Mix Types of Questions

Some instructors begin an assessment with multiple-choice questions that test a student’s ability to retain information and help establish confidence. They will later add questions through short responses or essays that test students’ ability to employ higher-order reasoning.

You can leverage Canvas’s quiz functionality (see “What is a Quiz?” and “Assess, Grade, and Monitor Student Work”). Note: new quizzes are available in Canvas but are not currently recommended for instructors in the Eberly College of Science.

Reconsider your Types of Assessments

Implement many low-stakes assessments (formative) as opposed to a few high-stakes assessments (summative); this allows for students to recover if they happen to have a bad test outing.

Have students generate material, such as a paper, project, or even a video; creating something more complex and authentic will make it harder for students to cheat.

You can also have students work in groups, submit hand-written assignments (this allows you to check for handwriting consistency throughout the semester), and submit e-portfolios.

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A professional and inviting digital illustration representing access to educational technology resources. The scene includes a diverse group of university instructors (men and women of different ethnicities) engaging with digital tools like laptops, tablets, and interactive screens in a modern academic setting. The environment should feel collaborative and innovative, with subtle science-themed elements (like molecules, data charts, or lab equipment) in the background.

EDUCAUSE Membership Is Free for Eberly College of Science Instructors

The Grove Center is pleased to share that Penn State has renewed its institutional membership with EDUCAUSE. This renewal provides all instructors in the Eberly College of Science with free access to a nationwide network of resources, professional development opportunities, and peer collaboration focused on the intersection of technology, teaching, and research in higher education.

How to Get Started

To activate your benefit, you will need to create a free EDUCAUSE profile using your Penn State email address. Additional support is available through the EDUCAUSE Membership Orientation page. If you don’t already have an EDUCAUSE profile, select “Login/Create a Profile” and register with your Penn State email.

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