Module 5: Taxonomy of Assessment

Guiding Objective
Working as part of a small team and given an example report and feedback from the project owner, the student will analyze and deconstruct the report to design and build a database capable of producing that report.

Module Objectives

1. After completing Tutorial 01 in the course textbook, a student will list fields from an example report containing 20 or more fields with 100% accuracy using the team wiki.
2. After completing Tutorial 02 in the course textbook, a student will discuss with team members the relationship of each field in a list of 20 or more fields to all other fields using database specific terminology and create grouped lists (tables) with 90% accuracy using Elluminate.
3. After reading Appendix A in the course text book, swill analyze each table, add necessary fields which are not shown on the sample report, and and classify the Key field(s) in each table according to its specific function with 90 – 100% accuracy using the team wiki.
4. After reading the supplemental material on Many-to-Many Relationships, the student team will illustrate the relationships among the tables using the team whiteboard with 70 – 100% accuracy.

The table is using only activities from objectives 1 and 2 at this point.

Bloom categories	Learning objective verbs	Activity
Knowledge (recall, list, define, identify, collect, label)	Identify, list	Students will open the sample report at the class site and using the example in their assigned course textbook, they will identify and list each field in the report on the team wiki.
Comprehension (summarize, describe interpret, predict, discuss)	Discuss, describe	Students will discuss and describe the relationship each field listed has to each other field in the list using Elluminate.
Application (apply, demonstrate, illustrate, classify, experiment, discover)	Demonstrate	Students will demonstrate knowledge of the difference between a label and a fields by listing only fields in their field list on the team wiki.
Analysis (analyze, classify, connect, explain, infer)	Explain	Students will research two database specific terms, explain their meaning, and post examples on the team wiki.
Synthesis (combine, integrate, plan, create, design, formulate)	Combine, create	Students will combine their own list of fields with those of their team members to create a master list of fields on the team wiki.
Evaluation (assess, recommend, convince, compare, conclude, summarize)	Assess, compare	Students will assess their own list of fields, compare it to those of their team members  on the team wiki.

Module 02: Moment Valuable Moments (MVMs)

My most valuable moments in module two came with

• Creating a better understanding of the use of Bloom's Taxonomy in writing course competencies
• Discovering the Wisc-Online site and collection of RLOs
• Researching and writing about using blogs in technology classes. 

The last item is the one on which I spent the most time. I found lots of blogs about technology tools used in teaching and education; however, I found no examples of how blogging is used in technology classes.

I have decided that my best course of action is to post my findings to my peers in our class discussion thread and invite them to help me find resources. I am including a small portion of my posting to the class site below and also asking if anyone has any ideas about where I can find resources on using blogging in technology courses, please add a comment. I primarily teach database design, construction, and report writing. I teach both F2F and online.

My week was extraordinarily busy. I interacted with several of my peers and had meaningful interchanges with a few. My efforts at collaboration were weak; however, it is the nature of this time of the quarter. 

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In order for me to require students in my technology classes to blog, I have to be convinced that they will truly be gaining something from blogging that they are not realizing though our extensive use of threaded discussions. Students do participate in the threaded discussions, where we explain problems, offer solutions, present links, and form study groups. We do utilize blogs and forums in the classes as part of our research. I encourage students to sign up for forums and to follow technology bloggers. These resources allow us to ask and receive responses to questions that might otherwise go unanswered. I make regular use of my access to experts in my field through groups on LinkedIn, and I encourage my students to join in the discussion.

Module 02: Emerging Practices of Online Assement

 Our objectives for Module Two:

• Distinguish between measurement, assessment and evaluation
• Evaluate use of blogs in an online writing course
• Practice and demonstrate use of educational blogs as a collaborative, reflective assessment technique
• Formulate plans for a student-centered learning environment
• Design learning objectives that are connected to authentic assessment techniques 

I enjoyed the tour of the reusable learning objects (RLO) and learned three things about writing robust competencies by reviewing The Good, the Bad, and What Is a Competency? at Wisc-Online.

1. It contains one clearly written action verb
2. It is written at the application level or above in Bloom's taxonomy
3. It is measurable and observable

I have a particular interest in Bloom's Taxonomy, because I was unfamiliar with it until a few years after I had started teaching full time, and in writing competencies, because we are constantly rewriting competencies for our courses--as we should be.