Spotting Misalignment in Assessments
Misalignment occurs when assessments, learning objectives, or instruction are not working cohesively. It’s crucial to align formative assessments (checkpoints during learning) with summative assessments (final evaluations) to measure student progress effectively.
Example:
- In a psychology course, if students excel at quizzes focused on key terms (formative assessment) but struggle to write analytical essays (summative assessment), the issue may be that quizzes aren’t preparing them for the essay’s requirements. Including assignments that build analytical and writing skills could improve performance.
- Conversely, if students perform well on a summative task but poorly on a formative one, it’s worth examining whether the formative content is essential. For instance, if students in a writing class succeed in drafting essays but struggle with citation tasks not emphasized in the learning objectives, this might signal unnecessary content.
Although misalignment between assessments looks different than misalignment between learning objectives and instruction, correcting these types of issues can help students more clearly see the relationships between separate assessments and the skills they are measuring. When formative and summative assessments align, students see a clearer connection between the skills they develop throughout the course and their final performance.
Using Data to Understand Student Motivation and Behavior
Student engagement data—such as how long they spend on assessments or how many attempts they make—can reveal attitudes toward learning If your assessment is automatically scored, look at data points like how long students spent on the assessment, how many times they attempted it, and so
on. For other types of nonautomatically scored assessments, consider your interactions with students and their behavior in the course. When did students submit the assessment? How interested are they in the way you’re assessing them? Is there any
relationship between this interest and their performance? These questions can begin to show student attitudes toward the assessments you designed for them.
If students seem uninterested or perform poorly, enhancing motivation becomes key. consider the following tips:
- Offer Early Wins: Introduce low-stakes assessments in the first week to help students build confidence (e.g., sharing course expectations or participating in icebreakers). This gives students the opportunity to build a positive outcome expectancy early on.
- Clarify Goals with Rubrics: Provide detailed rubrics that outline grading criteria and connect each task to learning objectives.
- Encourage Reflection: Create discussion forums or journaling assignments for students to reflect on their progress, challenges, and takeaways from assessments.
Evaluating Student Preparedness
Sometimes students struggle because they weren’t fully prepared for an assessment. Your course’s learning management system (LMS) can show if students accessed resources and how much time they spent with them. If students engage with instructional materials but still struggle, it’s worth checking whether the assessments align with the learning objectives.
Alignment Example:
- If an objective requires students to “articulate a classroom management plan,” students need both relevant instruction and assessments focused on expressing their understanding (e.g., writing a plan or delivering a presentation). A lecture alone may not prepare them adequately for this task. You can consider additional materials to help them prepare. Additionally, lack of engagement could mean students don’t understand the purpose of certain materials. Clear instructions and module introductions help students connect instructional content with assessment outcomes. Looking specifically at your instructional material, make sure students know what they can expect out of it and how it will prepare them for the corresponding assessment. This can help establish the motivation students need.
Assessing Prior Knowledge:
- Offering a prior knowledge assessment—especially if your course has prerequisites—can identify skill gaps early and help you adjust instruction to meet students where they are.
Conclusion
Examining LMS data along with observations offers a practical way to enhance your course assessments. Keep in mind that data shows trends, not causes—so it’s important to dig deeper when something seems off. Here are a few key takeaways to help you get started:
- Align formative and summative assessments to ensure students are developing the necessary skills throughout the course.
- Boost student motivation by providing early wins, clear goals, and opportunities to reflect on learning.
- Evaluate preparedness by checking whether students are engaging with instructional materials and whether your course aligns with their prior knowledge.
By actively using assessment data, you can make thoughtful adjustments that benefit both you and your students, leading to a smoother, more effective learning experience.
