Reflections on the Evidence of Student Learning

It is helpful to examine a variety of evidence of student learning, from written papers to the map exercise "think alouds" from which you saw excerpts above.

A. Examples of types of evidence

When writing researchable questions in the scholarship of teaching, it is helpful to consider what evidence of student learning you will consider. In some sense, this evidence is the proof of your reserchable question/thesis. If a particular exercise enhances student learning, student work will exhibit enhanced learning.

Some types of Evidence:

• Students' reports of their learning (surveys & interviews)

• Samples of students' work (papers, projects, journals, presentations)

• Evidence of how students actually work (think-alouds, videos, process journals)

B. How might you use this evidence?

What could you do with these materials?

• close reading

• thick description

• measure against a rubric

• develop categories and chart patterns

• coding

• quantify qualitative results

C. Discussion Prompt (group or individually)

Examine some of the samples of student work

How do different kinds of evidence reveal different aspects of student learning?

How might different sorts of evidence help focus questions about student learning that are both bigger and narrower? What other evidence do you wish you had?

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