3.3.6 Mid-Term Assessment

by Richard C. Armstrong (Chemistry, Madison Area Technical College, retired)
Mid-term courseassessment is a process and a tool to help faculty members and students improve current and future learning. The process is best implemented at least twice during a term, using a few important questions. This module describes the value of mid-term assessment and describes the process of implementing it. Furthermore, the module provides an adaptable tool and sample student responses.
 

When to Use Mid-Term Assessment

Ideally, mid-term course assessment occurs two or three times a term, scheduled within the first third of the course, at about the 60% point, and a week before finals. The intent of mid-term assessment is to assess performance at different stages of the semester, not to evaluate performance. Mid-term assessment gathers quality information to produce improvements for faculty, courses, and students (Angelo & Cross, 1993).

Important Purposes

Mid-term assessment records student feedback at a specific point of a course and focuses on understanding what is working well and why. It provides clear direction for immediate and long-term improvements in course structure and the learning process. It provides enough data to help faculty focus on what is best for all, and reduce the tendency to overreact to outliers. Mid-term assessment can provide important research data on student learning needs and improve the performance of the reflective practitioner. The impact of a mid-term course assessment truly supports a continuous quality improvement model (Apple, 2002).

Table 1
Key Principles of a Mid-Term Assessment

  1. The faculty member shows no defensiveness.

  2. Feedback is followed by a discussion session.

  3. Specific analysis of the feedback is shared with students.

  4. After discussion and class approval, some identified areas of improvement should be implemented.

  5. The faculty member’s mindset should focus on improving the course and learning rather than being concerned about how good the course has been.

  6. Mid-term assessment should not be about affirmation.

  7. When repeated, the process increases in effectiveness.

  8. The feedback discussion should occur during the next class meeting after the assessment.

  9. Mid-term assessment should not take place right before or after a major exam or project.

  10. The instructor must ignore student affect within the student assessments in order to identify the real significant discoveries.

Benefits

Mid-term assessment builds trust in the learning community of the class and shifts ownership for learning toward students. It also provides opportunities for instructors, learners, and teams to improve their performances. Mid-term assessment models the assessment process, expands the culture of assessment, and helps students modify their goals and refresh their commitment to the learning process. Overall, mid-term assessment is one of the more important best practices of quality educators.

Key Principles

The key principles in Table 1 help to make the mid-term assessment successful. Although these principles may initially seem complex, the principles become common sense in practice.

Implementation Process

Mid-term course assessments may be completed in class or as homework. The instructor then analyzes the feedback to look for important information. What is working well for the students? What are two to three areas where improvements could be made in the course? During the following class period, the assessments should be discussed with the class to decide together on any changes to be made.

Sample Mid-Term Course Assessment and Student Responses

Table 2  is an example of a mid-term course assessment form that follows the SII format of assessment (4.1.9 SII Method for Assessment Reporting).

After the sample form, actual student responses from mid-term assessments are presented. The students are from College Chemistry II, the second semester of a sequence of freshman chemistry courses.
Table 2  Mid-Term Course Assessment


Name ______________________ Date ___________

  1. What are the three greatest strengths of this course and its instructor so far and why?

  2. During the remaining time in this term, what are three improvements that the instructor could make in this class or with his teaching to help you learn better? Suggest how these improvements could be made.

  3. What personal action plans can you put in place to help yourself learn the content better this semester?

  4. What are the three most important things you have learned about learning (not course content) in this course so far?

  5. What insights do you have about learning, teamwork, and helping others learn and grow?
     
 

Strengths:

  • Flexibility. The course and the instructor have changed a great deal since last semester, due, in large part, to feedback from students.

  • High level of challenge. This is a challenging class that requires a commitment on the part of the student. This is a strength in that it raises the level of seriousness toward the subject with most of the students, which I find motivating.

  • The course has forced me to learn actively all of the time that I am in class and working at home. The plethora of drills and in-class exercises keeps me from coasting through class with the thought that I’ll just take it all in and integrate my knowledge later. I seem to work better when I am actively involved.

Areas for Improvement:

  • More group activities and models would be a very helpful tool for increasing our understanding of the concepts being taught.

  • Utilize the method of short lecture, short critical thinking activity that has recently been introduced. This technique seems to get ideas across easily and captures students’ attention.

  • When we do not finish an activity, it would be nice to go over it briefly during the next class. I find that, while they really help me learn, I remain unclear on some of the reasoning behind the finer points.

  • I would like you to be able to teach more in class, rather than outside of class. I have had my best learning moments outside of class when I have come to the office or over the phone.

The three most important things you have learned about learning in this course so far:

  • That steady, gradual learning sticks longer than the last-minute cram.

  • Learning doesn’t just happen. I have to work at it, and to work at it I have to be motivated by the value of learning.

  • Learning is more dependent on how hard you work than on how intelligent you are.

Things learned about learning, teamwork, and helping others:

  • I have learned that most often, I am my worst critic. I have to evaluate fairly and objectively what I am doing within a group. Sometimes I contribute better than other times and I have to step back and ask, “What have I done well?”

  • When I work in a team, it helps me to learn, not only from my teammates’ insights, but also by having to explain concepts to them. It also reinforces to myself that I do know the material and helps build confidence in my abilities.

  • I have learned that the people in this particular class are really interested in doing well and understanding the material. This makes it so easy to get work done. What I love the most about the people in this class is that because we all want to do well, everyone contributes significantly, and one person’s weakness is often another person’s strength.

Concluding Thoughts

The process of mid-term course assessment allows the instructor to do real-time classroom research and to be in the learning mode rather than in the teaching mode. The mid-term course assessments help students investigate their preferred learning style(s) and provide tools that they can carry over into other courses. The students feel empowered by their new role in the teaching and learning process, and the process of mid-term course assessment builds stronger trust and rapport between students and instructor. Therefore, using mid-term assessment in every course is highly recommended.

References

Angelo, T. A., & Cross, K. P. (1993). Classroom assessment techniques: A handbook for college teachers. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Apple, D. K. (2002). Assessment institute handbook. Lisle, IL: Pacific Crest.

Classroom assessment techniques. Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville.
 <http://www.siue.edu/~deder/assess/catmain.html>