assignment point

• Signature Assignments
• Office of the Provost and EVP
• Institutional Effectiveness
• Educational Assessment
• Doing Assessment
• Choose an Assessment Method
• Direct Measures

Signature assignments are an embedded assessment strategy in which a common assignment is given to students in several different courses, sections, or co-curricular experiences. This assignment should be designed to give students an opportunity to demonstrate proficiency in one or more program-level learning outcomes. It’s important to note that individual faculty/staff may elect to adapt the signature assignment for their courses, but maintain core elements of the assignment that allow them to be assessed using a common rubric. This strategy can be used for final projects, papers, or even specific exam questions that are shared across different courses. The shared element is evaluated using a common rubric or standard, and the resulting data is aggregated at the program level to measure student learning of the associated learning outcome.

Key features of a signature assignment include:

• Embedded in a course or co-curricular experience
• Used for course grade and program assessment
• Aligned with program-level student learning outcome(s)
• Collaboratively designed by faculty
• Meaningful and integrative

How to use signature assignments for program assessment:

• Identify the student learning outcome(s) and appropriate courses using the curriculum map 
• Design an assignment (Is there an existing assignment that might easily be adapted?)
• Draft a rubric (criterion referenced is preferable to norm referenced, in most cases) 
• Gather & evaluate student work (see section on sampling)
• Aggregate & Analyze results 
• Use results to evolve the program (even small changes can be meaningful!)

Examples in practice

In this example , faculty at Carroll University integrated signature assignments into core courses throughout the four-year curriculum of its undergraduate public health program. In the following table, you will see where in the curriculum each program-level outcome is embedded.

Table 1. Signature Assignments Mapped to Program Outcomes

* PBH 101 = Introduction to Public Health; PBH 102 = Global Health; PBH 210 = Public Health for Communities; PBH 324 = Program Development, Assessment, and Evaluation for Public Health; PBH 480 = Capstone Internship.

The program also developed signature assignment prompts that could be adapted by faculty as needed across courses and sections, but that would still retain key features that would allow for assessment of the program-level outcomes. Faculty also collaborated to design rubrics for these signature assignments that would help teaching faculty and students understand the expectations for learning toward each program outcome (and to help faculty scaffold that learning meaningfully across the curriculum.)

Table 2 . Course and Signature Assignment Description.

Program faculty used these assignments (supported by student surveys and course feedback) to understand and improve student learning in the program.

Another example from Salt Lake Community College includes the rubrics themselves that are provided to faculty to use when they are applying (and adapting) signature assignments in their Humanities AA curriculum.

In another example from California Lutheran University , all of their signature assignments required for an Ed.D. program are organized into a table to indicate how program learning outcomes are addressed through signature course assignments (and courses). This kind of mapping can be very helpful both to understanding where in the curriculum program-level outcomes are integrated (and the level of mastery expected by the end of each course.) This “whole curriculum” mapping is a valuable exercise and guide for program improvement.

In this final example from CSULB , a signature assignment is used to assess a program outcome about writing (“Produce sophisticated academic writing related to the social and cultural analysis of education.”). The rubric for this outcome (see link) is aligned with the assignment prompt that requires a 12-15 page paper on a specific educational environment, conflict, dilemma, or phenomenon. Signature Assignment & Rubric for CSULB MA in Equity, Education, and Social Justice  

For further reading

• AAC&U Signature Assignment Tool provides a clear and specific example of key elements to integrate and key questions the program needs to ask in order to draft a signature assignment for a critical thinking learning outcome. The guidelines provided in the tool are relevant to development of signature assignments related to any learning outcome(s) and are not specific solely to critical thinking.
•   The National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA) hosts an assignment library on their website with example signature assignments by discipline and by degree level.
• SCU’s Collaborative for Teaching and Innovation and Faculty Development created together these Digital Resources for Teaching (DRT). The content on Assignment Design (especially Transparent Assignment Design) is highly relevant to the development of Signature Assignments, as well as any faculty-created assignment designed to measure a program learning outcome.)
• In this 2021 article by Quinlan and Pitt, the authors expand on the key dimensions learning that are measurable within signature assignments. This also may be helpful to readers who are developing their program’s learning outcomes: Full article: Towards signature assessment and feedback practices: a taxonomy of discipline-specific elements of assessment for learning (tandfonline.com)

Savvy Calculator

Assignment Points Calculator

Introduction.

Managing your assignments and calculating your final grade can be a complex task, especially when you need to calculate the points for individual assignments. To simplify this process, we’ve created the Assignment Points Calculator, a convenient tool that allows you to determine the missing value for your assignment points. In this article, we’ll walk you through how to use it, the formula behind it, provide examples, address common questions, and offer a conclusion.

Using the Assignment Points Calculator is easy and straightforward. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to calculate your assignment points:

• Open the Calculator : Access the Assignment Points Calculator on your preferred device or browser.
• Number of questions (Q)
• Points per question (PQ)
• Calculate Assignment Points : Once you’ve entered the known values, click the “Calculate” button, or any other clickable button of your choice.
• View the Result : The calculator will instantly determine the assignment points (AP) based on the provided values, and display the result.

The Assignment Points (AP) can be calculated using the following formula:

AP = Q * PQ

• AP represents the Assignment Points.
• Q is the number of questions in the assignment.
• PQ is the number of points awarded for each question.

This formula is at the core of the Assignment Points Calculator, allowing you to calculate your assignment points with ease.

Let’s walk through an example to demonstrate how to use the Assignment Points Calculator:

Suppose you have an assignment with 20 questions, and each question is worth 5 points. You want to calculate the total assignment points (AP).

• Number of questions (Q) = 20
• Points per question (PQ) = 5
• Click the “Calculate” button.
• Assignment Points (AP) = 20 * 5 = 100 points

In this example, the Assignment Points Calculator helped you determine that your assignment is worth 100 points.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: Can I use the calculator for assignments with different numbers of questions and points per question?

Yes, the Assignment Points Calculator is versatile and can be used for any assignment, as long as you have the number of questions and points per question.

Q2: Is the calculator free to use?

Yes, the calculator is completely free to use and accessible online.

Q3: Can I use the calculator on my mobile device or tablet?

Yes, the calculator is designed to be responsive and works on various devices, including mobile phones and tablets.

Q4: Can I reset the calculator for a new calculation?

Yes, you can easily reset the calculator and enter new values for a different assignment.

Calculating assignment points is no longer a daunting task, thanks to the Assignment Points Calculator. This user-friendly tool simplifies the process, enabling you to determine the missing value for your assignment points quickly and accurately. Whether you’re a student or an educator, this calculator is a valuable resource for managing and grading assignments efficiently.

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