Why Align Course Objectives with Assessments Anyway?

PLP Goal #5: Attend a synchronous webinar related to development of online assessments

Last Friday I attended a live webinar put on by Quality Matters, "A national benchmark for online education".  They provide professional development,  online teaching certification, and are best known for creating a rubric based on eight general standards which include:
 

1. Course Overview and Introduction
2. Learning Objectives (Competencies)
3. Assessment and Measurement
4. Instructional Materials
5. Learner Interaction and Engagement
6. Course Technology
7. Learner Support
8. Accessibility 

If you are interested in checking out the entire rubric you can download it here.

The webinar I attended used the Blackboard Collaborate platform.  The title of the webinar was: Connecting Objectives and Assessments: Proper Alignment and lasted 2 hours.  The information presented was in depth and echoed nicely the activity we completed in Dr. Bryne's class this semester when we created a rubric based on content objectives.  A few keys points that I took home include:

1. All objectives need to be precise and measurable.
2. Course objectives establish the foundation and guide students by letting them know what we want them to learn.
3. Objectives should also be the instructor's guide for creating the assessments.
4. Action verbs in your objectives should match the action verbs used in your assessment.

For example of you want students to "describe" (Bloom's taxonomy - understanding) but the assessment says "create" (Bloom's taxonomy create) or your action verb says "summarize" (Bloom's taxonomy - evaluate) and then you give a multiple choice test that can only determine understand, apply, or analyze then your assessment is not in alignment because they are different actions based on Bloom's taxonomy.

Several handout were given to us which I found helpful.  Check them out.

Action Verbs and Bloom's Taxonomy
Writing Objectives that Align
Worksheet to align objectives with assessments