This week, we're talking about Self Assessments, a Brightspace tool that allows students to privately evaluate their own learning and develop metacognitive skills. When students know that they can retake a self assessment as many times as they need to, with no grading, oversight, or knowledge of the instructor, it can relieve the pressure or stress that's associated with instructor-monitored quizzes.
The most valuable aspects of self assessments are the hints and feedback you add to questions. While quiz questions also have feedback options, these are typically more evaluative than formative. With self assessments, the intention is to give feedback that guides students to improve their understanding and lets them keep trying until they develop a level of mastery.
Some instructors create multiple self assessments on specific topics or problem types, importing questions from the Question Library or textbook publisher and modifying them. This can help students learn where and how to focus their studies before exams.
The Brightspace - Self Assessments page on the Knowledge Base explains how to set them up. To learn how to get Brightspace help from the CTL, please visit this page.
Center for Teaching & Learning
www.uvm.edu/ctl
ctl@uvm.edu