Knowledge Surveys is a method of evaluating the delivery of a course through gathering feedback from the learners on the level of the knowledge they acquired after the completion of the instruction. It usually consists of a series of questions that cover the full content of the course. The surveys evaluate student learning and content mastery at all levels: from basic knowledge and comprehension through higher levels of thinking. Knowledge surveys can serve as both formative

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is a range of formal and informal assessment procedures employed by teachers during the learning process in order to modify teaching and learning activities to improve student attainment. It typically involves qualitative feedback for both student and teacher that focuses on...

 and summative assessment

Summative Assessment

Summative assessment refers to the assessment of the learning and summarizes the development of learners at a particular time. After a period of work, e.g. a unit for two weeks, the learner sits for a test and then the teacher marks the test and assigns a score. The test aims to summarize learning...

 tools. They are effective in helping:

• students learn,
• instructors improve their delivery, and
• departments explore new curricula and pedagogies.

Structure of the Survey

A standard Knowledge Surveys consists of many questions that cover the entire content of a course addressing all levels of Bloom's

Taxonomy of Educational Objectives

Bloom's Taxonomy is a classification of learning objectives within education proposed in 1956 by a committee of educators chaired by Benjamin Bloom who also edited the first volume of the standard text, Taxonomy of educational objectives: the classification of educational goals...

scale of thinking. A typical survey may include as many as 200 questions. The key feature of Knowledge Surveys is that students do NOT answer the questions. Instead, they say whether they COULD answer the question and with what degree of confidence. So, students complete the surveys relatively quickly.

For easy assessment, the questions might follow the multiple choice format with choices that address the level of knowledge and confidence in a certain topic. For example, a typical multiple choice answer could be of the following form:

(A) I know the topic quite well.
(B) I know the at least 50% of the topic partially, and I know where I can find more information about it. Within 20 minutes, I am confident I can find the complete answer.
(C) I am not confident I can answer the question.

External links

• Wiggins, G., McTighe, J., 2001, Understanding by Design: Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 201 p.
• Building a knowledge survey online.
• http://www.macalester.edu/geology/wirth/CourseMaterials.html Knowledge Surveys: The ultimate course design and assessment tool for faculty and students.
• Knowledge Surveys: Being Clear, Organized, and Able to Prove It - ITL Newsletter - Vol. 2, No. 2

Media

• Usefulness of the tool - Video
• Preparing the Knowledge Survey - Video
• Student Initial Reaction - Video
• Student Feel at the end - Video
• ELIXR-MERLOT Learning Object

Resources

• Feldman, K.A., 1998, Identifying exemplary teachers and teaching: Evidence from student ratings: in Teaching and Learning in the College Classroom: in Feldman, K.A., and Paulsen, M.B., editors, 2nd edition, Simon and Schuster, Needham Heights, MA, p. 391-414.
• Fink, L.D., 2003, Creating Significant learning Experiences: An Integrated Approach to Designing College Courses: Jossey-Bass, 295 p.