Create a Formula Assessment Instrument
Work collaboratively with colleagues to identify clusters of criteria that are related to concepts and behaviors of interest. Develop your formula Assessment Instrument offline, and keep an electronic copy open and handy to refer to as you enter the Assessment Instrument online.
A formula Assessment Instrument aggregates individual criterion scores from one or more conventional Assessment Instruments. Formula Assessment Instruments are useful in aggregating data related to individual concepts across Assessment Instruments, programs, and other groupings. For example: cross-campus or inter-program writing or communication skills may be of interest. A formula Assessment Instrument can aggregate data from individual criteria related to communication from a variety of Assessment Instruments.
Step 1: Access Assessment Instruments
1. Click on the Main Menu icon.
2. Click on the Curriculum option.
3. Select Assessment Instruments.
Step 2: Create a New Assessment Instrument
4. Click the New Assessment Instrument button.
5. Enter a Name for the instrument.
6. Select the Parent Group for the instrument by clicking on the Choose Group button.
7. Optionally enter a Description for the instrument.
8. Select the Formula scoring type.
9. Click Save.
Step 3: Edit 'Criterion 1'
Our system will automatically provide you with your first criterion ("Criterion 1") when creating a new Assessment Instrument. This criterion should not remain untouched, but should instead be used as a starting point for your instrument. To edit Criterion 1:
10. Hover your cursor over the green "Criterion 1" box to reveal its options. Click on the Edit icon.
11. Enter a new Name for the criterion.
12. Optionally enter Tags for the criterion.
13. Add a Description.
14. Click Save.
You will not see all of your changes immediately. The name for Criterion 1 will have changed to the name you entered, but the description will not appear.
15. Click on the criterion's name to reveal its description. Click again to hide the description.
Step 4: Add Source Criterion
16. Click on the Add Source Criterion button.
17. Select an Assessment Instrument from which you would like to draw the criterion.
18. Select the Source Criterion from the original Assessment Instrument.
19. Enter the Weight that the source criterion will hold within the formula Assessment Instrument, and determine how missing data will be treated. See Missing Data below.
21. Click the Save button.
Missing Data in Formula Assessment Instruments
The 'results are zero' rule says that, for a given student, if they have not been assessed on one or more of the Assessment Instruments, the result for the whole formula is counted as zero. This makes sense in a case where a failure to submit any part of an assignment is considered a failure to submit the whole thing.
You should include more than one Assessment Instrument criterion for each formula Assessment Instrument criterion.
22. Click the Add Source Criterion link to continue selecting criterion from other Assessment Instruments.
Step 5: Add New Criteria
23. Click on the Add Criterion button and repeat steps 3 and 4.