Self Assessment Guide

Learning Objective

Generalization

Learning Objective

Vocabulary

Supporting Statements

Self Assessment

Guide

A Self Assessment is a manner of note-taking designed to assure preparedness for an exam, particularly a written response exam, by providing a framework to practice recall and target study. The Self Assessment is composed of three steps: Self Assessment Tool, Iteration Schedule, and Review Iterations. There are two types of Self Assessment Tools, a Basic Self Assessment Tool for general use, good for pen and paper, and an Advanced Self Assessment Tool for those who want to increase the likelihood of great responses on written examinations, best if done on the computer.

Rationale: Reading your notes causes limited brain activity because it forces “recognition,” a lower level neural process. Forcing “recall” involves more neural activity and also allows you to make mistakes. Once you make a mistake, the correction to that mistake is inherently interesting and you are more likely to store the information in long-term memory. Keeping record of your correct responses and your mistakes will allow targeted review.

Instructions for Step 1, Self Assessment Tool: Draw a vertical line down your paper dividing it into two parts, the left side taking up ¼ of the page and the right side taking up ¾ of the page. On the left, write learning objectives, questions and keywords. The wider right side is used to make notes, draw graphic organizers and paraphrase information necessary to intelligently respond to what you will see on the left. Use a line placed horizontally to separate ideas and themes. Draw a score tab for future review.

Instructions for Step 2, Iteration Schedule: Create a Title Page for your Self Assessment Tool. Write the topic or unit title, and underneath write Self Assessment. Create an Iteration Schedule based on research in cognition: review is best done at day 1, 3, 10, 25, and immediately prior to examination, respectively. Write the planned dates in your daily planner. Keep your total scores recorded to compare and grow.

	Planned	Actual	Score
Created	1/12/2000		N/A
Day 1	1/12/2000	1/12/2000	34/40
Day 3	1/15/2000	1/17/2000	28/40
Day 10	1/22/2000	1/25/2000	32/40
Day 25	2/6/2000	2/7/2000	34/40
Day of	2/15/2000	2/15/2000	40/40

Instructions for Step 3, Review Iterations: Use a separate sheet of blank paper to cover up the notes on the right side of the Self Assessment. Review the learning objective, question, or keywords and respond by jotting down notes on what would need to be included in a response. After noting all thoughts, reveal the original notes for a planned response and compare them to the Review Iteration Assess yourself using the following scale:

5	Absolute comprehension and retention
4	Full comprehension and retention
3	Near complete comprehension and retention
2	Relative comprehension, information missing
1	Partial comprehension, information missing
0	Unable to respond without clues

Basic Self Assessment Tool Rubric

#	possible points		expectations	points earned
1.	5	Clarity	Details Title, Name, Date, and broader topic; page numbers
3.			Uses spacing effectively
			Objective on left, notes on right
4.	6	Organization	Employs bulleting
5.	6	Organization	Employs nesting (indents)
6.	7	Efficiency	Concise word choices
7.			Utilizes abbreviations
8.			Utilizes Symbols
9.	7	Utility	Score tab present
10.	7	Utility	Score tab used
11.	N/A	Thoroughness	Thoroughly records covered material
12.	N/A	Thoroughness	Completely records covered material
	25		total

Model and Example of Basic Self Assessment Tool

Learning Objective Questions Keywords Score					notes, graphic organizers or paraphrased information necessary to intelligently respond

Civil War Leaders Score					Union · Lincoln, Union President · Grant, Union General · Sherman, Union General Confederacy · Davis, Confederate President · Lee, Confederate General · Hooker, Confederate General
4	1	3	5	4

Model and Example of Essay-Test Self Assessment Tool

Causes of Strikes (1919) and public reaction					Generalization The primary causes of the strikes of 1919 were low or fixed wages in the face of a dramatic increase in the cost of living. The public associated the strikers with communists and it contributed to their fear of political radicals during the Red Scare.
					Vocabulary Demobilization Boston Police Strike, Steel Strike, United Mine Workers Strike, and the Seattle General Strike. Red Scare Bolshevik Palmer raids Mitchell Palmer Sacco and Vanzetti	Details 4.5 mil. Soldiers return (1918) Unemployment 5 mil. (1921) (1914->1918) CoL doubled (1919) 3,600 stoppages, 4 mil. Workers (1917) Bolshevik Revolution (1919-1920) Red Scare Q: “We are two nations,” John Dos Passos
					Supporting Statements ® Soldiers need jobs, drives down wages ® Defense contracts cancelled, increases unemployment ® Wartime contacts keep wages down ® Public associates with communists, contribute to red scare ® Anarchist bombings, Atty General’s house, Palmer raids ® Charged with Murder, witnesses for alibi dismissed by Judge, executed
4	2	3	5	5

Example of Short Response

2) Analyze the main causes of the strikes of 1919 and how most Americans reacted to the strikes.

The primary causes of the strikes of 1919 were low or fixed wages in the face of a dramatic increase in the cost of living. In 1918, 4.5 million demobilized soldiers who were generally able but unskilled workers flooded the labor market, driving down wages. To further this flood of labor, the government cancelled more than 2 billion in military contracts, consequently factories responded by cutting back production and laying off workers. Due to this, nearly 5 million workers were unemployed by 1921. Many employers, under encouragement from the government, had secured their workers in contracts with low wages to ensure production levels met wartime needs. To make matters worse, demobilized soldiers spent their saved money, the result being that between 1914 and 1920 the cost of goods and services roughly doubled. By 1919, nearly 3,600 work stoppages involving some four million workers took place, including the famous Boston Police Strike, Steel Strike, United Mine Workers Strike, and the Seattle General Strike.

The public associated the strikers with communists and it contributed to their fear of political radicals. The strikes accompanied a time period of anticommunist hysteria between 1919 and 1920 called the Red Scare, a reaction to the Bolshevik revolution in 1917. The Bolsheviks founded an international organization, Communist International, to cause revolutions everywhere in hopes of ending capitalism, the economic system of the United States. The hysteria is best exampled by the Palmer raids and the trial of Sacco and Vanzetti. In reaction to a bombing by an Italian Anarchist Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer ordered the infamous Palmer raids. These raids started in 1919 and arrested thousands of suspected political radicals in 33 cities nation wide. Those arrested tended to be poor immigrants and despite the little evidence that was found of any involvement in terrorist or communist activities, many were deported including Emma Goldman, a famous intellectual. Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, nonviolent anarchists, were charged with murder. Many witnesses who could testify to their innocence were dismissed by Judge Webster Thayer, who was known for disliking radicals. The verdict and appeals attracted worldwide attention as it became clear that they were on trial, not for murder, but for their political views and immigrant status. They were found guilty and executed. As novelist John Dos Passos stated, “we are two nations.”

Short Response on Exam Rubric

possible points	expectations	points earned
3	First sentence is a generalization that is true and directly responds to the objective
1	Demonstrates general and relative understanding
2	Associated terms are used properly
1	Associated terms are explained through context
1	Details are used that show thorough understanding and excellent study habits
1	Direct response is put into context of other related information
1	Sentences are in logical sequence that achieves fluidity
10	total