Oral Assessments:

# Oral Assessments:
## Building a Community of Statistical Thinkers and Speakers
### <br> Allison Theobold & Paul Roback

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<a href="http://bit.ly/oral-exams target="_blank"><b>http://bit.ly/oral-exams</b></a> - Allison Theobold & Paul Roback
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## .larger[.grey[.hand[Welcome!]]]

🔗 [https://bit.ly/oral-exams](https://bit.ly/oral-exams)
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.center[
.pull-left[
<img src="../images/allison.jpg" width="60%" style="display: block; margin: auto;" />
# Allison Theobold <br>
.large[Cal Poly]
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.pull-right[
<img src="../images/paul.jpg" width="60%" style="display: block; margin: auto;" />
# Paul Roback <br>
.large[St. Olaf College]
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# .pink[.hand[.large[A variety of oral assessments]]]

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# .larger[.hand[Why oral assessments?]]

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- No memorized definitions
  * Have students talk through process

* Ability to ask follow-up questions
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- More one-on-one interaction
  
  - Experimentation is okay!
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# .larger[Exam Style]

- Separate "mini-test" 
  - Followed first logistic regression HW
  - Some questions on conceptual understanding
  - Some questions on applying ideas to new scenarios

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# .larger[Exam Style]

- Part of first midterm
  - Topics: frequentist principles and Bayes vs. Frequentist
  - Check conceptual understanding and fitting ideas together

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# .larger[Exam Format]

**Zoom**

**Adaptable script**

**4-point assessment rubric**
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**Share screens / R**
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# .larger[.hand[Why oral assessments?]]

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# .larger[Personally...]

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.center[
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Left me feeling empowered!

<img src="../images/muscle.png" width="40%" style="display: block; margin: auto;" />
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# .larger[Professionally...]

</br>
Facets of understanding 
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Witnessing the increase in cheating in the spring of 2020.
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# .larger[As new faculty...]

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# .larger[Course Setting]

- Linear model focused, with an introduction to experimental design
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- Entirely online

- 10 weeks
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# .larger[Exam Setting]

**Data Visualization**

**Regression Explorations**
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**Simulation & Theoretical Methods for Regression**

**ANOVA**
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# .larger[Exam Style]

- Distilled concepts into 5-6 questions per "unit"
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>"Explain to someone who has never taken a statistics course what a p-value is."
>
>"What are the similarities and differences between a two-way ANOVA model and a multiple linear regression?"

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# .larger[Grading]

- Scores 0-4 based on understanding of concepts
  - Ability to articulate the central concepts
  - Type of errors made 
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<center>
.huge[Experiences]
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.large[
- Listening to students voice their ideas is incredibly insightful 
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# .larger[Your turn!]

- Ideas that resonate with you

- Ideas you are unsure about
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.pull-right[
# .your-turn[
Discuss these ideas with fellow educators
<img src="../images/timer.jpg" width="30%" style="display: block; margin: auto 0 auto auto;" />

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# .large[Allison: .hand[Designing an Oral Exam]]

- Providing practice prior to exam

- How long should each exam take?

- Should the questions be open or closed?

- Determine how students should prepare

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# .larger[Implementation]

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# .large[.hand[Facilitating the Exam]]

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# .large[Paul: .hand[Design Guidelines]]

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# Questions to consider, pt. 1

- Where does your oral assessment fit into your overall assessment plan?

- HW?  Quiz?  Exam?  Project?

- What content will you assess?

- Individual concepts?  Big picture?  Applications?

- What format will you use?

- Time?  Zoom or in-person?  R?  Whiteboard?

- What questions will you ask?

- Fixed set for each student?  Pick from a list?  Free flowing conversation?

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# Questions to consider, pt. 2

- How will you help students prepare?

- Practice oral assessments?  Sample questions?  Discussion groups?
  
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- How will you relieve student anxiety?

- Friendly chit-chat?  Let them pick first question to answer?  Let them know pauses and (initial) wrong answers are okay?

- How will you assess student performance?

- Scoring rubric?  Individualized feedback?

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# .larger[Your turn!]

.pull-right[.large[
- **5 minutes** -- sketch out ideas for an oral exam you would like to implement
- **10 minutes** -- Get feedback on your assessment sketch
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Example Oral Assessments: <https://bit.ly/oral-exams>

Allison's JSE Commentary: <https://bit.ly/oral-exams-jse>.

Paul & Kelly McConville's Post: <https://bit.ly/ask-good-questions-oral-exams>