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Assessment: Examples from psychology

Examples from the cognitive domain: Psychology

Cognitive Process

Sample Learning Outcome - Students will be able to…

Sample Assessment

Sample Instructional Activities/Learning Experiences

Evaluate, apply

Determine appropriate stress methodology to address a research question.

- Lab report: requires students to reflect on specific elements of their “experiment”, including a comparison to the methods used by other groups.

- Groups informally report on their experience to the class.

-Lecture: instructor outlines basic principles of stress methodology

-Group work: groups discuss pros and cons of experimental stressors

-Stress lab: instructor divides class into groups with a “participant” and “experimenters”.  Using methods discussed in class, experimenters expose participant to a stressor (e.g., scary video), and group monitors and records physiological and psychological responses.

Understand

Explain the opponent process theory of colour vision when asked.

-iClicker quiz questions: Every 3-5 slides, class must respond in real time to short multiple-choice questions posed by instructor.

-Video: introduces the topic, outlines the key issue, and outlines historical perspectives

-Lecture: Instructor highlights key details, contrasts with competing theories (e.g., trichromatic theory), and situates topic in larger context (Vision).

-Demonstration: Instructor demonstrates opponent process illusion effect using an image with opponent colours.