SNAP is offering a series of four free hybrid MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses).
All courses follow a hybrid online/face-to-face format in slightly different ways. The courses follow a sequence, though the syllabi provide instructions for taking Course 3 or Course 4 with an assessment you have developed or selected instead of using Course 2.
Course 1. Performance Assessment in the NGSS Classroom: Implications for Practice.
This course is about how short performance assessments can be used to inform instructional decisions for NGSS classrooms.
Participants watch instructional videos on their own and complete assignments collaboratively with groups of colleagues. The course platform provides instructions and materials for running the face-to-face meetings.
This course is self-paced and we estimate that it takes approximately 12-15 hours to complete.
Registration is open and ongoing. Visit the registration page for more details.
Course 2. Developing Performance Assessments for the NGSS Classroom.
This course is about developing 3-5 day performance assessments that are embedded into classroom instruction.
Participants work through the steps of developing an NGSS performance assessment in development teams of 2-3 while watching the instructional videos. Two or more development teams will get together for face-to-face meetings to provide feedback on the development at two points during the course.
Prerequisite: Course 2 is designed to be taken after Course 1. If you have substantial experience with NGSS we recommend that you at least skim through Course 1 (try double speed!) before beginning Course 2.
Registration is open and ongoing. Many more details about the course and its structure are available on the registration page. It takes approximately 20-30 hours to complete (highly variable).
Course 3. Using Student work to Strengthen Performance Assessments for NGSS.
This course is about preparing a science performance assessments for pilot testing in a classroom and analyzing artifacts from pilot testing to revise and improve the performance assessment.
Participants work through the steps of preparing to implement a performance assessment and analyzing the student work in teams of 2-4 while watching the instructional videos. At the end of the course pairs of teams meet to provide peer feedback.
Prerequisite: We recommend that participants use SNAP Course 2 to develop the performance assessment that you are analyzing. It is possible to use Course 3 to prepare to use an assessment that your team did not create (or that you created using another resource), but this course requires the use of performance outcomes and if you do not have POs for your assessment we recommend that you use Session 2 of Course 2 to help you develop them before you start this course.
Registration is open and ongoing. Many more details about the course and its structure are available in the course introduction. It takes approximately 11-12 hours to complete (highly variable).
Course 4. Evaluating Student Work from Performance Assessments to Guide NGSS Teaching and Learning
This course is about developing and using educative rubrics that help teachers integrate performance assessments seamlessly into their instructional practice.
Participants learn SNAP's process for developing multidimensional rubrics and for using the rubrics to guide instructional decisions, feedback to students, and to create a classroom culture that gives students agency over their NGSS learning. During this course, we discuss strategies for, when necessary, using the rubrics to assign grades while still using the assessment for learning.
Registration is open and ongoing until August 31, 2021.Many more details about the course and its structure are available in the course introduction. It takes approximately 16-18 hours to complete.