Assessment Learning Exchange

A collaborative exchange among AALHE members

If you are interested in improving assessment practices or advancing the scholarship of assessment and learning, we invite you to join the Assessment Learning Exchange (ALE). Initiated in 2020, this project matches AALHE members for themed assessment conversations.

In fall 2022, ALE will match participants with different peers for 60-minute conversations on November 16th, 2022. During the conversation, participants exchange their experiences, listen, receive feedback, and engage in wondering and pondering about a pre-selected focal topic. We plan to increase the number of ALE in the upcoming year thanks to our participants’ input.

Who can participate?
AALHE members.

When is the deadline to sign up?
Wednesday, 11/9/2022, 5pm.

How do people sign-up?
Complete the registration form.  

What will we talk about?
November 2022’s ALE topic is Everything Data. Participants can choose the subtopics that they are interested in the Zoom breakout rooms. The subtopics are:

(a) Collecting and evaluating data (e.g., rubrics)
(b) Data analysis and presentation (e.g., multiple-choice, rubrics, time-on task tracking, data from LMS)
(c) Data visualization/telling stories with data

When you join the session, you can vote for future ALE topics among the following options and propose new discussion topics on your own:

• Assessment budgeting/resources
• Assessing in difficult areas to quantify
• Building assessment leadership and collaborations
• Co-curricular assessment
• Using assessment results for continuous improvement

When will we meet?
Wednesday, 11/16/2022, 3pm ET, 2pm Central

Reserve your calendar for future ALEs (topics pending):

• Wednesday, 2/22/2023, 3pm ET, 2pm Central
• Wednesday, 5/24/2023, 3pm ET, 2pm Central
• Wednesday, 6/21/2023, 3pm ET, 2pm Central
• Wednesday, 7/26/2023, 3pm ET, 2pm Central

Do I need to be an expert on the topic?
No, certainly not! You should have some experience with the topic so you can contribute to the conversation and can ask questions.

Can you explain how this works?
Here’s an example of an ALE conversation: the focal topic was rubrics (YouTube video, 12 minutes).

In each ALE session, you will join 2 or 3 peers in a Zoom breakout room and converse about a pre-selected focal topic/issue and its subtopics.  

Tip: before each conversation, prepare one experience to share (a learning moment or a moment you’d like advice on) and one area that you want to seek feedback.

How will we meet? What technology is needed?
The ALE committee will send out a Zoom meeting link for you to join. The committee will also provide a brief agenda and some starting discussion questions.

What will I get out of the ALE?
Participation in the ALE will help you:

• enhance your practice while helping others to do increasingly valuable assessment work;
• develop new networks, meet new people, and strengthen bonds;
• advance the professionalism of assessment practitioners and scholars;
• contribute to scholarships that will advance the field.

Some ALE conversations may seed larger projects or longer-term collaborations. We encourage you to consider how your ALE “learningful” conversations could result in an AALHE conference presentation, webinar, workshop, or article in an AALHE publication.

Who can I contact for more information?
Email us at [email protected]

Yao Hill (Co-Chair), ALE Subcommittee
Justin Hoshaw (Co-Chair), ALE Subcommittee
Patti Gregg, ALE Subcommittee Member
Chadd Engel, ALE Subcommittee Member