Assessment strategies for online learning

Caroline Conlon, eLearning Design CoordinatorFaculty Development & Instructional Design Center

Assessment Strategies for Online Learning

Session Objectives

Assessment strategies and the instructional design process

Assessment tools and their application for online learning

Academic integrity

Assessment and the Instructional Design Process

Include assessments are part of the ID process

Align assessment strategy with learning outcomes (i.e. “teach to the test”)

Consider using Bloom’s Taxonomy as a guideInclude a blend of formative and summative

assessmentsInclude student and teacher feedback

Course Alignment

Learning Outcomes

What do you want your students to

learn?

AssessmentHow will you know your students have

learned?

ActivitiesWhat types of

activities will help your students meet

outcomes

Bloom’s Revised TaxonomyVerbs Bloom’s Taxonomy Potential Activities

Change, compare, generate hypothesize, create, devise Creating

Story, treatment, game, framework, algorithm

Argue, assess, debate, rate appraise, judge, justify Evaluating

Critique, opinion, recommendation, report

Advertise, analyze, compare, contrast, organize, examine Analyzing

Chart, plan, questionnaire, summary, survey

Classify, demonstrate, illustrate, use, show, execute Applying

Interview, model, build, simulation, presentation

Describe, define, compare, discuss, explain, outline Understanding

Drawing, summary, paraphrase, peer teach

Recall, list, name, recognize, state, write, tell, locate, find Remembering

Definitions, fact charts, lists, recitations, work-sheets

Adapted from “Bloom’s Bakery, An Illustration of Bloom’s Taxonomy”by Argiro, Forehand, Osteen, & Taylor (2007)

Assessment CategoriesFormative Assessment Summative Assessment

Self & Peer Assessments Midterm / Final Exam

Surveys Quizzes

Journals Standardized Tests

Blogs Final Grades

Wikis Final Presentations

Discussion Boards Term Papers

Adapted from “Bloom’s Bakery, An Illustration of Bloom’s Taxonomy”

6 Principles of effective online assessment

• Design learner-centered assessments that include self-reflection

• Design and include grading rubrics for the assessment of contributions to the discussion as well as for assignments, projects, and collaboration

• Include collaborative assessments through public posting of papers, along with comments from student to student

• Use Assessment techniques that fit the context and align with learning objectives

• Design assessments that are clear, easy to understand, and likely to work in an online environment

(Palloff & Pratt, 2009)

Assessment ToolsRubricsAllow for objective and consistent assessmentClarifies your expectations about assessmentMakes students accountable for their

performanceProvides a rationale for gradingIf team teaching or TA is grading, provides a

framework for all

Assessment Tools

Assessment ToolsSurveysUse Survey tool to gather aggregate responses

from studentsRemind students surveys are anonymousIf desiring to share findings with students,

copy/paste results into Word to post to Blackboard

Assessment StrategiesDiscussion Board, Wikis, Blogs, JournalsProvide clear expectations up front (word

count, substance, use rubrics)Provide feedback or comments along with

gradeIn the Discussion Board, best to grade by

forum versus the thread

Assessment ToolsOnline Quizzes, Tests, and Pools

Allow students opportunity to practiceFormat questions in MS Word and import using

the Blackboard Quiz GeneratorAdd test questions to pools for easy reuse and

expansionCheck with your textbook publisher to see if they

offer question pools for your textbookCreate tests from random blocks or question pools

whenever possible

Assessment ToolsAssignments Use Assignment Manager for file exchangeAttach assignment instructions and/or

template files when creating assignmentDownload submitted assignments for offline

gradingEnter feedback electronically & return to

students via the assignment

Assessment StrategiesSafeAssign Use SafeAssign for substantial written

assignmentsInform students in the syllabus of the

requirements to use SafeAssignCreate draft version for students to submit to

in order to self-check their workMake originality reports viewable by students

Academic IntegrityPlagiarism – Use SafeAssignGet to know the student’s capabilities through

the use of formative assessmentsTests and Quizzes – Randomize the order of test questionsRandomly select a percentage from test poolIf a home quiz or test, allow open book

Academic Integrity

“Spending large quantities of valuable time chasing after a small percentage of cheaters can quickly lead to diminishing returns”

(Simonson, Smaldino, Albright & Zvacek, 2011)

ReferencesPalloff, R. M., & Pratt, K. (2009). Assessing the online learner, resources and strategies for faculty. Jossey-Bass Inc Pub.

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2011). Teaching and learning at a distance, foundations of distance education. Allyn & Bacon.