© 2010 Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois 60115 | www.niu.edu/facdev

Tips for Assessing Student Tips for Assessing Student Learning Using BlackboardLearning Using BlackboardTips for Assessing Student Tips for Assessing Student Learning Using BlackboardLearning Using Blackboard

Jason Rhode, Assistant DirectorFaculty Development and Instructional Design Centerjrhode@niu.edu | jasonrhode.com | twitter.com/jrhode

Handout available at http://blackboardtips.wikispaces.com/assessments

Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center, Northern Illinois University | www.niu.edu/facdev

AgendaAgenda

• Preliminary thoughts• General online assessment tips• Tips for surveys in Blackboard• Tips for tests/quizzes in Blackboard• Tips assessing discussions in

Blackboard• Tips for SafeAssignments in

Blackboard• Q&A

Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center, Northern Illinois University | www.niu.edu/facdev

Questions for ConsiderationQuestions for Consideration

• What are the objectives of your course?

• How are you currently measuring whether or not students are meeting your objectives?

• What instructional materials or methods do you currently use to help facilitate the learning process?

Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center, Northern Illinois University | www.niu.edu/facdev

Question for ConsiderationQuestion for Consideration

• What active processes do students engage in during your course?

• What types of assessments are you currently using?

• What is the purpose of these assessments? Are they fostering the learning process or are they simply a formality?

Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center, Northern Illinois University | www.niu.edu/facdev

Questions for ConsiderationQuestions for Consideration

• How do you define learning?• Is regurgitation true learning?

Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center, Northern Illinois University | www.niu.edu/facdev

Attainable GoalsAttainable Goals

Critical thinking

Application

Reflection

Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center, Northern Illinois University | www.niu.edu/facdev

The Bottom Line…The Bottom Line…

Outcomes should drive

assessment, not the available technology

Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center, Northern Illinois University | www.niu.edu/facdev

General Online Assessment TipsGeneral Online Assessment Tips

• Avoid high-stakes objective assessments online

• Have students complete practice version of a require online assessment to become familiar with technology

• Deploy assessment link(s) in the same folder as unit content

• Reuse and repurpose assessment types once configured in Blackboard

Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center, Northern Illinois University | www.niu.edu/facdev

General Online Assessment TipsGeneral Online Assessment Tips

• Provide meaningful feedback to students

• Remember there is no guaranteed approach to prevent cheating online

Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center, Northern Illinois University | www.niu.edu/facdev

SurveysSurveys

• Use Survey tool to gather aggregate responses from students

• Remind students surveys are anonymous

• >5 questions, display 1 question at a time

• If desiring to share findings with students, copy/paste results into Word to post in Blackboard

Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center, Northern Illinois University | www.niu.edu/facdev

Tests/QuizzesTests/Quizzes

• Format questions in MS Word; import using Blackboard Quiz Generator

• Add test questions to pools for easy reuse and expansion

• Check with your textbook publisher to see if they offer question pools for your textbook

• Create tests from random blocks or question pools whenever possible

Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center, Northern Illinois University | www.niu.edu/facdev

Tests/Quizzes (cont.)Tests/Quizzes (cont.)

• Pay attention to test options when deploying

• Randomize questions

Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center, Northern Illinois University | www.niu.edu/facdev

DiscussionsDiscussions

• Provide clear expectations for how discussions will be assessed

• Use Blackboard discussion grader; grade by forum, not thread

• After entering scores for contributions, enter comments directly in the Grade Center

Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center, Northern Illinois University | www.niu.edu/facdev

AssignmentsAssignments

• Use Assignment Manager instead of Digital Drop Box

• Attach assignment instructions and/or template files when creating assignment

• Download submitted assignments for offline grading

• Enter feedback electronically & return to students via the assignment

Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center, Northern Illinois University | www.niu.edu/facdev

Assignments (cont.)Assignments (cont.)

• If attaching feedback to an assignment, remind students to view attached file(s)

Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center, Northern Illinois University | www.niu.edu/facdev

SafeAssignmentsSafeAssignments

• Use SafeAssign for substantial written assignments

• Inform students in the syllabus of the requirements to use SafeAssign

• Create draft version for students to submit to in order to self-check their work

• Make originality reports viewable by students

Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center, Northern Illinois University | www.niu.edu/facdev

Session HandoutSession Handout

http://blackboardtips.wikispaces.com/assessments

Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center, Northern Illinois University | www.niu.edu/facdev

Archives Available OnlineArchives Available Online

www.niu.edu/facev/programs/archives.shtml

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search “NIU Faculty Development” in iTunes

Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center, Northern Illinois University | www.niu.edu/facdev

Contact the PresenterContact the Presenter

Jason Rhode, Ph.D.Faculty Development and Instructional Design CenterNorthern Illinois University

jrhode@niu.edujasonrhode.comtwitter.com/jrhode815.753.2475