Online Assessment: Not Just Exams, Papers and Grades Anymore

1. Online Assessment:Not Just Exams, Papers and Grades Anymore Presented by: Colette Hutton, Dorothy Pick and Nancy Swenson University of Central Florida

2. Agenda • Role of Assessment • Types of Assessment • Strategies and Tools • Online Assessment Issues

3. What is Assessment? Continuous Review Cycle Designed to Improve Teaching and Learning by • Creating Clear, Measurable Learning Objectives • Ensuring adequate learning opportunities • Analyzing and Interpreting Learning Outcomes against Expectations • Modifying Teaching and Learning Strategies based on Analysis

4. Assessment Cycle

5. Characteristics of Assessment • Integral Component of Course Design • Clear in Purpose and Explicit in Criteria • Valid, Reliable, Appropriate and Continuous • Reflective and Rich in Feedback • Learner Focused and Diverse in Application

6. Why Assess? • To Encourage Progress • To Provide Feedback to the Learner • To Measure Learning

7. Online Assessment • Different Emphasis • Student-centered • More Focus on Student Learning • Addresses Multiple Learning Styles • More Reflective • More Active Participation of Student and Peers

8. Online Assessment • Less Focus on Formalized, Structured Tests • Focus on Process and Experience • Authentic Learning Environments • Prepares Students for Future Employment • Develops Self and Peer Assessment Skills

9. How to Assess

10. Learning Activity In what interactions will students engage in order to meet the objectives you have for them? Scoring Criteria (a.k.a. "Rubric") How will you allocate points or give a grade to the product or activity? Learner-Centered Course Objective How will you express your detailed targets for student learning? Assessment How will you determine whether the objective has been met?

11. Types and Methods of Assessment • Types FormativeSummative • Methods InformalFormal

12. Summative Assessment • Focus on Achievement of Learning • Evaluate Student Knowledge • Appraise Effectiveness of Instructional Materials • Examine Efficiency of Learning • Formal Methods • Quizzes, Tests • Essays, Projects, Authentic Tasks • Informal Methods • Student Tracking

13. Formative Assessment • Focus on Learning • Evaluate Student Understanding • Use to Revise Teaching and Learning Strategies • Formal Methods • Pre-test, Self-test, Quizzes, Surveys • Discussion Postings • Informal Methods • E-mails, Chats, Instant Messaging

14. Assessment Matrix

15. Online Assessment Issues • Theoretical • Practical • Technical

16. Theoretical Issues • Student as Participant • Learning Styles • Higher Ordered Thinking • Real World Application

17. Practical Issues • Student Expectations for Immediacy • Lack of Non-Verbal Cues • Teaching Styles and Comfort Levels • Larger Class Sizes

18. Technical Issues • Technical Meltdown • Online communication • Advantages • Pitfalls • Feedback • Plagiarism

19. Aligning Assessment “Learning is the result of the constructive activity of the student. Teaching is effective when it supports those activities appropriate to understanding the curriculum objectives.” Teaching for Quality Learning at University (Biggs, 1999)

20. References • Teaching for Quality Learning at University (Biggs, 1999) • Constructive Alignment Model (Briggs, 1999) • Contributing Student Model(Collins & Moonen, 2001) • Aligning Learning, Teaching and Assessment Using the Web: An Evaluation of Pedagogic Approaches (Hall, 2002) • Engagement Theory (Kearsley & Schneiderman, 1998)

21. References • Designing Effective Instruction (Morrison, Ross, & Kemp, 2004) • Instructional-Design Theories and Models: A New Paradigm of Instructional Theory (Instructional Design Theories & Models) (Reigeluth, 1999) • Participation Oriented Learning (Sfaad, 1998) • Assessing Student Learning (Suskie, 2004)

22. Contact Information Colette Hutton Instructional Designer chutton@mail.ucf.edu Dorothy Pick Instructional Designer dpick@mail.ucf.edu Nancy Swenson Instructional Designer nswenson@mail.ucf.edu • University of Central Florida • 4000 Central Florida Blvd. Lib 107 • Orlando, FL 32816