Assessment



N/A / Shutterstock

Approaching Online Assessment

You have already learned about the basics of backward design, and you should already have some effectively written SMART learning outcomes (or course goals).

Infographic titled 'Backward Design
Images courtesy of Shutterstock

  1. Course Goals: What will learners need to be able to do by the end of this course?

  2. Assessment: How will I know that learners have achieved the course goals?

  3. Skills/Knowledge: What will learners need to complete the final assessment successfully?

  4. Teaching: What is the best way to teach the skills/knowledge that learners need?

Now it’s time to learn how to design assessments effectively. Begin approaching your assessment by asking the guiding question indicated in the infographic above: How will I know that learners have achieved the course goals?

Use this question to create assessments that are directly aligned with the final learning outcomes. For example, if you want learners to be able to proofread text using proofreading principles, design a task that asks learners to proofread a newspaper article using the principles and practices they’ve learned in the course.

Consider This

Think past your LO’s and consider the broader skills you can practice in terms of:

  • Essential Employability Skills (refer to your Course Outline for these)
  • life skills
  • learning to learn

This should all sound familiar so far, but what unique considerations do you need to keep in mind when developing an online assessment? Or, put another way, how are online assessments different from in-class assessments?

Perhaps the most obvious answer is that online assessments are not done face-to-face, so there are more opportunities for academic dishonesty, where students have others complete their course work or they refer to resources when not permitted. At Humber, there is software that can be enabled to check assignments for plagiarism or to proctor tests, but often the best approach is to be clear with students about expectations, and to build assessments which discourage academic dishonesty. For example, one faculty member teaching a natural sciences course replaced an essay on local flora that was seeing high rates of Artificial-Intelligence-generated content with a video-based scavenger hunt for a variety of plants.

Fortunately for us there are a wide range of thoughtful, creative alternatives to assess learner learning. For example, consider transitioning away from traditional timed, closed-book exams towards un-timed, open-book assignments. Or, scrap the exam in favour of an alternative kind of assessment.

Additional Resources

Check out the extensive range of alternative assessment choices in the University of Reading’s “A-Z of Assessment Methods”. From annotated bibliographies to e-portfolios, there are ideas for every kind of online course.

learner using a laptop

PC: Dean Drobot / Shutterstock

In online assessment, the key is to limit the possibility that technology limitations or glitches will negatively impact learners’ ability to demonstrate their learning. Remember as well that your learners’ circumstances (or even your own!) may not be ideal for teaching and learning. Learners may be sharing space and technology with family members, living in different time zones, dealing with inconsistent access to internet, and more. Finally, try not to make assumptions about learners’ technological skills or expertise with online learning platforms, and provide detailed explanations and information on what to do and how to do it. These strategies will also support many learners’ accessibility needs.

Back
Next
Copyright © Humber 2023