Developing an Effective Assessment

learner reading from a laptop and writing notes on a paper — fizkes / Shutterstock

Here are the steps to developing an assessment in an online course:

Identify the learning outcomes or objectives that you are assessing.
Choose a task that directly aligns with the selected learning outcomes, and ensure that it is fair and fully accessible to learners. Refer to the list below for more guiding considerations.
Decide whether your assessment will be formative or summative, and whether it will be tied to grades.
Build the assessment in Blackboard Ultra.
Develop a means of communicating expectations clearly to learners. For a graded assignment, this is usually a formal rubric, but it can just be as casual as a short sentence for ungraded activities.
Add instructions and clarifications to reduce hidden learning curves for learners. For example, for a timed quiz with one attempt, explain ahead of time how much time learners will have and that they must complete the quiz in one sitting once it has been opened. You can also give them a practice quiz to make sure they are comfortable with the format before they begin.

Guiding considerations for assessment design include the following:

Purpose

What are the outcomes and objectives? Do I need this assessment to be formative or summative?

Audience

Who are my learners? What are their needs? Am I being inclusive and accessible, covering all learning types, and building in flexibility for the learners?

Limitations

Is this assessment feasible in terms of time and workload? Are there any hidden learning curves?

Academic integrity

Is my assessment likely to discourage academic dishonesty? How will I create a learning community that incorporates academic honesty and dissuades cheating?

Expectations

How can I clearly communicate my expectations and evaluation criteria?

Authenticity

How can I make my assessment authentic to real practice?

Shadow learning

What Essential Employability Skills and good citizenship practices can be included?

Lifelong learning

How can I position learners as engaged stakeholders in their learning?

Consider This

Remember the design principles we have already learned. Your assessments should be…

Accessible. Follow AODA guidelines (i.e., check accessibility profiles and make accommodations as needed).
Inclusive. Plan for learning variability and encourage belonging.
Flexible. Offer more than one option for learners to demonstrate their learning.