Technology Assessment Tools
When assessing the use of technology assessment tools in an online learning environment, what do you believe are the three most important things to consider?
You have to make sure that it is appropriate, fair, and consistent. Students should be able to understand the feedback provided. That is why I favor track changes and the comment feature in Word.
Technology to assess stuent comprehension can create other issues as well. If the student experiences some technical difficulty, is not focused when taking the asessment or thinks it counts but it doesn't (or vice versa), can be problematic. Whatever the circumstances are that create an outcome that discourgaes the student (rather than encourage) can have unintended (negative) consequence when the opposite was the outcome by providing "ease of techniology".
@kellywilkinson
DIANA WILSON wrote:
"What I believe to be the three most important things to consider when assessing the use of technology assessment tools.
1. Ease of the tool for the student
2. FAQs on troubleshooting problems
3. Getting feedback from the student to make the necessary changes"
That has been my experience, too. We teach students at all levels of tech abilities and we never want working thru the assessments to be a major undertaking. It should stay in the background.
Chris,
Thank you very much for your post. The ability of a student to use an assessment tool with the technology that they have available is an important issue that I did not think about. It is a fact that online students do not all have access to the same level of technology. This makes it critical that instructors use assessment tool which can be accessed by all students.
Excellent Post!
Jim
Hello Kelly,
When I evaluate technology assessment tools, I look at:
1. The effectiveness of the all of the tools together: I want to combine tools in such a way that they account for multiple types of learning styles.
2. Ease of assessment for the instructor: Am I able to accurately assess a student’s understanding and ability in a particular topic. An assessment that is too easy to complete may not provide the ability to provide appropriate feedback to the student.
3. Ease of assessment for the student: An assessment that is to hard to complete from a student perspective may inhibit students from performing their best and may lead to an incorrect conclusion concerning the student’s ability
Sincerely
Jim
When assessing the use of technology assessment tools in an online learning environment, it is important to consider:
the value-add of the tool itself
(does it make the assessment easier, faster, more accurate through its use than without its use), the consistency of use
(does it provide a way to assess assignments whose results are consistent, reliable and robust)
and ease of use (is it possible to train users for accurate use).
Suzanne
I have already responded to this discussion board question. Thank you for sharing this question with me.
Sincerely,
Marjorie Thrall Moller
Most of this has been covered in previous posts, so I'll try to bring a slightly different perspective. Supporting the learning objectives is the priority. If the tool doesn't support the requirement, it shouldn't be used. Second, the tool must be easily understandable and usable. If students or the instructor struggle with understanding or utilizing the tool, again, it is counterproductive. Third, the tool must provide meaningful feedback. I subscribe to Keep it simple. Don't use too many features or try to make it usable for every device or software out there. Set the hardware and software requirements for the institution and make it compatible for the posted required technology.
When assessing technology, I look at:
1) My students level of understanding for the technology that will be used. If it is over theirds, then it is not appropriate.
2) The cost factor of the technology. Is it an additional cost to the course ? If so, how much?
3) Does the technology assessment tool effectively find out if the students have learned the dsired information.
Respectfully submitted,
Marjorie Thrall Moller
Three criteria: 1) how well does it assess the learning outcomes? This depends on the type of class and learning activities. So, you can have a lesson that first teaches content, then moves to use of content. A test of concepts / content might be done with a quiz. A performance based assessment such a project review would follow.
2) How well will it fit our platform and the technology requirements we have posted for students? If it does not meet our stated technology requirements then it won't work well.
3) Am I using a variety of assessments for different learning styles, and to assess critical thinking, not just rote memorization. Higher level thinking and assessment are important in college, I think. Thanks. Lyn Hoffmann
I think as an instructor you have to think about (1) What output are you trying to obtain from the results of the assessment? (2) Does it really reflect the student's comprehension of the material? (3) Is it the best assessment for the student's learning style?
In my course there aren't any tests or quizzes. We grade with rubrics. The students are asked to fully discuss their discussion board topics and individual project questions. This allows me to determine if the student is understanding the material or if I was not clear in my explanation of it. Rubrics in our on-line environment are efficient for us as instructors. Students also know ahead of time what they will be graded on.
When assessing the use of technology assessment tools in an online learning environment, I believe the three most important things to consider are:
the technology is adequate to course objectives?
the chosen technology is helping students learn?
students understand how to use this technology?
1. Are they easy to use
2. Can I teach my instructors to use them
3. Are they appropriate for this job, meaning not all tools are right for every class
Richard,
You are right and how they fit with other technology used in the learning environment. I always check the LMS to see what it has to offer first, then if I choose something outside the LMS I look to see if it will integrate.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Todd,
You are right and that doesn't always happen. It needs to be user friendly for both student and instructor.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Technology in the classroom is extremely important. If the wrong tool is utilized the desired affect will never come about. Each tool must be systematically reviewed for it's relevance.
When assessing the use of technology tools in an online learning environment, I first consider the course objectives and whether the tool helps students achieve them. The tools then need to be user friendly and clearly understood.
Dawn,
Great post! You are right it must measure what it is suppose to measure. You don't want it to measure how well students use the technology. Students need to be familiar with the technology.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Amanda,
You make a great point. You don't want the technology to be the barrier to learning. You as the instructor also want to make sure you can get the assessment information you need to measure student learning and evaluate the course.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
