Hello Dr. Cleave,
Bloom's taxonomy is a very appropriate tool to assess learning objectives. It can used at varying levels and with different types of learners. It is one of my favorites.
Hi Nicole,
I also thought about those students who might not "test" well. Is there a form of assessment that works well for those students.
When assessing assessment tools I consider the following three things to be important:
• The assessment tool itself. It must be a tool that everyone can effectively use and one that can accurately assess their understanding and application of the learned material. While I understand that not every student will test well, based on their individual preparedness; the tool must be one that can assess the students properly.
• The technology itself…. The tool must be able to function properly.
• I might also need to consider the level of assessment, along with the purpose of the assessment.
• The students…what kind of access they have to technology to complete the assessment.
When assessing assessment tools I consider the following three things to be important:
• The assessment tool itself. It must be a tool that everyone can effectively use and one that can accurately assess their understanding and application of the learned material. While I understand that not every student will test well, based on their individual preparedness; the tool must be one that can assess the students properly.
• The technology itself…. The tool must be able to function properly.
• I might also need to consider the level of assessment, along with the purpose of the assessment.
First, students must be able to see real world applications to the projects they will complete. For example, if one is facilitating a course in Information Technology using test/quizzes is not the best form of assessment where virtual labs may be. Secondly, encouraging working in groups, since most of what we see today is teams in corporations. This would dovetail nicely into simulations in a work environment. Finally, the assessment tools must be relevant today. This is particulary important since in an on-line environment there will be students from different generations. There is no one size fits all, but if an instructor can find assessment tools that fits into the content of the course and students are happy with the results our goal as educators are within reach.
When assessing the use of technology tools, I would consider having students trained on this tool prior to taking the class.
I agree with your points that both the students and the instructor must be able to successfully use the technology. Technical capability is one thing, such as will their computer run the software. Usability is another. Is it easy to understand? Does it require training and if so has the student been trained? Great points.
The first thing to consider is what is your objective. You want to make sure to select the appropriate technology based on the objective of the assessment. A second consideration is how much time it will take to setup and grade when complete. The instructor needs to make sure they will have the appropriate amount of time available. A third consideration is how much critical thinking skills need to be assessed versus memorization. For example tests that are multiple choice are memorization tests whereas a test that allows essay answers would be more critical thinking but could not be graded automatically.
One important queastion:
Will the tool assess the student learning I want to reveal - so that time and effort are nto spent learning attitudes when one hoped to learn ability, for example,
Another important question:
Will students be able to understand and access the assessment in order to demonstrate learning, or will their inability to understand and access the tool cause furstration and poor assessment results.
A third question: Will I be able to dublicate this tool so that it is used in a fair, consistent manner from one student to the next and from one section of this course to the next?
As an instructor I have to make sure that I understand all of the components when it comes to the online course myself before the course even starts. I think that all students need to make sure that they have basic computer skills when it comes to an online course. I advise students to make sure that they have all of the technology software that is needed to complete the course.
The students must be able to access the mechanism being utilized in terms of getting to the test, webchat, lab, etc. After all if they are not able to get in they cannot participate.
The student and instructor must have a working relationship in which the student understands what the instructor is trying to communicate, more importantly that the instructor understands the operating level of the student and that the student grasps the tasks set out by the instructor.
The third concept is that the testing or evaluation medium be fair and in accordance with reasonable research expectations. The evaluation of the student must be clear to the student so that efforts are made to improve. The instructor must be honest in the evaluation and at the same time sensitive to the students level of ability at the time of the evaluation.
bobbe,
I think we sometimes we overestimate the technical skills that students have and that has to be part of the assessment knowledge.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Will the tool incorporated produce certain positive feedback from the student or not?
Making sure from the gate you know that the tool fits your course content. Also choosing the right tool that can easily be managed by student and intructor. Do the students have access to these tools is also important.
Steven,
You are correct. The technology has to be at the same place!
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
The student, The material, the assesment.
Being online you cannot see the student therefore you must assume that they are capeable of doing the assinged work. The material should be what is offered in the syllabus and assesed as such. The assesment must be fair and at the level of the student for which it is given(high school/college etc.)You must remember who your audience is.
Jared,
You have great points! You are right, I love you comment "assessing your students. . . give you a clearer path to follow". We also have to use the feedback.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Pamela,
Good point! You are right, we have to make sure that students get feedback and they act on it!
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I feel the three things a facilitator should consider when assessing the use of technology assessment tools are:
1. Who is my audience
2. What level of technical know-how do they already have.
3. What learning style do my students have
If you ask yourself those three questions prior to a course you will have a better chance of tailoring the course to the students you are teaching. As the facilitator it will make the job of assessing your students easier and give you a clear path to follow. Depending on what you are teaching will determin on how you assess your students.
Assessment tools that I feel are valuable are those that assess student mastery of material, allows student to apply critical thinking skills, and those that are easily accessible to the student so they actually read the assessments / feedback from their instructor. I have used one LMS where the feedback does not show up when students check grades. This caused a good bit of stress for the student and was eventually corrected with an upgrade. Prior to the upgrade the only way to ensure students saw feedback was to email them which can be labor intensive with a possibility of missing someone.
Paula,
Great post! You are right about access. I worry about students who don't own a computer and have to depend on places rather than machines to get their work done.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
