Assessment In Online Courses

Michael M. Grant, PhD

Creating Assessments in Online Courses

Michael M. Grant 2010

Michael M.

Grant

http://idt.memphis.edu

http://viral-notebook.com

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Assessments in Online Courses

How do we build better assessments and assessment tasks?

Classifying Assessments

TraditionalConstructed Response– Essay– Short answer– Listing– Calculation

Selected Response– MC– T/F– Matching– Fill in the blank

Performance-basedPortfolioRubricChecklist

Classifying Assessments

TraditionalConstructed Response– Essay– Short answer– Listing– Calculation

Selected Response– MC– T/F– Matching– Fill in the blank

Performance-basedPortfolioRubricChecklistAssessment is not necessarily

an either-or option.

Creating assessments

for online courses

4 Steps

1. Determine the levels of difficulty

2. Match your expectations

3. Consider the AREs

4. Consider MRKs

Determine levels of difficulty

How difficult is the content?

At what level do you want students to perform?

1

Bloom’s Taxonomy

Determine levels of difficulty

LowerOrderThinkingSkills

HigherOrderThinkingSkills(HOTS)

1

Planning

Determine levels of difficulty1

Matchyour

expectations

Are your assessments (tests, tasks) aligned with your unit/chapter objectives?

2

Planning

Match between expectations and

assessment

Match your expectations2

Test/Assessment Blueprint

Objectives Items for Knowledge

Items for Comprehension

Items for Application

Items for Analysis

Items for Synthesis

Items for Evaluation

A MC question

T/F question

Blog post/ checklist

B Enhanced podcast/rubri

c

A test blueprint allows you to map out your assessments with your objectives and your different levels of difficulty. This helps make sure you’re focusing on what you want.

Match your expectations2

Writing better multiple choice items

Match your expectations2

http://www.viral-notebook.com/wordpress/2009/05/06/

increasing-cognitive-load-part-2/

Considerthe AREs

Moving beyond multiple choice.3

Authenticity Are you using “real world” assessment tasks?

Is this assessment reflective of your profession?

Does this assessment encourage “habits of mind” appropriate to your discipline?

3

Relevance Are your assessment tasks relevant to our students?

Will they find purpose with this task?

Will it be meaningful?Now?Later?

3

Engagement Are your assessment tasks motivating?

Will the students surprise you with their efforts?

Would you want to do it?

3

Consider MRKs Multiple representations of knowledge

4

Collaborative concept maps

Consider MRKs4

Student concept maps

Consider MRKs4

eBook Chapter

Consider MRKs4

Guest blog posts

Consider MRKs4

Knowledge capture

Consider MRKs4

Choices in tools

Consider MRKs4

Michael M. Grant, PhD

mgrant2@memphis.edu

http://viral-notebook.com

Michael M. Grant 2010