Assessment, Evaluation & Feedback

In the PowerPoint presentation by Dr. Diana Zilberman, assessment is defined as any systematic basis for making inferences about student knowledge usually based on of evidence. In the book, “Teaching and Learning at a Distance,” the authors describe assessment as a way to measure learning gains. (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, Zvacek 2006). In my classes, I use a variety of methods for student assessment: objective tests, summary reports, lab performance activities which include MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint lab assignments, homework assignments, and projects.

In the PowerPoint presentation, evaluation is defined as a judgment regarding the quality of a response or performance based on established criteria. In the book, “Teaching and Learning at a Distance,” the authors discuss Woodley and Kirkwood’s six categories of evaluation. One of the categories is measures of outcomes which refers to measures of adequate learning, and it is considered to be the most important measure of outcomes of distance education. In the Computer Science Department at my school, one of the ways we measure outcomes is by conducting surveys of upperclassmen and graduates who have completed our basic computer applications course. We gather information in these surveys that will help us determine if they have continued to use the applications and if they have applied their computer application knowledge and skills to assignments in their other courses.

In the PowerPoint presentation, feedback is described as a work in progress and as something that should be constructive rather than redundant. In the book, “Teaching and Learning at a Distance,” the authors believe that the most influential purpose of assessing learning gains is to provide feedback to learners and instructors. Learners certainly need to know how well they are doing before going on to the next step in a course. The instructor needs to know if students are ready to proceed to the next level or whether remediation is necessary. Feedback helps the instructor evaluate the success of the lesson.

According to the authors of “Teaching and Learning at a Distance” learning outcomes consist of three components: conditions under which learning is facilitated, observable and measurable actions or products, and a minimum standard of expectations. In my school, we recently developed some learning outcomes during a Middle States evaluation. These learning outcomes are observable and measurable. In my department we measure learning outcomes related to the use of application programs by students after they have completed the computer applications course in their freshmen year. We have set minimum expectations with regard to the frequency of the continued use of the software products by the students.

Using Blackboard in a Traditional Classroom

If I had the opportunity to use the Bb course management system in my high school classes, my students would be able to continue class discussions outside the classroom. Every student would have the opportunity to contribute to the class discussion. In fact, students would be required to become involved in each discussion. Students would communicate frequently through written posts, so they would get more practice writing. Hopefully, they would learn to write more clearly, accurately, and concisely as a result of frequent peer feedback and review.
In addition, Bb would make it more convenient for students to collaborate on projects, and share files. With Bb, I would have a convenient platform to link students to all class assignments and materials. I could also incorporate podcasts that might appeal to students who are audio learners. Also, I could assign students to collaborate on reports, create a podcast of the report, and add a link to the podcast on Bb.

Traditional vs. Online Learning

One way that the online class differs from the traditional classroom is in the participation levels of the student. Every student in an online class has to participate in every discussion. Although instructors in the traditional classroom try to involve all students in class discussions, there are time constraints that often preclude 100 percent student participation. Therefore, I think that the online class is the better delivery method when the goal is to have all students participate in class discussions.
Online courses and traditional courses are similar in that they both have course descriptions, requirements, and deadlines. Students can collaborate in groups in both settings. The advantage of working in a traditional classroom group is that you can see people’s reactions when you are working face to face. The advantage of working in an online group is the flexibility of participating in the group whenever it is convenient.
I believe that for some activities online learning could be more effective than traditional learning. These activities would include student participation in class discussions and student collaboration in some group projects. Also, more frequent writing or posting on line could help improve student writing skills. Students could also develop some time management skills and get more experience working independently.
However, at this point in time, I think that a combination of the traditional class and the online class would be the best delivery system for my courses.