learning and assessment connection
- assessment has a direct effect on learning, for example, if the assessment task rewards recall then students will employ a surface approach to learning such as rote learning and memorisation of facts. Conversely, if the assessment task rewards understanding of principles then students will engage in deeper approaches to learning (Boud, 1998)
- “assessment is not just the measurement of learning – it is in itself an integral part of learning. Assessment is the first step in a continual learning cycle which includes measurement, feedback, reflection and change” (Fry, n.p. p.11)
- assessment is the starting point to influence what and how students learn and has the ability to have very positive and negative effects on the student’s learning experience (Boud, 2000)
Keeping in mind that educators are charged with the task of ‘prepare students for the unknown by means of known’, Herrington et al (2003) advocates a number of design elements to suggest that AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT TASKS ACHIEVE AUTHENTIC LEARNING in an online learning environment
The following slide show critiques the design elements in relation to the assessment tasks in FET8604: Online Pedagogy in Practice, a Master’s level course at the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) delivered in online mode in Semester 1, 2008 .
Please go to http://www.slideshare.net/irongirl/authentic-assessment/ to visit the slide show
I invite you to comment on your experiences with assessment, from the viewpoint of the teacher or the learner, and its impact on your learning in an online environment
References
Boud, D. (1998, November). Assessment and learning – unlearning bad habits of assessment. Paper presented at Effective Assessment at University Conference, University of Queensland, Queensland.
Boud, D. (2000). Sustainable assessment: rethinking assessment for the learning society. Studies in Continuing Education, 22(2), 151-167
Fry, R. (n.d.) Assessment, accountability, and student learning outcomes. Retrieved November 30, 2007, from http://studydesk.usq.edu.au/webct/cobaltMainFrame.dowebct?JSESSIONID=HpLF05y2lWy488JVVbqyLkTmjJNKVRVQrCFp2qjMX3b9d1KBm7PL!787544534!1653577781
Herrington, J., Oliver, R., & Reeves, T.C. (2003). Patterns of engagement in authentic online learning environments. Australian Journal of Educational Technology, 19(1), 59-71. Retrieved May 28, 2008, from http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet19/herrington.html
2 comments:
I invite you to comment on your experiences with assessment, from the viewpoint of the teacher or the learner, and its impact on your learning in an online environment?
As a teacher, I find the word assessment brings out the monsters ins students. Many students experience stress when the word assessment appears. Authentic assessments enables learners to learn in a non stressful environment and achieve the outcomes. They can explore and build their assessment item rather than front up to a class and have a test.
As a student: I find the rubrics are where I can get a lot of information as to how I'm being assessed rather than the old "black box" approach of "I hope she likes it!". I've learnt a lot from this approach and will be trying to incorporate rubrics into everything and publishing this for students.
Also, I always enjoyed and learnt a great deal more from projects and 'assignments' as they were called. But I always wondered why they were only worth about 40% of the total with the rest being an exam. I see exams now, especially the 2-3 hour ones, as 'cop outs' because they are nowhere near authentic most of the time. Add to this, when asked what I learnt from my university exams... zip! Don't remember them the moment I walk out the door! Whereas, many assignments I remember to this day.
As a teacher: I've conducted a few tests in my time, but for a Speaking and Listening English teacher - it's hard to justify why there's a written test! Mostly they've been used as placement tests, for me to understand the students' levels of English. If there is a test I sometimes do, it's an interview where I ask questions with pictures to point at about the topics from class. But as I have 35 to a room, this is increasingly difficult to do 1-on-1 and keep the others entertained.
These days I try for group projects where there are 3-4 in a group. I can judge the group's preparation, but I also try for some dynamic content, like class questions, etc. to be able to judge individual responses. Killing 2 birds - entertaining the class, and assessing the students.
Cheers.
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