ALIGNMENT: Use assessments that align to learning outcomes and work well in an online environment.
Aligning the learning outcomes from your course with assessment strategies will give you the opportunity to check that your students are accomplishing the learning outcomes.
Learning Outcomes | Assessment Strategies |
Identify... | Post photographs, complete a quiz |
Describe... | Write an essay, create a graph |
Analyze... | Write a lab report, relate a theory to a real world scenario |
Create... | Write programming code, build a model |
Synthesize... | Create a blog or wiki, complete a research paper |
Using a variety of assessment techniques throughout the course provides instructors with the best picture of their students' learning. While there is no rule about what works best, and different subject matters call for different types of assessments, the following are some generalized methods that work well in an online environment (adapted from Palloff and Pratt, 2009).
- Performance assessments: students develop a product such as a blog or wiki
- Authentic assessments: students complete work under the same conditions that they would in the real world
- Portfolio assessments: students demonstrate progress over time by showcasing artifacts and reflecting on their learning
- Computer generated and scored tests and quizzes: allow for banks of questions, randomization and, in some cases, instant feedback