Assessment Tools

There are various assessment tools used in online learning environments. They include:

Quizzes/Tests

such as those used in the online learning management system MyUni which include multiple choice, multiple answer, true/false, ordering, matching, fill in the blank and essay. Most of these quizzes provide computer generated feedback and answers including a mark/grade within Gradebook.

The University of Adelaide is also licensed to use Respondus (staff access only) which allows for the creation of online quizzes off line and by more than one creator simultaneously.

Quizzes/Tests can be used for diagnostic, formative and summative assessment purposes.

Assignments

MyUni includes an Assignment feature (new in 2005) which allows the lecturer to create an assignment, provide instructions, attach a file/s, and embed into any part of the online course. An automatic entry is placed into Gradebook. Once the student has viewed the assignment instructions and any attached files, he/she is then able to upload their completed work and separately add comments to the lecturer. The lecturer accesses the students' submissions via Gradebook, marks the work and provides electronic feedback within the Assignment feature. The student is able to view their own mark/grade and lecturer comments. The Assignment feature within MyUni largely replaces the Digital Dropbox feature. Apart from being relevant for outlining case studies, projects and report assessments, the Assignment feature is also useful for implementing Reflective Journals.

Discussion Boards

Discussion board forums can be used for assessment purposes. They require moderation and clear guidelines of expectations and outcomes. Rubrics (see below) and exemplars can be used in this regard.

Wikis

Wikis can be used for the development of an online portfolio of work.

Rubrics

Rubrics are 'scoring rules' for students which includes criteria against which they will be assessed. Instructional rubrics can help teachers teach as well as evaluate student work. They can promote thinking and learning and can be powerfully instructive when students help to create the rubrics.

An instructional rubric is usually a one-or two-page document that describes varying levels of quality, from excellent to poor, for a specific assignment. It is usually used with a relatively complex assignment, such as a long-term project, an essay, or a research paper. Its purposes are to give students informative feedback about their works in progress and to give detailed evaluations of their final products. Although the format of an instructional rubric can vary, all rubrics have two features in common: (1) a list of criteria, or "what counts" in a project or assignment; and (2) gradations of quality, with descriptions of strong, middling, and problematic student work

Rubrics can be uploaded into online courses via attachments to assessment instructions, for example within MyUni's Assignment feature or discussion board. Rubrics are a useful tool to assess the process as well as the product of discussion board activity. They can also be utilised to promote thinking and learning, as well as critical thinking abilities.

Rubric Resources

Rubric Builders:

Rubricator

Rubistar (it's free)

CogSim - Cognitive Simulations

Using Rubrics to Promote Thinking and Learning , Heidi Goodrich Andrade, Educational Leadership Vol 57, No 5 February 2000

The Critical Thinking Rubric , CT Project, Washington State University

Use of Rubrics in Online Assessment , Judi Baron and Mike Keller, Evaluations & Assessment Conference, UniSA, 2003

Example of a Rubric

A rubric to assess online discussion board participation and levels of thinking
Adapted from Exhibit 8.1 Sample Grading Rubric for Online Discussions within The Virtual Student by R Palloff and K Pratt, Jossey-Bass, John Wiley & Sons (2003)

Score Level of Participation During One Week

Other tools

include mapping or aligning learning objectives with assessment and assessment and evaluation techniques for online courses.

Evaluation of Levels of Thinking in Weekly Threaded Discussions

Aligning Learning Objectives with Assessment
Source: Table 8.1, The Virtual Student, Paloff & Pratt, Jossey-Bass, John Wiley & Sons, 2003
An example of one way to align learning objectives with assessment from an undergraduate course in organisational behaviour

Assessment techniques in online courses
Adapted from Table 8.2 Suggestions for Embedding Assessment and Evaluation into an Online Course within The Virtual Student by R Palloff and K Pratt, Jossey-Bass, John Wiley & Sons (2003)