Assessments

Assessments are an integral component of any course, as they measure the extent to which students have met the learning outcomes. These items address the design and implementation of assessments and ensure grading policies and procedures are communicated to students.

Overview

24. Assessment types align with course learning outcomes to simulate real-world practices and expectations.

25. The course includes ongoing assessments and evaluations that measure student progress in achieving the learning outcomes.

26. Course grading policies and practices are clearly communicated to students at the beginning of the course (including requests for extensions and the result of late submissions).

27. Timelines for grading and feedback are communicated. Assessments, and evaluations are adequately spaced to ensure timely feedback.

28. Grading criteria for assessments are provided to students and include instructions, deadlines, rubrics/marking criteria, and examples of exemplary work.

29. Assessments are designed to uphold academic integrity and indicate the degree of collaboration that is acceptable.

30. Authentic assessments are used to evaluate students’ ability to apply their knowledge and skills to different situations, problems, or scenarios.

31. Students are provided choices about assessment topics and format, where possible.

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24. Assessment types align with course learning outcomes to simulate real-world practices and expectations.

Explanation:

Assessments can help students to build confidence and prepare them for the challenges they may face in their future careers. They should align with the learning outcomes to ensure that they are meaningful and relevant for both students and faculty. By exposing students to real-world scenarios, they can apply what they have learned to solve problems, make decisions, and communicate effectively. This can also help students to identify gaps in their learning and provide faculty with feedback on the effectiveness of their teaching.

Recommendations:

  • Explore Bloom’s Taxonomy to better understand types of objectives and design assessments that align with specific levels of learning. This can help students achieve appropriate levels of critical thinking and problem-solving.
  • Create assessments that are strongly aligned with the course learning outcomes. Avoid “busy work” or assessments that are not clearly aligned with stated outcomes. These items could become additional resources for interested students.
  • Explain the purpose of assessments to your students, including how they relate to the course learning outcomes and also what skills you are evaluating with each assessment.
  • Use verbs that are actionable and measurable in writing objectives/outcomes. Test each objective/outcome by detailing how you are measuring it, and how you will know students have met set criteria.
  • Use measurable verbs when describing outcomes. “Students will learn about X” is not measurable. Be specific and provide additional details. For example, “Students will research a topic and deliver a five-minute presentation to evaluate the effectiveness of X” is a measurable activity and outcome.
  • Create a course or module map to share with your students that details how each objective falls in sequence in the course, along with the activities and assignments that measure associated knowledge and/or mastery.

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25. The course includes ongoing assessments and evaluations that measure student progress in achieving the learning outcomes.

Explanation:

Regular assessments ensure that students are keeping up with the course content and making progress towards achieving the learning outcomes. These assessments allow faculty to monitor student progress and identify any areas where they may be struggling, allowing for timely interventions and support.

Recommendations:

  • Review the evaluation plan in the course outline and refer to this information when creating your syllabus. The evaluation plan contains the evaluation methods and their associated weightings, including which types of graded assessments (and often, how many) must be included in a course.
  • Ask yourself how the assessments in your course will determine if learning has taken place. Consider the “goal” of each assessment (i.e., what knowledge or skills students must demonstrate) and how you can best measure these skills.
  • Use self-assessment quizzes and other formative assessments to help students check their own knowledge and understanding. Search for quizzes and activities in the publisher resources, and/or open educational resources that can be integrated into Moodle.
  • Consult with the Educational Developer to ensure your course learning objectives align well with your assessments, content, and activities.
  • Encourage self- and peer-assessment to promote student teaching presence and create a sense of community.

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26. Course grading policies and practices are clearly communicated to students at the beginning of the course (including requests for extensions and the result of late submissions).

Explanation:

Course grading policies can help mitigate students’ questions, concerns, or challenges regarding their grades. Detailed grading policies provide students with a clear understanding of how they will be evaluated throughout the course, which also promotes a more positive and engaged learning experience. Course grading policies serve as a guide for students to track their progress and ensure that their work is being objectively reviewed. They can also motivate students by establishing clear expectations and guiding achievement progress.

Recommendations:

  • Provide clear goals and assessment criteria for all activities, assignments, and graded work.
  • Explain your grading policy and expectations during the first week of class. Also include this information in the syllabus and the course Moodle page, perhaps under the Getting Started Section.
  • Link grading policies to each graded activity, providing students with a better understanding of what is expected of them and how they can progress through the assignment or activity.
  • Follow the grading policy consistently throughout the course, and grade all students according to the same criteria. This helps ensure that the grading process is fair and transparent.

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27. Timelines for grading and feedback are communicated. Assessments, and evaluations are adequately spaced to ensure timely feedback. 

Explanation:

Clear timelines for grading and feedback help to create a sense of structure, predictability, and accountability for both students and faculty. Adequate spacing of assessments and evaluations is critical to ensure faculty have enough time to grade and provide feedback to students, leading to a fair and consistent grading process. Understanding that students may need more time for accommodations or extraneous circumstances is crucial to promoting student success in online courses. Providing clear timelines can help students plan for these situations.

Recommendations:

  • Set specific deadlines for students to submit their assignments, and communicate clearly when they can expect to receive feedback on their work. Include this information in the syllabus and assignment instructions.
  • Break complex assignments into smaller parts and provide feedback after each step.
  • Adequately space assessments and evaluations to ensure faculty have enough time to grade and provide feedback before the next set of assessments is due.
  • Provide feedback to students before reassessing them on the same skill set, offering an opportunity for students to learn from and apply your feedback on future assignments.
  • Consider using peer review, self-assessment, or automated grading tools so students can receive feedback quickly.
  • Consider providing group feedback on a particular assignment, or review the assessment together in class to explain common mistakes and problems students had. Be strategic in providing individual feedback to optimize your time and efficiency.

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28. Grading criteria for assessments are provided to students and include instructions, deadlines, rubrics/marking criteria, and examples of exemplary work.

Explanation:

Providing clear grading criteria is essential for promoting student success in online courses. Clear grading criteria ensure consistency, fairness, and transparency in the grading process and help faculty assess whether students have achieved the intended learning outcomes.

Recommendations:

  • Provide explicit guidelines and instructions for each course activity, and ensure that the assessment aligns with specific course learning objectives.
  • Use rubrics for major assignments to define detailed expectations for student performance and assessment. This helps students better understand the specific expectations for each assessment.
  • Use a marking guide or rubric when grading Assignments or Forums in Moodle. You can add this under the ‘Advanced Grading’ option in the assignment’s settings.
  • Provide students with a copy of the rubric to use as a checklist to complete before they submit their work.
  • Showcase exemplary work to provide a clear example of what outcomes the assignment demands, and what mastery levels need to be reached. Before posting exemplary work, get permission from the student whose work you would like to showcase.

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29. Assessments are designed to uphold academic integrity and indicate the degree of collaboration that is acceptable.

Explanation:

Assessments designed to uphold academic integrity help to ensure students are evaluated based on their own work, and that they have truly mastered the course material. Indicating the acceptable degree of collaboration helps to ensure that students are working together in a way that is consistent with academic integrity and course expectations. Ultimately, promoting academic integrity is essential for ensuring that students receive a high-quality education in online courses.

Recommendations:

  • Outline the expectations for academic integrity, including what constitutes academic dishonesty, and the consequences for violating academic integrity policies. This information should be shared with students at the beginning of the course and posted in Moodle and/or the course syllabus.
  • Explain to students what is accepted and prohibited regarding the use of artificial intelligence tools, including generative AI tools.
  • For online tests/exams, use a proctoring tool, like Respondus LockDown Browser, to prevent students from accessing other websites or applications on their computer during the exam.
  • For Moodle quizzes, consider pulling questions randomly from a large question bank, which can reduce the likelihood of students collaborating on tests/exams where collaboration is not allowed.
  • Indicate the acceptable degree of collaboration between students and provide guidelines for group work to ensure that academic integrity is maintained.
  • Explain what amount of work, if any, can be used from other sources. Also explain how they should cite their sources, and which citation style (APA, MLA, etc.) should be used.

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30. Authentic assessments are used to evaluate students’ ability to apply their knowledge and skills to different situations, problems, or scenarios.

Explanation:

Authentic assessment evaluates whether students can apply what they’ve learned in real-world contexts and situations. It’s an effective measure of course learning outcomes and goes beyond just testing what students know, by asking them to apply their knowledge and skills to a project or activity.

Recommendations:

  • Design assessments that require students to demonstrate their understanding of the course material in a unique and authentic way. This can include assignments that require students to apply course concepts to real-world situations or create original content.
  • Shift from traditional assessment types like multiple-choice exams, true/false, fill in the blanks, matching, etc., to authentic strategies like case studies, presentations, role-play scenarios, team problem-solving, and more.
  • Instead of simply asking students to identify the correct answer (e.g., multiple-choice questions), ask them to justify their answer and explain the rationale behind their choice.
  • Identify real-world situations or problems that students will face in their future careers or personal lives, and create assessments that simulate those situations. For example, a marketing course may ask students to create a marketing campaign for a real company or product.
  • Use case studies or scenarios that require students to analyze complex information and make decisions based on that information.
  • Provide opportunities for students to work collaboratively on authentic assessments. In many real-world situations, individuals must work in teams to achieve a common goal. By working collaboratively on an assessment, students develop teamwork and communication skills that are valuable in many fields.
  • Use performance-based assessments that require students to demonstrate a skill or competency. Examples include presentations, projects, and simulations.
  • Consider using open-ended assessments that allow students to demonstrate their understanding in their own way.
  • Provide opportunities for students to receive feedback on their assessments and revise their work. In many real-world situations, individuals must receive feedback and make revisions to improve their work. Providing opportunities for students to revise their work helps them develop important skills for the future.

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31. Students are provided choices about assessment topics and format, where possible.

Explanation:

Offering choices about assessment topics or format in an online course promotes inclusive and accessible learning environments for all students. This approach allows for greater flexibility and personalization in the learning experience, benefiting all students, especially those with different learning preferences or disabilities such as visual or hearing impairments. Including multiple forms of assessment ensures that students can demonstrate their knowledge and skills in various ways, providing a more comprehensive assessment of their progress.

Recommendations:

  • Use different types of assessments like quizzes, exams, essays, group projects, and discussion boards in your course.
  • Allow students to choose the format for completing their assessments, such as a written paper, a presentation, a video or audio recording. This accommodates students with different strengths and preferences and helps students feel more invested in their learning experience.
  • Provide text-based and multimedia options for course content, including readings, articles, videos, podcasts, images, and other types of content.
  • Provide a transcript of any video recordings or resources shared in your course for students who prefer to read content instead of watching a video.
  • Similarly, consider adding a video or audio recording for any readings used in your course for students who prefer to watch or listen to a recording instead of reading.

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