Using D2L for Assessment and Learning

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Using D2L for Assessment and Learning Realizing
Student Potential/ITeach Conference February
27-28, 2009 Minneapolis, MN
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The Plan

• The Presenters
• D2L Tools
• Discussion
• Dropbox
• Surveys
• Evaluation Techniques

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The Presenters

• Kate Mooney
• Professor of Accounting
• Steve Mooney
• Professor of Finance and Real Estate and Holder
  of the MN Chair in Real Estate
• Kerry Marrer
• Director of Undergraduate Programs and Assessment
• All at St. Cloud State University, Herberger
  College of Business

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D2L Tool 1 DiscussionsGraduate Courses

• MBA Financial Reporting Course
• Required component of the course
• Questions posted and open for one week
• Tied to Assessment Objective
• Evaluated by instructor based on rubric

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Assessment

• Each learning goal may have several objectives
  and we assess each objective
• Goal MBA graduates will be professional
  communicators
• Objective (one of three) Students will
  participate effectively in group discussions

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Assessment

• Gather data on student performance on discussion
  board using assessment rubric
• Note patterns
• Discuss with other instructors and suggest
  changes
• All instructors must use the rubric and include
  discussion if they teach the course

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Steps to Creating a Rubric

• Determine components that are graded/desired
  outcomes
• Determine levels of performance for each category
• Describe characteristics of each level for each
  component

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D2L Tool 1 DiscussionUndergraduate Courses

• Bio slides
• Homework/project questions and answers
• Group discussion boards for projects
• Forums for revise and resubmit assignments
• Used in Real Estate Courses

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Real Estate Principles

• Background
• Group data gathering but individual paper
• Brings benefit of group work w/o free rider
• Description
• In class reading
• Comments on D2L
• Students revise and resubmit based on comments
• Survey

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Real Estate Appraisal

• Background
• 50-60 page narrative appraisal
• Previously all due at once
• Now components are due throughout
• Drafts of components as in RE Principles
• Benefits
• Students get 3 additional sets of eyes looking at
  the paper
• Final paper is better and saves red ink

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Assessment

• Upper Division Writing Requirement
• University requirement for each major
• Must document for University
• Used to assess learning goal Students will be
  effective written and oral communicators
• Online writing lab

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D2L tool 2 DropboxGraduate Course

• Used for all cases and projects
• Dropbox closes when class begins, late
  assignments sent as email attachments
• Grade using review function in Word
• Leave feedback and file in the dropbox

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The Rubric

• The dimensions
• Writing style
• Technical aspects
• Content
• Analysis
• Levels of performance same three

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D2L Tool 2 DropboxUndergraduate Courses

• Easy to enforce due date and time
• Keeps track of suggestions for revise and
  resubmit
• Consistent comments on papers or projects

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Rubric for an Excel Project

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Rubric for Peer Evaluations

• Students find three categories too few
• Descriptions need some objective aspects
• Include some open ended questions
• Signed or anonymous?
• Collect data, reduce to point score plus
  responses to open ended questions

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Assessment

• Tied to an objective that is attached to a
  department learning goal
• Always in one coursethe one everyone wants to
  teach
• Gather data, note patterns
• Discuss with department and make necessary changes

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D2L Tool 3 Surveys

• Graduate courses
• Midterm evaluation Keep/Quit/Start
• Course evaluationsnot effective
• Undergraduate courses
• Preferences
• Course evaluationsnot effective

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Evaluation of Techniques

• Graduate students
• Appreciate the rubrics
• Like the online discussion because it cuts seat
  time
• Keep/Quit/Start survey improves course evaluation

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Evaluation of Techniques

• Undergraduate students
• Like the homework and project forums in
  accounting
• 93 of real estate students think peer review is
  a good exercise

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Evaluation of Techniques

• Instructors--Kerry
• Ease of collecting data on discussions
• Management and retention of data is simplified

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Evaluation of Techniques

• Steve
• Kate

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Questions for You

• How do you use the tools on D2L?
• How many of you have used rubrics?
• Share your hints for rubrics

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Contact Information

• moon_at_stcloudstate.edu
• kate_at_stcloudstate.edu