Successful Online Assessment, Evaluation, and Interaction Techniques

1
Successful Online Assessment, Evaluation, and
Interaction Techniques

• Presented by
• Dr. Barbara K.Mckenzie Dept. of MIT, State
  University of West Georgia (bmckenzi_at_westga.edu)
• Dr. Nancy G.Mims Dept. of Educational
  Leadership and Foundations, Western Carolina
  University (nmims_at_wcu.edu)
• Dr. Elizabeth Bennett Dept. of MIT, State
  University of West Georgia (ebennett_at_westga.edu )

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Introduction

• Accountability increasingly important
• DL classes must be held accountable for student
  learning
• 3 areas that impact success of any DL course
• Assessment
• Evaluation
• Interaction

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Focus

• To describe a variety of successful assessment,
  interaction and evaluation techniques used by
  distance instructors
• Techniques - extracted from multiple sources
• Review of the literature
• Conversations with experts
• Collective experiences of the authors

4
Assessment

• A way of determine learning gains (Simonson,
  2003)
• Identifies gaps between what is expected and what
  is taking place in classes

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Assessment Techniques

• Students complete online learning styles
  questionnaires
• Creates greater awareness of students
  backgrounds and how they learn the best
• Example http//tunis.commnet.edu/told/orientation
  /0ld_onlineLearning.html
• Design your own needs assessment instrument

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Assessment Techniques

• Create your own online technology needs
  assessment or use an online version with students
  the first week of class
• Have students apply class concepts to projects to
  projects and post them for review

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Assessment Techniques

• Create web quests for students to access online
  resources (e.g., Track Star -- http//trackstar.hp
  rtec.org)
• Assign students to virtual learning groups to do
  projects that demonstrate their skills in
  utilizing course content
• Track students online to determine how frequently
  they are participating in the course

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Assessment Techniques

• Design and administer formative assessments
  during the course
• to determine how students are doing
• suggestions for improvements
• Require reflective journals during the course
• to demonstrate students understanding and
  overall growth during the course

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Assessment Techniques

• Have students write one minute papers
• describing what they have just learned
• Require students to post a certain number of
  times during the course
• Include participation as part of their grade

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Interaction

• Two way communication activities that take place
  in the course
• Student to student
• Student to instructor
• Student to virtual learning group and other
  virtual learning groups
• Instructor to student
• Instructor to virtual learning group

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Interaction Techniques Getting to Know Each
Other

• Students design and display self introduction
  PowerPoint pres.
• Students share information about themselves and
  others introduce them to the class on the BB
• Students take a digital photo, type selected
  information, and post online
• (e.g., Name, e-mail address, where employed,
  goals of course, hobbies, something unique)

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Interaction Techniques Group Projects

• Assign students to virtual learning groups and
  have them complete a required group project
• Have virtual learning group complete a group
  selected project

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Interaction Techniques Synchronous Sessions

• Participate in online chats after being
  introduced to netiquette
• Debate activities between virtual learning groups

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Interaction Techniques Group Discussions

• Have students post reactions to required readings
  and respond to others postings
• Interview an expert and post information online
  for class to review

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Interaction Techniques Instructor Feedback

• Poll students online
• Yes/No and Multiple Choice questions
• Speak to students online and have them respond by
  speaking
• File sharing and feedback from the instructor
• Have virtual office hours

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Interaction Techniques Student Centered

• Cyber café
• Provide anonymous BB for students to post
  comments
• Online games (e.g., crossword puzzles)

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Interaction Techniques Frequently Asked Questions

• Information on questions of concern to students
• Days times for OL support
• How to attach documents
• Continue to enhance as needed

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Evaluation

• To answer questions focusing on the value of
  the class
• How effective was the class?
• Should class be continued or not?
• What changes are needed?
• Is the class worth the time and expense?

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Evaluation Techniques

• Develop an online summative evaluation survey
  that asks students to report on the value of
• Course content
• Technology used
• Overall satisfaction with the course

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Evaluation Techniques

• Interview students online or by phone at the end
  of the course for feedback
• Interview students a semester or a year after the
  course to determine its impact
• Use the institutions summative evaluation survey

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Evaluation Techniques

• Create your own summative evaluation survey
• Use course reflections
• Focus group discussions with students after
  course to evaluate effectiveness of the course
• Give an open book exam at end of course to
  evaluate students critical thinking skills

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Acknowledgement

• This presentation was made possible
• through funding by the PT3 Grant at
• the State University of West Georgia

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Successful Online Assessment, Evaluation, and
Interaction Techniques

• Presented by
• Dr. Barbara K.Mckenzie Dept. of MIT, State
  University of West Georgia (bmckenzi_at_westga.edu)
• Dr. Nancy G.Mims Dept. of Educational
  Leadership and Foundations, Western Carolina
  University (nmims_at_wcu.edu)
• Dr. Elizabeth Bennett Dept. of MIT, State
  University of West Georgia (ebennett_at_westga.edu )