How to Engage Online Learners in Authentic Assessment Dianne - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

How to Engage Online Learners in Authentic Assessment

Dianne Conrad, PhD Research Associate Contact North | Contact Nord August 20, 2020

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Rudimentary o

• nline l

learning q questions usually i include:

• What’s all the fuss?
• How do I start?
• When should I do this?
• What’s different from F2F

teaching and learning?

• Is it more work?
• How to design?
• What about technology?

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Thank you, Tony Bates

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Content: W Where d does i it c come fr from?

• Assigned readings
• Discussion (topic driven, instructor-led)
• External content (discovery and import by learners)
• Co-created content (learners)

AND, importantly, YOU (video, podcast, pdf, lecturette (live or written, e.g. synchronous or asynchronous)

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What i is a a F Flipped C Classroom?

Learners work OFFLINE with teacher-driven resources to prepare for ONLINE engagement and interaction with teacher and peers § Pre-work vs homework § Content from readings, videos, podcasts § Learners work together or individually or as directed

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What is assessment? What is evaluation? Formative vs summative Where do grades fit in?

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Framing A Assessment

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What i is A Authentic A Assessment?

Overview

Critical thinking Communication Collaboration Constructivism Creativity

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Authentic A Assessment 1 1

• Is grounded in real-world relevance
• Is engaging because of “real-ness”
• Features ill-defined problems that allow

for latitude and diverse perspectives

• Therefore, encourages and supports

higher level thinking and critical thinking

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Authentic A Assessment 2 2

• Encourages learners to play a more

active role in their learning (unlike rote)

• Is social, interactive and collaborative
• Develops cognitive skills, shared

understanding, task negotiation

• In other words: en

engagem emen ent

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Authentic A Assessment 3 3

• Is based on social constructivist theory
• Learners create meaning from

experience, shared experience

• Promotes reflection
• Metaphor: a f

fjord n not a a s skating r rink

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Authentic assessment: NOT THIS WAY!

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Assessment S Strategies a and T Tools

Pu Purpose To e engage s stu tudents ts i in l learning To c conduct a t an e evaluati tion o

• f l

learning Ho How Creati tively Collaborati tively Fa Fairly

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In Individual A Assessment T Tools

Activi vities t to c

• cre

reate e engagement:

• Self-quiz
• Journal
• Reflection
• Forum posts in forum discussions
• Essay/paper
• Project/presentation
• Learner-led seminar
• Case studies

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Gr Group A Assignments

• Essay/paper
• Group project
• Group presentation
• Group response to presentation
• Peer-to peer, dyads, triads, groups
• Case studies

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STEM c considera rations: W What’s d differe rent? “if t teachers a apply e enough c creative intellectual e effort, a , any l learning o

• utcome

that c could b be a achieved i in a a c classroom should b be a achievable o

• utside a

also…”

(We

Wedemeyer, d , decades a ago)

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The I Issue o

• f L

Labs a and E Experi riments

In Initially p perceived a as a a c challenge Solved, y , years a ago, b , by O OU a and o

• thers

But t the p prejudice s still e exists

https://www.aupress.ca/app/uploads/120162_99Z_Kennepohl_Shaw_2 010-Accessible_Elements.pdf

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But t the C Challenge i is D Deeper… r…

Online l learning r requires a a p paradigm s shift The “ “lone r ranger” a approach ( (Moore) d does n not s suffice Strong d disciplinary k knowledge d does n not e equal p pedagogical kn knowledge New r roles: c : cognitive, s , social, m , managerial a and t technical But t that’s ’s a another s story, a , another p presentation. (except f for t the c circus m metaphor)

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Example o

• f a

a S Science-based A Assignment

Problem It is the 2020 spring melt and Acme Mining Company (AMC) wants to discharge treated water from their new mine. First, they must confirm that the water from their conventional treatment plant meets the government criteria for total phosphorus, a concentration of 0.5mg/L. Phosphorus is a regulated contaminant because it is a nutrient that causes algae blooms in surface waters that can lead to fish kills. AMC samples their treated water and finds that the phosphorus concentration is 0.75mg/L, so they cannot discharge it. This is a serious matter, as snow is melting and their pond is filling up; they need to begin discharge as soon as possible. AMC investigates sources of phosphorus in their influent. They find that phosphorus is present in two forms. 1) about 5% of the phosphorus is present as a simple phosphate molecule from domestic sewage; and 2) the rest of the phosphorus is present as a complex, biodegradable molecule used in the mining process where the phosphate is bound up in a sulfur compound. Next, Acme bench tests the ability of their conventional treatment plant to remove phosphorus from these two sources individually. They find that they are able to remove 100% of the simple phosphate molecule with their conventional treatment plant. They find that they are not able to remove any of the biodegradable phosphate-sulfur compound.

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Example o

• f a

a S Science-based A Assignment 2 2

What are the Available Solutions? Option 1: Deploy a reverse osmosis unit to act like a "molecular sieve" to remove "everything" in the water, including the problematic contaminants. The waste product from this process is a comparatively small stream of concentrated contaminants, or "brine," that is rejected from the reverse osmosis unit and this has to be managed carefully so as to not create a second problem in the pond. Option 2: Wait for natural degradation of the phosphate-sulfur compound. This could be problematic because the pond where the snowmelt drains is small and the timeframe for natural degradation is not certain. Option 3: modify the conventional treatment plant to include an oxidation pre-treatment that will quickly degrade and break down the phosphate-sulfur molecule, which will liberate the simple phosphate so it can then be removed by their downstream conventional treatment plant process. To achieve the oxidation, common processes are intense aeration, ozone, hydrogen peroxide, potassium permanganate or ultraviolet light. With the peroxide and permanganate solutions, they will have to carefully consider any residual products that may be imparted into the treated water. Group Discussion OR …..

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Weighting A Assessment

You h have u ultimate c control i in d determining w where y your l learners w will “end u up,” ,” v via w weighting

Ask y yourself: f:

• Where do these skills place on Bloom’s Taxonomy (high, low?)
• How much effort/time is required by learners?
• What is the relative importance of the outcomes reflected in this

assignment/activity?

• Bad i

idea: Lots of small tasks with 5 or 10% weightings

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Forming Gr Groups

Wh Why? They are a sound management and

pedagogical tool. § Recognize the importance of group dynamics § Group size….is it manageable? Big or small? § Random or purposeful choice of members? § One-off or permanent? § Purpose: what will the group do? § Rules/rubric

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Assessing Gr Group P Product

Groups p present m many c challenges:

• Learner antipathy
• Lack of group skills, different personalities
• “free riders”
• Inequality of learners’ abilities
• Withdrawal of learners from course

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Pre Prese sent ntations ns

• Work very well
• Require lots of pre-planning by you, when, who,

etc.

• Set up a presentation schedule early
• Allow learners to pick their topic (topics aligned

with units/outcomes)

• Work individually, or in pairs, triads, groups
• Build in online discussion time post-presentation
• asynchronous

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Su Submitting A Assignments

Process i is v very d different o t online:

• Clear instructions must be given, i.e. word count, font,

pagination, titling

• Individually written essays/papers are simple to

receive but the handling of uploaded assignments in Moodle, while not difficult, can be tedious

• Group projects can be uploaded into a forum space

where discussion can occur following, OR….

• Moodle provides several ways to handle feedback
• Moodle records and manages the grades

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Go Good H Hint!

• Create an “Assignment Shoppe” forum to

encourage assignment-related questions to be posted there

• Then everyone can see the concern and the

response

• Otherwise, you are inundated with one-on-one

questions

• Be sure to specify no grade complaints are

handled here

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Peer A Assessment…a g good i idea bu but….

• Jury is still out on how and when
• Plan this well, not just to cut your workload
• Instructions must be clear
• Students can learn while assessing
• Peer assessment can create engagement
• Students can learn from others’ mistakes
• Constructive outcomes must be pre-planned and
• rganized

“Don’t ’t r relegate y yourself t to b becoming a a g gatekeeper!” ( (Brookfield, 1 , 1990)

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Participation…a T Touchy T Topic

• Guide it, define it, so your assessment is fair and

well-grounded

• Tell them what you want
• PLEASE encourage them NOT to write mini-essays;
• nline discussion is not the place for this and it is a

great inhibitor

• Keep discussion informal but relevant, on-topic, and

timely

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Assessing P Participation

• Students WANT their participation noted
• Quality not quantity
• A clear rubric
• Critical thinking stressed
• “Niceties” not rewarded, although social

and respectful behaviour is expected

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WHAT? T?…No F Final E Exam????*

How w will I a I assess t their o

• verall p

performance?

• You have been doing so throughout the

course

• It’s not an all-or-nothing, not a race to the

finish.

• Learning has been accrued, ingested,

incremental

• *

* If you MUST give a final exam, you must!

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At t the E End o

• f t

the C Course 1 1

• Design your last assignment to be as

sweeping as you see fit

• Weight it appropriately (not all eggs in one

basket!)

• Learners should have a good idea where

they stand by this time, based on previous work and your excellent feedback

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At t the E End o

• f t

the C Course 2 2

Wha hat w wor

• rks w

well ( ll (depending on

• n re

rele levance t to

• cou
• urse/ou
• utcom
• mes)…
• 1. A research paper that reflects previous work done
• r specific issues that arose from the course (helps

to prevent plagiarism)

• 2. An individual or group project
• 3. A reflective document that allows learners to pull

their learning moments together, in narrative or media form (They are good with media!)

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At t the E End o

• f t

the C Course 3 3

• 4. A learning journal (with summary*)
• 5. Anything creative (i.e. learners create a script where

the dialogue is a commentary on the course content or some aspect of it)

• 6. A detailed self-assessment, with clear expectations

so it is just not a “happy sheet” Weighting must be appropriate

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Ge General Su Suggestions 1 1

• Give learners a choice when possible: in

topic, in media - mix it up

• Change “static” assignments regularly

from offering to offering, e.g. essay topics

• Take advantage of the Internet:

scavenger hunts, finding resources, building repositories

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Ge General Su Suggestions 2 2

• Have all schedules and information front-

end loaded before course start date

• Double check due dates and other

important information for correctness

• Consider holidays and long weekends

when less online work will be done

• A c

calendar i is y your b best f friend!

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Th The E End J

Thank y you f for a attending!

Questions happily received at:

dconrad8@outlook.com

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