The Context of the Assessment
In
addition to selecting assessments that align with the objectives, it is also
important to consider the conditions in which the assessment will be completed.
This includes the tools available (e.g. "conditions" component of the
objective) as well as the environment (e.g. traditional, online, mobile). This
is demonstrated in Activity 4.5. However, let's consider another scenario for a
moment. How would you have an online
student conduct a live demonstration or presentation? There are multiple
options. For example, posting a student could complete a live demonstration by
screen sharing or video during an e-conferencing session. A student could post
a video or tutorial on a blog or upload it to the LMS through a submission
link. If the file is too big, snail mail is always an option. The pro and cons
of all methods would need to be considered. There are unique considerations for
the distance environment. See the Think About It Activity 4.6.
Think About It Activity 4.6
Read the following quote:
Successful educational institutions in the future will of necessity integrate the worlds of education, work, and leisure with leading edge electronic technologies as they become available. The new model for educational activity will be that which is delivered by the institutions and acquired by the students in an anytime, anyplace, on-demand fashion. The educational institution of the future, at the post-secondary level at least, will not be a campus we drive through and view the ivy covered halls of wisdom, but it will be a learning experience we participate in while we drive along the highway, relax at home, work at our desks, fly to distant locations, collaborate with fellow learners, and accomplish all the other tasks required of us to be productive, useful, and educated citizens of the world. It will always be at our fingertips, or at least no more than a click away. One of the major challenges of this new "at-our-fingertips" learning environment is how to assess learner achievement in an online course in which learner and instructor seldom or never see each other in face-to-face contact. The assessment must be authentic as defined by Wiggins (1998), Bridges (1995) and others and must be effective in that it measures learning, engages the learner, is integrated into the learning process, and promotes further learning. The assessment paradigm developed as a result of this study will be a step forward. - Drummond, 2003
©2010 By Michael and Amanda Szapkiw.