Online+Assessment+Tools

toc With the evolution towards 21st Century Learning and the integration of technology in the classroom, online assessment tools are being utilized more and more by educators. With the growth of highly accessible and diverse online assessment tools the argument can be made that online assessment can be utilized in all classrooms. Therefore, in the interests of 21st century student learning, all educators should be aware of these tools and how to utilize these resources effectively.

As both formative and summative assessment are critical to student learning, many online tools have been developed to support both of these areas. Online assessment tools also provide the opportunity to integrate self, peer and teacher assessments to enhance student learning. This collaboration and integration of multiple dimensions in online assessments make this type of tool unique and advantageous to student learning when compared to other assessment methods.

= What is Assessment? =

When it comes to evaluating students, there are two forms of assessment that are available for teachers. There is formative assessment, or assessment for learning, where the assessment’s purpose is to help students, through effective feedback. Formative assessment helps students fully understand their own learning and help them reach the goals they are aiming for. There is also summative assessment, or assessment of learning, which is a form of evaluation primarily used for establishing and collecting grades.

__Assessment for Learning (Formative) is: __


 * Using evaluative evidence to improve learning
 * Promotes increases in achievement [[image:Handsup.jpg width="400" height="295" align="right"]]
 * Supports student growth
 * Provides students with insight to self-improve
 * A constant process of feedback

__Assessment of Learning (Summative) is: __


 * Making a judgement about student competence or program effectiveness
 * Documenting individual or group mastery
 * Measuring achievement
 * Focused on students meeting achievement standards
 * Usually seen as grades, exams, quizzes, standardized tests, etc.

__Recommendations on Assessment Process:__
 * Enable students to self-monitor progress;
 * Give regular feedback to students;
 * Support peer learning and assessment;
 * Design self-assessment practice.

= Why Would We Assess Online? =

As the model of a 21 st Century Learner from Alberta Education outlines, students today are encouraged not only build the knowledge covered in the curriculum but develop as well rounded members of society.

By using online assessment tools we are empowering 21 st century learners to seek assessment for learning independently and improving the assessment practice of educators. Additionally, online assessment strongly supports the 'Recommendations on Assessment Process' as mentioned in the previous section.

= = = =

=**Assessment Tools**=

__Blogs__
The Following video shows the response that the Grade six class from the Heathfield school in England had to the benefits of blogging for education.

media type="youtube" key="GJRFYnNP0c8" height="283" width="378"

Blogs are a great form of formative assessment. The teacher is able to see how their students are doing on an ongoing basis. Blogging opens up a channel of communication that didn't exist before. Blogging also opens up how students interact with each other. Students can now discuss discuss assignments, readings, other necessary topics that they may have in the past waited till they were back at school to discuss. Blogs also open the discussion to the outside world.

__ **Blogs for Education** __ @http://edublogs.org/ @http://education.weebly.com/ @http://kidblog.org/home/

__ **Resources about Blogs for Education** __ @http://oedb.org/library/features/top-100-education-blogs @http://tep.uoregon.edu/shared/blogswikispodcasts/BlogsInEducation.pdf

__Online Rubrics__


Scoring rubrics are descriptive scoring schemes that are developed by teachers or other evaluators to guide the analysis of the products or processes of students' efforts (Brookhart, 1999)

Rubrics are used when teachers want their students to understand the expectations for a given assignment. Rubrics are often used when a final product is handed in. For instance, rubrics are commonly used for writing assignments, or graphic assignments. Although rubrics can be used and started as an offline tool by putting these online for students to create and access educators can improve assessment. Some tools that are becoming available in this area make the rubric creation process not only easier, but allows educators to work with students more closely. This process ultimately leads to the creation of a rubrics that more efficiently describes what is expected from the assignment and is accessible by the student.

__**Sample**__

The following image is an example of a simple rubric for reflective journal writing.



__**Implications**__ Teaching students to understand rubrics, and eventually make their own, allows them to take their education into their own hands. By puting this exchange online in addition to in the classroom facilitates efficient cooperation between student and teacher. They can now work //together// to meet the curriculum and beyond.

__ **Websites that discuss Rubrics** __ @http://pareonline.net/getvn.asp?v=7&n=3 @http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/rubrics.cfm @http://pareonline.net/getvn.asp?v=8&n=14 @http://www.teachervision.fen.com/teaching-methods-and-management/rubrics/4521.html

__ **Websites for Creating Rubrics** __ @http://www.teach-nology.com/platinum/samples/rubrics/index.html @http://www.teach-nology.com/web_tools/rubrics/phonics/ @http://www.teach-nology.com/web_tools/rubrics/ @http://rubistar.4teachers.org/ @http://www.assessmentfocus.com/rubrics-rubric-makers.php

__Online Classroom Assessment Techniques__


Online Classroom Assessment Techniques (or CATs) are activities that teachers can use to assess where students are both before and after a lesson, unit, etc. using an online tool. Using CATs is a three step process.
 * 1) You must decide what you want to learn from the classroom assessment. From this, you can choose which technique will provide you with the feedback you want, is consistent with your teaching style, and that can be performed easily in your classroom.
 * 2) You should explain the purpose of the activity to your students then conduct the technique.
 * 3) After the activity is completed, review the results and decide if you need to make any changes. Make sure that you also tell your students what you learned from the CAT and how you plan to use the information collected.

Here is a list of examples of CATs that were originally created by Angelo and Cross and contains links to Online CATS such as in class surveys, wordles and other formative assessment tools:




 * __For teachers, use of CATs can: __**
 * Provide short-term feedback about the day-to-day learning and teaching process
 * Provide useful information about student learning with a much lower investment of time
 * Help to foster good rapport with students and increase the efficiency of teaching and learning.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Encourage the view that teaching is a formative process that evolves over time with feedback.


 * __<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For students,use of CATs can: __**
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Help them become better monitors of their own learning.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Help break down feelings of anonymity
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Point out the need to alter study skills and what they need to work on.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Provide concrete evidence that the teacher cares about learning.

__Online Self Paced Learning Tools__
Online self paced learning tools offer students the resources and assessment tools to learn a subject. As this tool is online there are opportunities for peers and educators to monitor the learning of students anytime and from anywhere. An example of an organization which offers this tool to educators is the Khan Academy. Educators that use the Khan Academy as a resource have specific assessment information regarding; what material is reviewed by students, the time students spend reviewing material and comprehension levels. This information can be used in prioritizing lessons for the class and assisting students struggling on a specific area. Below is a video from the Khan Academy explaining how the online assessment within this tool can be used as an educator (see 8:12 - 11:42).

media type="youtube" key="DLt6mMQH1OY" height="187" width="336"

Another website that allows teachers to assess their students online is TED-Ed. At this website educators can 'flip' any video on the internet for assessment of comprehension. 'Flipping' a video means that a teacher assigns students to view a video online which they are then prompted to ask questions about for submission by the teacher. Here is an example of a video about health which has been 'flipped'. If you log in and complete the answers to this flipped video the creator of the video will receive your responses and can assess comprehension.

= Benefits/Drawbacks of Online Assessment =

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lower expense <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Immediate feedback <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Technology <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Independence <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Frequent assessments <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Flexibility
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Benefits: **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Low resource cost, many online assessments are free
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For assignments online, students can receive immediate grades
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Students also have online assessment tools and feedback available to them at all times.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Students are self guided learners
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Students can work at their own pace and convenience
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Teachers have the ability of using several assessment tools
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Assessments can be done regularly and in many forms
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Students and teachers can set schedules convenient to both,
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Content can be extend or contracted as needed for each student


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Drawbacks: **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cheating <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Impersonal <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Technological issues <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> It is important that educators are aware of the benefits and drawbacks of using online assessment tools so the potential of these tools can be maximized and the risks of drawbacks can be minimized. It is also important that educators do not solely rely on online assessment and ensure assessments are reliable and valid by utilizing other assessment methods in conjunction with online assessment.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Easy for students to use extra resources when taking assessments when this is not allowed
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Misrepresentation also becomes possible due to the lack of ability to monitor (eg. Bob writes the exam for Sally)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lack of face time in assessment can reduce rapport between teacher and educator
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Students and teachers may not have minimum skills required to use technology
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Students and teachers are both required to own/acquire technologies

= Further Readings and Teacher Resources =

@http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/assess.cfm @http://www.bemidjistate.edu/its/elearning/resources/assessment_evaluation/files/assess-class-PPT.pdf @http://annedavies.com/ @http://www.khanacademy.org/ @http://ed.ted.com/

= References =

@http://pareonline.net/getvn.asp?v=9&n=7 @http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/technology-enhanced-classroom-assessment-techniques/ <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #111111; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Angelo, T. A., and Cross, K. P. (1993). Classroom assessment techniques: A handbook for college teachers (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. @http://www.vcu.edu/cte/resources/OTLRG/06_05_CATs.html @http://introductiononlinepedagogy.pbworks.com/w/page/20123554/Rubrics @http://www.gvsu.edu/cms3/assets/B8AD748B-F1BE-C0A8-A2463EB026FEEEFD/scan0004.jpg @http://tep.uoregon.edu/technology/blackboard/docs/Online_Assessment_Blackboard.pdf @http://www.articlesbase.com/online-education-articles/pros-and-cons-of-online-education-for-the-world-citizen-250687.html @http://education.alberta.ca/admin/aisi/themes/21-century.aspx @http://www.khanacademy.org/ @http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/assess.cfm @http://www.bemidjistate.edu/its/elearning/resources/assessment_evaluation/files/assess-class-PPT.pdf @http://annedavies.com/ http://ed.ted.com