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Pre-Service Teachers’ Perception of Assessment Strategies in Online Teaching. Michael McVey Eastern Michigan University. Online Assessment Strategies. . . . are employed by pre-service teacher candidates creating thematic learning experiences in an online teaching environment (Moodle).
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Pre-Service Teachers’ Perception of Assessment Strategies in Online Teaching Michael McVeyEastern Michigan University
Online Assessment Strategies . . . . . . are employed by pre-service teacher candidates creating thematic learning experiences in an online teaching environment (Moodle). Examined 395 candidate-created instructional units for their use of formative and summative assessments.
Spoiler alert! Despite affordances built into Moodle for collaborative projects, the majority of students were cautious and made use of what might be considered traditional tools such as quizzes, worksheets, and reports without taking full advantage of the power and potential of collaborative and creative potential.
Background In 2006, Michigan required high school students to take an online course before graduating. Since that time, five other states have initiated similar requirements. The intent for having students engage in online learning experiences was that it would “require them to complete assignments, meet deadlines, learn appropriate online behavior, and effectively collaborate with others in an instructional setting” (Michigan Department of Education, 2006).
Emphasis on online learning experiences Professional Standards for Entry Level Teachers reflect the need for teachers to possess the necessary knowledge and skills in order to deliver instruction in online formats (Michigan Department of Education, 2008). Specifically, the standards set the expectations that teachers should be able to create an online learning experience, facilitate collaboration online, and use technology to conduct a variety of effective assessments.
Moodle The educational technology faculty developed a promising solution to the challenge of preparing pre-service teachers to teach in an online environment. . . Using the open source learning management system (LMS) Moodle as a platform to train teacher candidates to design a thematic lesson delivered online.
Potential The experience of having teacher candidates develop an online learning experience has great training potential. Although pleased with how the teacher candidates were using the online environment to create student-centered learning experiences, we are less confident that pre-service teachers are developing robust strategies to monitor student engagement and assess student learning in their online environment.
Online versus Face-to-Face Describing the kinds of assessments preservice teacher candidates employ in online teaching requires an understanding of the limitations of the learning management system and of the time involved to develop an online lesson or convert to online a face-to-face lesson.
Transactional Distance Hannafin, Oliver, Hill, Glazer, and Sharma (2003) note “the distant nature of Web-based approaches renders difficult many observational and participatory assessments" (p. 256). Informal assessment may be especially difficult for online instructors because of the absence of physical contact (Oncu & Cakir, 2011).
Tried and true . . . Swan (2001) in 73 online courses about half of the courses had used written assignments and tests or quizzes. Arend(2007) in 60 courses found quizzes and tests used in 83% of those courses.
The LMS offers strategic potential Ideally, instructors in online K-12 environments should not overlook assessment strategies unique to online teaching that make use of the various affordances of a learning management system (Watson, 2007).
Evaluating online assessments A scale by Scalise and Gifford (2006) is generalizable to K-12 online learning environments. A matrix of online assessment items ranging in degrees of complexity and degree of constraint in response. Assessments at the least constrained and most complex assessments in their matrix include projects, demonstrations, and discussions.
Essays / Concept Maps Projects / Discussions MORE Constrained The conventional multiple-choice test, is most constrained. Assessments that require respondents to categorize are less constrained. At the less-constrained end are tools such as concept maps and essays. The least constrained assessments are projects, demos, and discussions. LESS Constrained Multiple Choice Categorizing
Is there a strategy in place? What this study seeks to determine is not only which online tools teacher candidates use but how they use them strategically. Are they taking advantage technological affordances unique to an online learning environment that allow collaboration or multimedia means of expression.
Multiple Choice: Conventional Multiple Choice (Haladyna, 1994). Reordering: Categorizing (Bennett, 1993). Completion: Short Answer and Sentence Completion (Osterlind, 1998). Construction: Concept Map (Shavelson, 2001). Construction: Essay (Page & Peterson, 1995). Portfolio: Project (Bennett, 1993). Presentation: Demonstration, Experiment, Performance (Bennett, 1993). Presentation / Portfolio: Discussion, Interview (Bennett, 1993).
Four years of accumulated online thematic units created by teacher candidates. Candidates were required to demonstrate at least two methods of assessment, one formative and the another summative. Each candidate was expected to demonstrate an assessment strategy but was given no specific guidance as to types or numbers of assessments used.
Using the Scalise and Gifford (2006) model, the assessments were categorized according to two domains: • degree of constraint, and • 2) complexity of product.
Selected Responses Sometimes known as objectiveassessments, answers are included in a set of options. In a selected response assessment, the answer is visible and students just need to recognize it correctly. Even though selective response items can address the higher levels of thinking, many demand only lower levels of cognition.
Constructed Responses Sometimes known as subjectiveassessments, the answer is not visible and students must recall or construct it. Constructed response assessments are conducive to higher level thinking skills and could include essays, art projects, journals, stories, presentations and more.
Adding Complexity Creating a presentation in the form of a poster or PowerPoint requires an additional degree of complexity in skill required to execute the presentation in the media required. At the highest level of complexity, such as with a live presentation, students draw upon their findings and review or evaluate them in a forum that does not provide the luxury of time for careful editing.
Table 1. Instructional Units by Grade and Subject
Analyses Three analyses were undertaken: • formative assessments taking place throughout the unit to determine that students are on track, • summative assessments taking place at the end of the unit, and • the combination of assessment types examined against grade level and subject.
Table 2 Scores of Assessment Types
Table 3.Teacher Candidates’ Choice of Formative Assessment Instrument
Table 4.Teacher Candidates Using Only One Kind of Formative Assessment
Table 5.Teacher Candidates Using a Second Formative Assessment
Summative assessment instruments teacher candidates chose did not lean toward the less complex.
Table 6.Teacher Candidates’ Use of Formative over Summative Assessments
Table 7.Teacher Candidates’ Choice of Summative Assessment Instrument
Shift from formative to summative by grade Analysis of the assessments by grade showed a noted increase in complexity at all of the grade groupings with the greatest increase in complexity from formative to summative by almost 0.9 points occurring among candidate lessons in the Upper Elementary group. The Lower Elementary group showed the most modest shift in complexity.
Shift from formative to summative by subject Analysis of the assessments by subject showed a noted increase in complexity, again, at all of the subject groupings with the greatest increase in complexity from formative to summative by almost 0.9 points occurring among candidate lessons in the Language Arts group followed closely by those in the Science group. The Math/Arithmetic and the Foreign Language group showed the most modest shifts in complexity.
