Assessment of Asynchronous Discussions within Online Courses

1. Assessment ofAsynchronous Discussions within Online Courses David Wicks Assistant Professor Director of Instructional Technology Services Seattle Pacific University dwicks@spu.edu 206.281.2290

2. Overview • Instructors use a variety of techniques to assess student contributions to asynchronous discussions within online courses. • Faculty often report confusion and dissatisfaction with their assessment techniques (Dennen, 2002). • This presentation will discuss various assessment methods and introduce the concept of having students self-assess their work using a rubric.

3. Formative assessment • Goal – Understand what students know (and don’t know) and provide timely feedback to improve their knowledge and understanding. • Process • Read student postings and participate in discussion during the specified timeline • Provide alternative explanations, new content, and/or ask questions • Grading – All students receive the same grade if they participate.

4. Advantages and Disadvantages of Formative Evaluation • Advantages • Students benefit from one-to-one instruction • Just in time • Efficient grading • Disadvantages • Enormous amount of time spent on discussion • Teacher-centered = Dead Threads • Knowledge construction or destruction? • Low expectations = limited discussion?

5. Summative Assessment • Goal – Evaluate student performance after conclusion of each discussion • Process • Read and assess student postings • Minimum instructor interaction during discussion time • Grading • Feedback provided in the form of a grade • May use rubric to provide reliable measure of student performance.

6. Advantages and Disadvantages of Summative Evaluation • Advantages • Objective measure of performance • Freedom from active participation in discussion • Knowledge construction – student-directed discussion • Disadvantages • Enormous amount of time spent on assessment • May lack timely/informative feedback from instructor • May encourage quantity rather than quality

7. Which should be used? • Both have strengths and weaknesses • A hybrid approach may work best • Feedback without thread killing • Reliable assessment without an enormous time commitment

8. Self-Assessment of Discussion • Possible component of discussion assessment solution • May: • Clarify expectations of discussion • Provide reliable, efficient method of assessment • Add element of self-examination to discussion

9. Example of how self-assessment • See handout

10. Questions or Comments?