Donna Smith

It is helpful for students to self assess and assess one another. This provides a deeper sense of understanding of the content, project or assignment.

Although rubrics are important as they provide a layout of what is expected, it may take a lot of time to develop an effective rubric. Adding the content and developing the rubric grid is time consuming initially but helpful to provide a successful outcome.

Applying the 7 principles of learning partnered with clear and professional communication with each student is essential for a successful outcome. 

As instructors we need to provide various technology tools to better serve our students learning experiences.

Communication is key in online learning. Whether it is between instructor and student or student to student... clear, respectful communication will keep all engaged.

Whether online or face to face each student needs to be ready to learn. Time management is critical in an online environment, more so than in a residential environment. Instructors and students need to be focused and very disciplined. This should all be addressed prior to the course.

Students can rely on a rubric to complete assignment within the expected guidelines.

Providing essays and problem solving scenarios as a subjective assessment can give the instructor some insight as to the level of student understanding as the student will need to go beyond acknowledging and stating facts.

Assessing the student prior to the lesson (diagnostic) will make evident the progress of the student as the final evaluation is completed. The process keeps communication open and can guide the instructor and student to achieve optimal knowledge and skill.

While working remotely with virtual classrooms there is still numerous ways to assess students using many of the technical tools designed for each individual assessment. Tests, quizzes, virtual labs, web based projects. Providing adequate feedback to each student and communication is essential for a successful outcome.