Using Alternative Assessments | Origin: ED136
This is a general discussion forum for the following learning topic:
Assessment Alternatives for Instructors --> Using Alternative Assessments
Post what you've learned about this topic and how you intend to apply it. Feel free to post questions and comments too.
Module three of this topic seems to be more in line with flipped classroom. It basically follows everything that i have read outside of this course on what technology to use in flipped classrooms. For more, see "flipping the college classroom" and "flipping 2.0". I was following along with interest until the session bogged down with technology I will probably never adopt not adapt to my program. Kinda disappointed yet trying to keep an open mind as to where I might use just one thing. I do however like the idea of portfolios, and am letting my brain think how we can get students envolved more in their "permanent record" as a possible portfolio idea.
I think the silver-lining, if there is one, to the Covid-19 pandemic, is the need to focus educational resources on providing the training and equipment necessary to help instructors and students become more proficient in the use of technology for teaching. Although I miss the more human element of face-to-face teaching, I was pleased to see that I am familiar with using nearly all of the types of online technologies listed in this module.
What I like most with the Anlalytic Rubric or scoring since it provides students with at least a rating score for each criterion, and also offers teachers enough room to provide some feddback on each criterion.
We will use the concept of student-developed portfolios. The one challenge that I can see for us might be, because of the nature of the portfolios being customized to the students's interests and needs, is coming up with an appropriate way to grade or score them. I will have to take some time to creatively develop a rubric that makes sense and lends to the learning process.
I've certainly employed quite a bit of the online methods mentioned during the pandemic. Since I teach graphic communications, I have students create two kinds of showcase portfolios; one digital and one in print (in different levels of courses). It prepares them for entering the field as well as a great tracker of their progress as designers. I like the idea of incorporating student comments more, to see why they include the pieces they choose for their portfolios.
I teach an online class of elderly English language learners. I want to incorporate more online tools as mention in this section, but I am not sure how to help my students understand and use those tools. Zoom is already a challenge for many of them. Any advice?
I didn't realize that Canvas has an e-portfolio option. Having my students work on that over the course of the quarter would allow them to reflect on each individual assignment as it's graded and returned to them beyond just what their final score was. That reflection would hopefully encourage real learning and fewer repeated errors.
In this module, I learn some ideas on how to use technology to assess students' learning since my institution currently is offerering class virtually.
I am a HUGE fan of alternative assessments. The course I am involved with does not lend itself to formal testing. I leverage discussion posts, video collaboration and project/artifact production to assess student engagement and understanding. We have had a lot of success using open-ended questions to "extract" the connections made by the students with the material. I purposely do not have a "word minimum or maximum" on the discussion posts. The students are free to post as little or as much as they want. I believe this "freedom" has led to richer reflections as the students know there is not an arbitrary number of words they need to post - it's more authentic.
I like the idea of using the rubric for grading. Knowing up front what to expect. As a welding instructor I have to visually grade lots of welds and at times there is question of who gets what grade and why. The rubric would make it much simpler.
For what I teach, Music production throw digital software, Alternative Assessments are great in the sense that are really open for creativity.
Prior to taking this online course, I was not very familier with the rubric process for grading and also other assessments. This will be very helpful in the classroom, and also when in the lab.
