Best Practices in Online Assessment

1. Best Practices in Online Assessment Adapted from “Best Practices for Student Learning, Assessment in Online Courses”

2. Assessments Based on Learning Outcomes/Objectives • Specific and Measurable • Can use a variety of assessments to verify achievement of the learning outcomes • Formative and Summative

3. Formative Assessment • Provide faculty & students with regular feedback on mastery of course module outcomes; faculty use results to refine instruction & students rely on results to identify areas for further study • I consider all Moodle quizzes, crossword puzzles, most assignments to be formative • Weekly modules • Essentially open-book • Low stakes points

4. Summative Assessment • Results used to assign grades & make summary conclusions about course outcome mastery; goal is not diagnostic feedback but accountability • Exams, major projects and papers

5. Summative Assessment • Recommendations • High stakes exams NOT online • Exams weighted at 150% & higher grading scale i.e. 92% for “A” • Offset “extra” formative assessment points • Potential issues with plagiarism and cheating with projects and papers • Include statements: • Any evidence of plagiarism or copying from another student will result in a zero for this assignment and any others in the course and students may be referred to the Dean of Student Affairs for further sanctions. • TurnitIn- requesting in next budget cycle

6. Types of Formative Assessments • Discussion posts • Quizzes • SoftChalk • Video critiques • Self assessment and video of technique performed • Peer review

7. Types of Summative Assessments • Midterm and final exams • Papers • Projects • Portfolios • Presentations • Lab Practicals

8. Assessment Techniques Summary • Optimal strategy is to use a variety of assessment techniques to measure student learning • Reserve constructed response assessments & simulations to measure higher-order skills & competencies • Employ fixed-choice assessments to test knowledge & lower-order skills

9. Assessment Techniques Summary • Fixed-choice assessments, constructed response measures, & simulations may be used for formative & summative purposes • Online discussions & brief fixed-choice assessments ideally suited for formative assessment goals • i.e. Moodle quizzes • Constructed response exercises requiring integration of course content appropriate for summative evaluation

10. Assessment formats • Knowledge: multiple-choice, true/false, matching, fill in the blank, short answer • Application: multiple-choice, short answer, essay • Analysis and higher order behaviors: multiple-choice, essay, project, portfolio, simulation, presentation, paper

11. Case Studies • Assessment: • Formative & Summative • Purpose: • Foster Critical Thinking • Clinical Decision Making • Moodle • Lesson format

12. Self Assessments & Reflective Learning • Assessment: • Formative  • Purpose: • Assess skills • Reflect on experiences • Critically think • Apply newly learned content • Example: • Video critique

13. Discussion Boards • Assessment: • Formative • Example: • SUNY Empire State College, NUR 301: Educational Planning: Transitions to the Baccalaureate Nurse • Purpose: • Critically think • Interact with classmates

14. Scholarly Paper • Assessment: • Summative • Purpose: • Critically think • Reflect on original ideas • Tie in literature • Objectives: • “Apply concepts of pharmacology to clients across the lifespan.”

15. After reading the three articles posted in this module and googling “Lewis inquest” please post answers to the following questions. See the due dates posted in the agenda for the initial and follow-up posts. This forum is set up as a Q and A Forum. The Q & A forum requires students to post their perspectives before viewing other students' postings. After the initial posting, students can view and respond to others' postings. This feature allows equal initial posting opportunity among all students, thus encouraging original and independent thinking. Click on "Ask a New Question" to post your answer. I recommend typing your answer in notepad and then pasting into the forum. DO NOT paste from Word or you will also paste extraneous HTML coding (gobbeldygook) and risk the firewall kicking you out. Please talk to me if you have any questions regarding this. • Briefly discuss one "take home message" from each of the articles. (3 points) • You have a patient who suffered a MILD adverse reaction (increased neck pain and a headache, NOT symptoms of CVA) following your chiropractic adjustment... what will you tell them? How will you explain this adverse reaction? What will you say to convince them to continue with your treatment plan? (3 points) • Your patient exhibits the 5D's and 3N's immediately following your adjustment.Based on the information presented in the CVA Executive Summary article by NCMIC what should you do- what specific steps should you take or not take? (4 points) • The CVA Executive Summary neglects to discuss one important step that a doctor should perform with a patient they believe is suffering from a stroke. Based on the Complications and Contraindications PowerPoint- what is this? (2 points) • What did you learn when googling "Lewis Inquest"? (2 points) • Briefly respond to the other members in your group commenting on their answers to the questions (1 point).Describe at least one thing that you learned from reading their posting that you did not cover in your answers.