I have just finished reading Terry Anderson’s “Toward a Theory of Online Learning” (2008). He describes the attributes of learning as being centered on the learner, on knowledge, on community and on assessment.

I believe that what you get out of any course is entirely dependent on what you put in. I disagree with Anderson’s claim that learning needs to be assessment centered. Making assessment a center of instruction (IMHO) takes away from the rest. Yes, it is important, and feedback, peer review, critique etc can be part of learning, but I disagree that they should be a central tenet. I believe, instead, that assessment is more like the glue that holds the rest together. Assessment is part of learning, (learn from your successes and errors) part of knowledge (taking what I read or view and transferring it to what I need, perhaps with help from peer review or critique)and part of community (group-work is a form of assessment by peers for example).

Many of my classmates have commented that if a task is not assessed students will simply not complete it. This is where we, as educators, need to stop and look at why. I have been doing some experimentation with giving un-assessed tasks with the only criteria being that students need to show effort and progress, where they can work at their own pace. I am finding that I am getting a better end product when I give fewer criteria, no assessment guidelines and less structure in assignments. Students are going to conference with me at the end of the term and we’ll decide then how the little experiment went. It has taken the pressure off me to mark and given me more time to teach, and I’m finding the kids are helping each other as well.

Anderson, T. (2009). The Theory and Practice of Online Learning. Athabasca University Press. Retreived June 7, 2009 from http://auspace.athabascau.ca:8080/dspace/bitstream/2149/757/3/toward_a_theory_of.pdf