1. Are there other methods that are equally as economical, particularly in terms of instructor time, that are more suitable for assessment in a digital age? For instance, do you think automated essay grading is a viable alternative?
Considering that my teaching context is that of math and science I cannot speak to automated essay grading, but there are similar technologies that are applicable to my context. For example, Moodle contains a built-in multiple choice grader. I can easily create, or find multiple choice items that match my content and feed the answer into Moodle. I can instantly look back at the student’s work and see where they were successful and where they were not. However, if I have not created these questions myself or if I did not go into a detailed analysis of which wrong answers were picked, I would lack insight into exactly what misunderstandings my students had. As well, multiple choice items give little to no opportunity for the teacher to give detailed feedback on student work. However, in terns of time management this does become a tempting option.
2. Would it be helpful to think about assessment right at the start of course planning, rather than at the end? Is this feasible?
Absolutely, unequivocally, yes! Assessment is ALWAYS the first thing I think of when planning for instruction. I was introduced to the Understanding by Design (UbD) model early in my teaching career and there are parts of it that I cannot ever see myself going without. Assessment is the final destination of learning. If we create a metaphor of learning as a road trip to Toronto, the only thing that makes us successful is getting to Toronto. Likewise, what makes us successful at learning is meeting expectations on the final assessment. It doesn’t matter how long it takes to get there, or what detours must be made along the way, the learning is successful when the assessment criteria are met. Without laying out those criteria early on, it is impossible to make the learning go in the desired direction, because that direction isn’t yet known!