Assessment
This was a really good experience for me. I learned several new things! Because I had set up multiple choice and essay based quizzes before, that part was just a good review (as it’s been a while!). Learning to use other types of questions was great.
I found it very difficult to create a “short answer” question using my content. After reflecting, I can see that this would be a good option for something like math calculations or social studies dates, but it’s more challenging to incorporate this question format with some content. With the matching questions, I was frustrated that I couldn’t have more control over the format of the options. For example, if there were 5 questions with match terms, I would like to have the terms listed in alphabetical order, not random. It’s not as critical if you are only matching to a few options, but if there were a lot of questions/answers, the list of options would be much more time efficient if they were in alphabetical order.
There were two features that I really liked about the Moodle quiz. First, the automatic marking of many question types, and the options to show students scores and feedback at various times allow for reduced instructor marking and faster feedback given to students. Anderson states, “timely and detailed feedback provided throughout, and as near in time as possible to the performance of the assessed behaviour, is the most effective in providing motivation shaping behaviour, and developing mental constructs” (p. 362). If I don’t have to mark all the questions, it saves a lot of time, and students will get feedback faster.
Second, I’ve never used (but now will always!) the general feedback option in Moodle quizzes, and this is a great way to communicate with students. For example, I can supply page numbers as a reference for students, I can simply state the correct answer, or I can just provide additional information. On my quiz, for the multiple-choice questions, I frequently included information as to why an answer was wrong or why the correct one was right. For an essay question, I included the types of information I was looking for. Once I’ve entered the feedback, it’s there for every student, and it reduces much of the repetitive feedback I write when I mark. This way, I can focus my time on providing feedback that is highly personalized, while general feedback is provided automatically.
Doing this assignment, and the interaction I have had with classmates in the process, has helped me to really think about my assessment practices. It shouldn’t have been a light-bulb moment, but when somebody mentioned that the quizzes in Moodle don’t have to be for marks….just for learning, well it made me pause. Of course it doesn’t have to be for marks! So now I’m relooking at several of the online courses I teach. I need more formative assessment, and less summative.
The Gibbs and Simpson (2005) article was well timed for me. How much weight should a quiz have in comparison to that of other coursework? How do I provide appropriate and meaningful feedback? If feedback is often not read or understand, as Gibbs and Simpson state, what can I do to ensure students are maximizing their leaning from my feedback? One of the things I did for the quiz I just created is make it open book. Perhaps I should allow more than one attempt at the quiz, to build on learning. I think the key for me is to find ways to make a quiz more formative.
More journey and less destination.
References:
Gibbs, G. & Simpson,C. (2005). Conditions under which assessment supports students’ learning. Learning in Higher Education. Retrieved June 20, 2011 from www.open.ac.uk/fast/pdfs/Gibb%20and%20Simpson%202004-05.pdf
Anderson, T. (2008). Teaching in an online context. In : T. Anderson & F. Elloumi (Eds.), Theory and Practice of Online Learning. Edmonton AB: Athabasca University. Retrieved June 1, 2011 from www.aupress.ca/books/120146/ebook/14_Anderson_2008_Anderson-DeliveryQualitySupport.pdf
