{"id":4323,"date":"2016-02-28T20:19:51","date_gmt":"2016-02-29T03:19:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/ldash2015\/?p=4323"},"modified":"2016-02-28T21:12:57","modified_gmt":"2016-02-29T04:12:57","slug":"cracking-the-code","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/ldash2015\/2016\/02\/28\/cracking-the-code\/","title":{"rendered":"Cracking the Code"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cCracking the Code\u201d:\u00a0<\/strong>A reflection on Moodle course creation<\/p>\n

I had previously wondered on the creation of on-line courses; what tasks and tools one would need.\u00a0 I imagined something similar to the drag and drop format found currently in the creation of certain web pages, in which you can customize to your hearts content. I had never imagined the opportunities offered by Moodle.<\/p>\n

I must admit that I was not expected to be greeted by a blank page of html formatting.\u00a0\u00a0 I had never been granted the opportunity to simply create; I worked within the affordances of tightly closed systems.\u00a0 This opportunity was empowering, tantalizing and downright scary.\u00a0 \u00a0I sat, trying to recall how to code;\u00a0 I had used Logo in the 80\u2019s, coded with html for a week at university and navigated around Joomla for a while, yet in each of these scenarios I following specific guidelines. The blank page provided by Moodle left much to consider, much to do and much to code.\u00a0 At first, I was lost among the barrage of <> , <\/>, yet I was determined to crack the code.\u00a0 With the help of online resources such as W3Schools, I was off and coding.\u00a0 From there I was able to code every page of the course being so pleased when the code transformed itself on the screen.\u00a0 I then knew that I had at my disposal an amazingly complex language that would allow me to create an online course. Asides from creating the actual course, I was looking forward to experiment with one of the main affordance of online courses; its ability to provide feedback and engage learners.<\/p>\n

Designing a course: the Importance of feedback<\/strong><\/p>\n

Providing feedback in a timely manner has always been tricky.\u00a0 I often found myself awkwardly juggling quantity over quality, similar to the situation described by Gibbs, Simpson, Gravestock, and Hills (2005).\u00a0 The result was less than glamorous. Therefore, I wanted the sample assessment, and site in general, to provide the learners with relevant and timely feedback.<\/p>\n

Badges<\/em><\/p>\n

Before the MET, I assumed that badges were only suitable for use in younger grades. However, having tried them myself I realized their potential at all grade levels.\u00a0 I was curious if this potential would also be perceived by someone outside of the field of education; my husband.\u00a0 After completing the Introductory Unit, I asked him about the feedback he received from having obtained the first badge.\u00a0 He said it \u201cbrought a sense of closure.\u00a0 As it leaves a trace, it is a record of what I had accomplished; it makes the activities seemingly more substantial, that they counted for something. (\u2026) A list of checkmarks would not have had the same effect. \u201c<\/p>\n

Choice of Assessment<\/em><\/p>\n

While creating the module, I constantly thought of the question I most often heard from my students; \u201cIs this worth marks?\u201d\u00a0 This experience mirrors the notion of assessment as a driving force for student learning (Bates, 2014; Gibbs et al., 2005). Instructors must ensure that the students know where there grades are coming from. \u00a0I thought about the concepts that would be covered in the course and the type of activities and assessments that best suited each, similar to the notion that learning theories should be applied to the tasks to which they are best suited (Prensky, 2003).\u00a0 The periodic table, for example, is often considered an ideal candidate for \u201ctraditional\u201d testing and multiple choice questions (MCQs, whereas skills such as evaluating environmental impacts are best assessed through other formats such as case studies.<\/p>\n

The amount of work behind the creation of online assessments quickly became apparent. \u00a0These online assessments not only need to provide students with regular and comprehensive feedback to foster learning (Gibbs et al., 2005), \u00a0but they had to, in a certain way, stand alone; the instructor could not make adjustments or offer assistance if the need should arise.<\/p>\n

Based on the readings of Bates (2014),Gibbs et al. (2005) and Jenkins (2004), I made and updated a list of questions and steps that I considered relevant \u00a0while creating assessments for an effective learning environment.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. What is the purpose of the assessment?<\/li>\n
  2. What options\/affordances could I use from Moodle to cater to this particular purpose?(type of assessment)<\/li>\n
  3. What is the appropriate length of assessment to meet this purpose?<\/li>\n
  4. What concepts did I want to evaluate?<\/li>\n
  5. What question format is best suited for the complexity of each concept?<\/li>\n
  6. What do I want the students to get out of the feedback?<\/li>\n
  7. Write the questions clearly and succinctly so that students will understand and not get caught up in details you cannot answer on the spot.<\/li>\n
  8. Create a list of possible errors students might make<\/li>\n
  9. Come up with useful and relevant feedback to reinforce correct answers and offer support for incorrect answers<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    In my context, formative assessments and feedback have been phased out in lieu of summative assessments that served the sole purpose of assessing whether the students had acquired the desired concepts.\u00a0 These assessments were corrected and the class moved on to a new subject never truly providing an opportunity to apply the given feedback. \u00a0\u00a0I wanted to create an assessment that would serve as both a way to test students\u2019 current knowledge and to offer them constructive feedback that they would actually consider relevant.\u00a0 I wanted to create an assessment that above everything would \u201cimprove and extend students\u2019 learning\u201d (Bates, 2014).<\/p>\n

    By browsing the assessment options in Moodle, I was met by a wave of potential, yet I feared applying an unfamiliar assessment method in a haphazard manner would not give the desired result. I selected the standard quiz format due to its similarities with my current practices, which would ease its proper integration (Ertmer, 2005).\u00a0I hope to use various forms of assessment throughout the content module.<\/p>\n

    The quiz format on Moodle can easily house many different question formats, support the selected purpose of the assessment and provide opportunities for immediate feedback.\u00a0 I chose to provide the feedback at the end of the quiz, to reduce student stress mid-assessment, especially as it is a timed assessment. \u00a0To ensure that the feedback is carefully considered by the students, an issue described by (Gibbs et al., 2005), the designed quiz can be attempted twice.\u00a0 These options provide many advantages.\u00a0 First, as they help decrease student stress, it allows the mind of students to be open to learning (Willis, 2011) and receiving feedback.\u00a0 Secondly, by allowing more than one attempt, it renders the feedback of the first attempt immediately relevant; addressing the 6th<\/sup> and 9th<\/sup> condition mentioned by (Gibbs et al., 2005).\u00a0 A 30 minute window in between attempts was implemented to provide the learner with time to reflect on their result and consolidate their learning, leading to a higher chance of knowledge transfer.\u00a0 (Anderson, 2008a).\u00a0 Finally, the best of both scores on this particular assessment will be kept, allowing the 1st<\/sup> attempt to serve as a formative assessment. \u00a0\u201cRemedial feedback\u201d(Gibbs et al., 2005) for incorrect answers and constructive feedback that consolidates knowledge of those who answered correctly was created for each automatically graded question.\u00a0 Furthermore, to diminish the possibility that students simply write down the correct answers in order, an issue similar to plagiarism that often arises with computer-assisted-assessment (Jenkins, 2004), the order of the questions and of the response items were randomized. Through these options I hoped to address the condition necessary for effective assessment and feedback.<\/p>\n

    Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n

    One of the largest misconceptions I had regarding the LMS and online courses was that it, in its entirety, had to stand alone, similar to a webpage. An effective learning environment and online course should provide the scaffolding and space for discourse and learning, not the entire construct as an immovable object.\u00a0 The main affordances of an LMS are enabled by the fact that it is made up of the participants that inhabit its forums and interact with its content; it does not stand-alone, it is an extension of the instructor and the students. I hope that I established a strong teacher-presence throughout the website, allowing for many forms of interaction and communication. \u00a0Question forums are etablished throughout the site and the News feed provides the mean to update students quickly should something arise.<\/p>\n

    References<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Anderson, T. (2008a). Towards a theory of online learning. Theory and practice of online learning, 2<\/em>, 15-44.<\/p>\n

    Bates, T. (2014). Teaching in a digital age. Open Textbook.<\/p>\n

    Ertmer, P. A. (2005). Teacher Pedagogical Beliefs: The Final Frontier in Our Quest for Technology Integration? Educational technology research and development, 53<\/em>(4), 25-39.\u00a0 Retrieved from http:\/\/www.jstor.org.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca\/stable\/30221207<\/a><\/p>\n

    Gibbs, G., Simpson, C., Gravestock, P., & Hills, M. (2005). Conditions under which assessment supports students\u2019 learning.<\/p>\n

    Jenkins, M. (2004). Unfulfilled promise: formative assessment using computer-aided assessment. Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, 1<\/em>(1), 67-80.<\/p>\n

    Prensky, M. (2003). Digital game-based learning. Computers in Entertainment (CIE), 1<\/em>(1), 21-21.<\/p>\n

    Willis, J. (Producer). (2011). Big Thinker: Judy Wollis Neurologist Turned Educator. Retrieved from https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?t=1&v=J6FqAiAbUFs<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    \u201cCracking the Code\u201d:\u00a0A reflection on Moodle course creation I had previously wondered on the creation of on-line courses; what tasks and tools one would need.\u00a0 I imagined something similar to the drag and drop format found currently in the creation of certain web pages, in which you can customize to your hearts content. I had […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39267,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1455699],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4323","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-assignment-2-intro-module"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/ldash2015\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4323","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/ldash2015\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/ldash2015\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/ldash2015\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/39267"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/ldash2015\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4323"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/ldash2015\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4323\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4343,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/ldash2015\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4323\/revisions\/4343"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/ldash2015\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4323"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/ldash2015\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4323"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/ldash2015\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4323"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}