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Assignment #4: Assessment Tools
Kevin Wilnechenko
ETEC 565A
UBC
Background
The unit that I have created in Moodle is for Physics 11 (click here to view the full unit). It is an online aspect that is meant to be used in conjunction with face to face instruction. The topic for this Moodle unit is Einstein’s theory of Special Relativity. As opposed to working “through” the material, I envision the students working “down” into the weird world of relativistic effects.
I plan to instruct the students during class and then have them work through the Moodle site on their own. With this blended approach I see myself teaching from the Moodle page, and even providing computer time in a lab or with our computers on wheels (COW). I have a Tablet and projector so I plan to use Moodle as much as possible during class and keep referring to it where appropriate. Ultimately, it is the students who will be responsible to complete posts to discussion topics and to do all of the online quizzes.
The culminating activity will be an online test that will have a time limit set to 60 minutes (click here to take the test). It will include a variety of questions (3 multiple choice, 8 matching, 2 short answer, and 3 short essay). Three of the questions have an embedded image, which is either necessary to the question or just interesting to look at. With the exception of the 3 short essay questions, each question has auto-assessed grades with pre-programmed post-exam feedback. Prompt feedback is very important and it is even listed as one of Chickering’s seven principles. Students need to know what their strengths and weaknesses are early on in their learning and immediate feedback assists in this area. Gibbs & Simpson (2005) say that when students receive feedback too late, “the feedback is irrelevant to their ongoing studies and is extremely unlikely to result in additional appropriate learning.” I recognize that the final test is at the end of the unit and one could argue that the feedback need not be immediate. However, with a final exam in the course looming, I argue that prompt feedback is still important.
Students are allowed to take this test as many times as they want but only their first score will count toward their mark. I did this because I felt it was important to give students the opportunity to use the test as a learning opportunity. What they learn the second time through may help them with their final exam.
Reflection
The learning curve for figuring out how Moodle works and finding out all the quirky glitches was fairly steep for me at first. Now that I have created this test I would say that I am very competent with the various quiz features. The one feature I am most proud of for figuring out is the embedded answers (cloze) that I used for my two short answers questions. This feature allowed me to put both questions in one question slot. With some technical programming I was able to have each response, correct or incorrect, generate a response for the students to read.
What I liked best about the embedded answers feature of Moodle was that I was able to have it accept answers within a set parameter, say 0.1. This was important for my short answers because in my Physics 11 class I want to reward students who do not necessarily round their answers perfectly but still manage to get the correct answer. Requiring exact answers in Moodle is too restrictive for complex math and physics problems, unless the instructions are clear as to what decimal to round to.
Limitations
One of the limitations of online assessment is the human element. Having automatic generated responses is great, but if the details of the feedback are too general and not helpful to the specific needs of the students, then what is gained? Some of the questions in Moodle, like the short essays and short answers, need to be assessed by an instructor. Feedback that is specific to the student can be tailor-made to address problem areas.
Another thing that came to mind as I was designing my test was the danger of the online component somehow contributing to low scores. Assessment is about measuring knowledge and ability. As a teacher, I need to ensure that my students are familiar with online testing before I give them a culminating test. I plan to give small quizzes throughout the unit as a way to prepare the students for what is to come. I feel confident that I will be able to create these small quizzes with little to no frustration now that I have built my unit test.
One final thought that I had was accessibility. I want to make sure that all of my students have access to a computer when it comes time to post to forums and do the final test. I will book a computer lab at various time during the unit as well as have the COW’s available. If all else fails, I will make sure that students are aware of the computers in the library that are available each and every day.
Conclusion
Overall, my experience with making an online test in Moodle was very rewarding. I was surprised by how much I learned and I am proud of what I have created. I am eager to see if it is a form of assessment that I would actually use in my classes. After ETEC 565A is over I plan to use my Moodle site and my final test in my next year classes. I will evaluate the test results and look for areas of improvement in the assessment. I see a lot of potential in blended learning and I hope to find the balance between how much of my course should be online and how much should remain face to face. As with most things, balance is the key.
References
Chickering, A.W. & Ehrmann, S.C. (1996). Implementing the seven principles: Technology as lever. American Association for Higher Education Bulletin, 49(2), 3-6. Retrieved June 27 from http://www.aahea.org/bulletins/articles/sevenprinciples.htm
Gibbs, G. and Simpson, C. (2005). Conditions under which assessment supports students’ learning. Learning and Teaching in Higher Education. Retrieved on June 27 from http://www.open.ac.uk/fast/pdfs/Gibbs%20and%20Simpson%202004-05.pdf