online assessment

Reflecting on my own experience (and those of my students) of online assessments, I can present a number of thoughts:

Positive:
- they are good for giving simplified indicators of one's own progress
- they are simple to use
- they can offer feedback (if this is built in)
- they are useful as a 'testing' tool for students in their independent study time
- they free up lecture/seminar time that would otherwise have taken up 20 mins or so
- students like them (or so their evaluations tell me because they respond to 'quizzes' )
- it gives the tutors data on who did it, when they did it and how well they did.
- it can be useful to keep up study momentum
- you can set deadlines for completion
- it can be adapted to suit any need (e.g. as a way to find out if students have kept up with their reading lists, as an evaluation space for students to say what does and doesn't work for them, as a survey tool to find out a host of things that inform us as tutors)

Negative:
- they are prescriptive
- they are instructional in the main (unless you find clever ways to bring in reflective aspects that a computer can usefully 'test')
- they are quantitative rather than qualitative
- they provide student data about who has completed it, but there is uncertainty over potential collusion in student accommodation etc
- the answers can only be limited to words on a screen (that will always lack expression and passion)
- they don't take account of the student's state of mind or pursuits when s/he completes the test (e.g. alchohol or substance influence, peer pressure, last minute completion)
- it doesn't 'engage' because it isn't human

Possible solutions when building this as an assessment:
- understand the limitations of what, to the student, is an online 'quiz'
- decide whether the module legitimately supports an instructional tool that has no interaction
- think about the positive aspects this tool can bring in terms of formative learning/feedback
- allow sufficient time for a student to complete it, but not so long that they have too much time to prevaricate
- create a deadline to suit the week by week module guide content
- consider what feedback might be appropriate if you want to give students direction to more self-motivated learning
- consider other possibilities such as surveys, feedback and evaluation

I hope this helps if any of you are also considering using Questionmark. I recognise its limitations, but I also embrace its value in terms of teaching a module which requires students to ingest and retain a quantity of facts in readiness for their exam.

Claire

Questionmark contd

Hi,
I spent the weekend doing some coastal path walking and am catching up on the benefits of using Questionmark as a tool to enhance student learning.
So far I have outlined my reflections of doing two of the tasks set and I find the principle great but the layout and 'results' page a bit clunky.
I am now about to take this activity further to see if I can load it onto my own computer (haven't even thought about permissions, but as I have to have two browsers open to do the blog reflection, forgive me while I do a quick click switch). I'll let you know what happens.
Claire

Questionmark reflect

I've just completed a couple of assessments in Questionmark. Both were multiple chioce and in one of them I got 8 out of 11 questions right. Yet the score came back as 20 out of 29 (equal to 65% or thereabouts - can't quite remember). I found this a bit strange, but I am figuring it's because I'm not brilliant at maths. But how can 8 out of 11 make 20 out of 29 on the final results sheet? Any ideas would be gratefully received. Also, it doesn't give you the right answer but this may be because these are designed to be marked against criteria.

Looking at the two assessments I have done so far, both were multiple choice and I now want to explore an open answer format. However, I'm not sure this is possible or even outside the remit of Questionmark.

One thing I am getting rather excited about it as a feedback tool to tutors, a self assessment tool, and survey tool for module evaluations etc.

I haven't had much time today to look at any more in depth, and tomorrow I am teaching all day, so unlikely to get chance to go on it until Sunday night (I am off walking the Beer coastal path in Devon this weekend - wish me some sun!).

I will return to this with renewed vigour on Sunday.

Questionmark

Hello!
Thank you for your messages (posts?). I'm still trying to find an easy way to respond to your posts but I'm missing something somewhere - I will endeavour to keep trying...

My reflection so far of activities that we can choose - and I chose questionmark (see earlier post) - is that there is more to Questionmark than my first forage in 2003. Phil has put up a video from Questionmark www.questionmark.com that gives an idea of how it works. I wish I had seen this 5 years ago! It looks really good, actually, though I haven't actually done anything with it yet. From an 'authoring' perspective, I will be able to put up tests, surveys, video and audio to give examples, assessment criteria and a feedback area for students. The voice-over by an American woman, did put me in mind of Desperate Housewives, but once I dragged myself back from Wisteria Lane, I think there is more to Questionmark that meets the eye. The proof will be in whether I can manage to set up and do some of the things outlined.
I'm still watching the video - it has lots of tips that make me think laterally and then I need to think about them a bit, but this could be really useful for some of the formative work that I do with students in our media law module. I will explore and get back to you on this...

Claire

Following

Hi all,
I've been doing some 'following' - I hope it's okay with you? If not, I will find a way to take it down.
Thanks, Claire

Questionmark

Hello!
Today I dipped into an e-moderating course that I am on and our task this week is to click onto a VLE tool called Questionmark Perception.

I have used Questionmark once before - back in 2003! I used it to test my students on correct Harvard Referencing - yes, I know... but bear with me!

At the time, I didn't really know what I was doing, but with the help of a friendly ICT chap, I managed to devise a multiple choice test. The students thought it was a breeze and they all got 100%!

It was only afterwards that I discovered the software told them if their answer was wrong and then allowed them to have another go - three times... and of course, there were only...ahem... three choices of answer for each question.

The joke was very much on me and having marked subsequent essays from these students over the following three years, their Harvard Referencing was not as good as their test had stated.

Therefore, I am choosing to focus on Questionmark during the e-moderating course so that I can get to grips with what it can do.

I teach media law and each week I have an in-class test (not assessed) to check how the students are getting on with their independent study tasks. I have a feeling that Questionmark could be my saviour and could do this for me, freeing up to 15 minutes of valuable seminar time to move onto to other topics.

I'll let you know how it goes, Claire

Next steps

I'm still getting to grips with this and have already edited my photo in the interests of vanity. At the moment I am thinking about what to add to my profile which gives a flavour of what my blog is all about. At the moment it doesn't give you much to go on, does it? I will endeavour to add to this very soon and hopefully generate some interactivity. Thanks for reading, Claire