Online assessment
Encyclopedia
Online
assessment is the process used to measure certain aspects of information for a set purpose where the assessment is delivered via a computer
connected to a network
. Most often the assessment is some type of educational test. Different types of online assessments contain elements of one or more of the following components, depending on the assessment's purpose: formative, diagnostic, or summative. Instant and detailed feedback
, as well as flexibility of location and time, are just two of the many benefits associated with online assessments. There are many resources available that provide online assessments, some free of charge and others that charge fees or require a membership.
Independent Work
Independent work is work that a students prepares to assist the instructor in determining their learning progress. Some examples are: exercises, papers, portfolios, and exams (multiple choice, true false, short answer, fill in the blank, open ended/essay or matching). To truly evaluate, an instructor must use multiple methods.
Most students will not complete assignments unless there is an assessment (i.e. motivation
). It is the instructors role to catalyze student motivation. Appropriate feedback
is the key to assessment, whether or not the assessement is graded.
Group Work
Students are often asked to work in groups. With this brings on new assessment strategies. Students can be evaluated using a collaborative learning model in which the learning is driven by the students and/or a cooperative learning model where tasks are assigned and the instructor is involved in decisions.
Formative Assessment
- Formative assessment is used to provide feedback during the learning process. In online assessment situations, objective questions are posed, and feedback is provided to the student either during or immediately after the assessment.
Summative Assessment
- Summative assessments provide a quantitative grade and are often given at the end of a unit or lesson to determine that the learning objectives have been met.
Practice Testing - With the ever-increasing use of high-stakes testing in the educational arena, online practice tests are used to give students an edge. Students can take these types of assessments multiple times to familiarize themselves with the content and format of the assessment.
Surveys
- Online surveys may be used by educators to collect data and feedback on student attitudes, perceptions or other types of information that might help improve the instruction.
Evaluation
s - This type of survey allows facilitators to collect data and feedback on any type of situation where the course or experience needs justification or improvement.
Performance Testing - The user shows what they know and what they can do. This type of testing is used to show technological proficiency, reading comprehension
, math skills, etc. This assessment is also used to identify gaps in student learning.
New technologies, such as the Web
, digital
video, sound, animation
s, and interactivity
, are providing tools that can make assessment design and implementation more efficient, timely, and sophisticated.
, commonly known as cheating, occurs in all levels of educational institutions. In traditional classrooms, students cheat in various forms such as hidden prepared notes not permitted to be used or looking at another student’s paper during an exam, copying homework from one another, or copying from a book, article or media without properly citing the source. Individuals can be dishonest due to lack of time management skills, pursuit for better grades, cultural behavior or a misunderstanding of plagiarism.
Online classroom environments are no exception to the possibility of academic dishonesty. It can easily be seen from a student’s perspective as an easy passing grade. Proper assignments types, meetings and projects can prevent academic dishonesty in the online classroom.
Identity fraud can occur in the traditional or online classroom. There is a higher chance in online classes due to the lack of proctored exams or instructor-student interaction. In a traditional classroom, instructors have the opportunity to get to know the students, learn their writing styles or use proctored exams. To prevent identity fraud in an online class, instructors can use proctored exams through the institutions testing center or require students to come in at a certain time for the exam. Correspondence through the phone or video conferencing techniques can allow an instructor to become familiar with a student through their voice and appearance. Another option would be personalize assignments to students backgrounds or current activities. This allows the student to apply it to their personal life and gives the instructor more assurance the actual student is completing the assignment. Lastly, an instructor may not make the assignments heavily weighted so the students do not feel as pressured.
Plagiarism
is the misrepresentation of another person’s work. It is easy to copy and paste from the internet or retype directly from a source. It is not only the exact wordage, but the thought or idea.
It is important to learn to properly cite a source when using someone else’s work.
Various websites are available to check for plagiarism for a fee.
www.canexus.com, www.catchitfirst.com, www.ithenticate.com, www.mydropbox.com, www.turnitin.com
ONLINE
ONLINE is a magazine for information systems first published in 1977. The publisher Online, Inc. was founded the year before. In May 2002, Information Today, Inc. acquired the assets of Online Inc....
assessment is the process used to measure certain aspects of information for a set purpose where the assessment is delivered via a computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
connected to a network
Computer network
A computer network, often simply referred to as a network, is a collection of hardware components and computers interconnected by communication channels that allow sharing of resources and information....
. Most often the assessment is some type of educational test. Different types of online assessments contain elements of one or more of the following components, depending on the assessment's purpose: formative, diagnostic, or summative. Instant and detailed feedback
Feedback
Feedback describes the situation when output from an event or phenomenon in the past will influence an occurrence or occurrences of the same Feedback describes the situation when output from (or information about the result of) an event or phenomenon in the past will influence an occurrence or...
, as well as flexibility of location and time, are just two of the many benefits associated with online assessments. There are many resources available that provide online assessments, some free of charge and others that charge fees or require a membership.
Purpose of assessments
Assessments are a vital part of determining student achievement. They are used to determine the knowledge gained by students and to determine if adjustments need to be made to either the teaching or learning process.Types of online assessments
Online assessment is used primarily to measure cognitive abilities, demonstrating what has been learned after a particular educational event has occurred, such as the end of an instructional unit or chapter. When assessing practical abilities or to demonstrate learning that has occurred over a longer period of time an online portfolio (or ePortfolio) is often used. The first element that must be prepared when teaching an online course is assessment. Assessment is used to determine if learning is happening, to what extent and if changes need to be made.Independent Work
Independent work is work that a students prepares to assist the instructor in determining their learning progress. Some examples are: exercises, papers, portfolios, and exams (multiple choice, true false, short answer, fill in the blank, open ended/essay or matching). To truly evaluate, an instructor must use multiple methods.
Most students will not complete assignments unless there is an assessment (i.e. motivation
Motivation
Motivation is the driving force by which humans achieve their goals. Motivation is said to be intrinsic or extrinsic. The term is generally used for humans but it can also be used to describe the causes for animal behavior as well. This article refers to human motivation...
). It is the instructors role to catalyze student motivation. Appropriate feedback
Feedback
Feedback describes the situation when output from an event or phenomenon in the past will influence an occurrence or occurrences of the same Feedback describes the situation when output from (or information about the result of) an event or phenomenon in the past will influence an occurrence or...
is the key to assessment, whether or not the assessement is graded.
Group Work
Group work
Group work a form of cooperative learning. It aims to cater for individual differences, develop students' knowledge, generic skills and attitudes....
Students are often asked to work in groups. With this brings on new assessment strategies. Students can be evaluated using a collaborative learning model in which the learning is driven by the students and/or a cooperative learning model where tasks are assigned and the instructor is involved in decisions.
Uses of online assessments
Pre-Testing - Prior to the teaching of a lesson or concept, a student can complete an online pretest to determine their level of knowledge. This form of assessment helps determine a baseline so that when a summative assessment or post-test is given, quantitative evidence is provided showing that learning has occurred.Formative Assessment
Formative Assessment
Formative assessment is a range of formal and informal assessment procedures employed by teachers during the learning process in order to modify teaching and learning activities to improve student attainment. It typically involves qualitative feedback for both student and teacher that focuses on...
- Formative assessment is used to provide feedback during the learning process. In online assessment situations, objective questions are posed, and feedback is provided to the student either during or immediately after the assessment.
Summative Assessment
Summative Assessment
Summative assessment refers to the assessment of the learning and summarizes the development of learners at a particular time. After a period of work, e.g. a unit for two weeks, the learner sits for a test and then the teacher marks the test and assigns a score. The test aims to summarize learning...
- Summative assessments provide a quantitative grade and are often given at the end of a unit or lesson to determine that the learning objectives have been met.
Practice Testing - With the ever-increasing use of high-stakes testing in the educational arena, online practice tests are used to give students an edge. Students can take these types of assessments multiple times to familiarize themselves with the content and format of the assessment.
Surveys
Statistical survey
Survey methodology is the field that studies surveys, that is, the sample of individuals from a population with a view towards making statistical inferences about the population using the sample. Polls about public opinion, such as political beliefs, are reported in the news media in democracies....
- Online surveys may be used by educators to collect data and feedback on student attitudes, perceptions or other types of information that might help improve the instruction.
Evaluation
Evaluation
Evaluation is systematic determination of merit, worth, and significance of something or someone using criteria against a set of standards.Evaluation often is used to characterize and appraise subjects of interest in a wide range of human enterprises, including the arts, criminal justice,...
s - This type of survey allows facilitators to collect data and feedback on any type of situation where the course or experience needs justification or improvement.
Performance Testing - The user shows what they know and what they can do. This type of testing is used to show technological proficiency, reading comprehension
Reading comprehension
Reading comprehension is defined as the level of understanding of a text. This understanding comes from the interaction between the words that are written and how they trigger knowledge outside the text. ....
, math skills, etc. This assessment is also used to identify gaps in student learning.
New technologies, such as the Web
World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
, digital
Digital
A digital system is a data technology that uses discrete values. By contrast, non-digital systems use a continuous range of values to represent information...
video, sound, animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
s, and interactivity
Interactivity
In the fields of information science, communication, and industrial design, there is debate over the meaning of interactivity. In the "contingency view" of interactivity, there are three levels:...
, are providing tools that can make assessment design and implementation more efficient, timely, and sophisticated.
Academic Dishonesty
Academic dishonestyAcademic dishonesty
Academic dishonesty or academic misconduct is any type of cheating that occurs in relation to a formal academic exercise. It can include* Plagiarism: The adoption or reproduction of original creations of another author without due acknowledgment.* Fabrication: The...
, commonly known as cheating, occurs in all levels of educational institutions. In traditional classrooms, students cheat in various forms such as hidden prepared notes not permitted to be used or looking at another student’s paper during an exam, copying homework from one another, or copying from a book, article or media without properly citing the source. Individuals can be dishonest due to lack of time management skills, pursuit for better grades, cultural behavior or a misunderstanding of plagiarism.
Online classroom environments are no exception to the possibility of academic dishonesty. It can easily be seen from a student’s perspective as an easy passing grade. Proper assignments types, meetings and projects can prevent academic dishonesty in the online classroom.
Types of Academic Dishonesty
Two common types of academic dishonesty are identity fraud and plagiarism.Identity fraud can occur in the traditional or online classroom. There is a higher chance in online classes due to the lack of proctored exams or instructor-student interaction. In a traditional classroom, instructors have the opportunity to get to know the students, learn their writing styles or use proctored exams. To prevent identity fraud in an online class, instructors can use proctored exams through the institutions testing center or require students to come in at a certain time for the exam. Correspondence through the phone or video conferencing techniques can allow an instructor to become familiar with a student through their voice and appearance. Another option would be personalize assignments to students backgrounds or current activities. This allows the student to apply it to their personal life and gives the instructor more assurance the actual student is completing the assignment. Lastly, an instructor may not make the assignments heavily weighted so the students do not feel as pressured.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is defined in dictionaries as the "wrongful appropriation," "close imitation," or "purloining and publication" of another author's "language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions," and the representation of them as one's own original work, but the notion remains problematic with nebulous...
is the misrepresentation of another person’s work. It is easy to copy and paste from the internet or retype directly from a source. It is not only the exact wordage, but the thought or idea.
It is important to learn to properly cite a source when using someone else’s work.
Various websites are available to check for plagiarism for a fee.
www.canexus.com, www.catchitfirst.com, www.ithenticate.com, www.mydropbox.com, www.turnitin.com