When students and instructors hear the word “assessment,” they often think of long, stressful exams—or equally long nights of grading! But an assessment is really any task that evaluates students’ progress toward learning objectives. Traditional examples like papers, projects, quizzes, and group work come to mind. However, online learning has opened up a world of possibilities, giving instructors more creative ways to design assessments that engage students. Here are some strategies to help you rethink assessments in your course, along with real-life examples from online classrooms.
Leverage digital resources.
Your online students are already sitting in front of one of the most powerful tools for knowledge— a computer. Why not take advantage of the digital environment to design assessments that align with your learning objectives? For instance, you could ask students to research and evaluate online sources or have them use multimedia tools like video, podcasts, or digital storytelling to present their findings.
For example:
- In an exercise science course, the instructor asks students to critically evaluate free online nutrition and fitness tools and explain which they’d recommend and why based on what they’ve learned in class.
- In an architectural history course, the instructor shows students a photograph of a 13th-century Portuguese church and asks: “Why did churches built around this time need to look like fortresses?” It’s then up to the students to find out when and where the church was built, research the political role of churches at that time, find answers, and report back.
Create authentic assessments.
One common question online students ask is, “How will this help me in the real world?” Authentic assessments are the answer. These tasks mimic what professionals in the field do, allowing students to apply their knowledge in practical, real-world situations. Can students design a database, write a grant proposal, or draft a letter to a policymaker? You might even invite expert feedback by having students present their work to a panel or through live sessions.
For example:
- In an organizational behavior course, student groups work with local companies to research organizational problems and provide recommendations.
- In a software development course, students get their assignments in the form of a memo from a fictional manager. They must ask any questions about project requirements in a concise, professional e-mail.
- In an environmental engineering course, students receive a real case study of a major fish kill downriver from a chemical plant and must determine whether the plant was responsible.
Use students’ environments.
One of the best aspects of online learning is the diverse student body that comes together. Students from different parts of the world bring unique perspectives to the table. Think about how you can design assessments that draw on their varied backgrounds, helping them learn from each other and their surroundings.
For example:
- In a civil engineering course, students in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the United States, students create a video showing local social and infrastructural issues.
- In an anthropology course, students map their own neighborhoods, using audio, video, and images to highlight and explain places of cultural significance.
- In an online architecture course, students take their classmates on a virtual tour of their studios and work spaces.
Encourage collaboration.
Online courses can sometimes feel isolating, but group work can help build a sense of community. Well-designed group projects help students connect to one another, learn course content more deeply through discussion and debate, and build important skills for working in teams—something increasingly valuable in today’s workplace. Group projects have their own complexity, so be sure to structure them in specific roles for group members or having students evaluate one another’s performance can help ensure that everyone contributes fairly.
For example:
- In a nursing course, students have an unfolding case study in which they gradually receive new information about a patient. They work in groups to collect relevant information from a range of digital and non-digital sources to devise and justify a treatment plan.
- In an online German course, students work collaboratively in Twitter to compose a short story in German.
Use both formative and summative assessments.
While summative assessments like exams and final projects get most of the attention, formative assessments—low-stakes evaluations given throughout the course—are just as crucial. Formative assessments help you better understand students’ instructive needs and help students know what areas they need to focus on. Consider integrating these into your course to keep students on track.
For example:
- During live sessions in an engineering course, the instructor uses polls and quizzes to assess student understanding in real time, to diagnose areas of confusion, and to provide targeted explanations and clarifications.
- In a course on adult development and aging, the instructor asks students to write about what they do and don’t look forward to about getting older and to describe the type of person they’d want to be when they are 65. Their answers give the instructor insights into students’ perception of aging while also motivating students’ curiosity about the subject.
Conclusion
Online learning gives you the opportunity to use technology creatively in your assessments. You can incorporate multimedia, social media, collaboration, and more to engage students and help them build real-world skills. Assessments don’t have to be dreaded exams—they can be exciting, meaningful tasks that challenge students to think deeply and solve problems in innovative ways. You can take advantage of convenient and far-reaching tools of communication to help students connect with one another and even their own communities. A
