Rounding up

(with Elizabeth, Niamh, Sarah, Shannon and Tom)

In this document we will:
look at how to best assess asynchronous and synchronous online
discussions;
determine a code of best practice for assessing online courses; and
provide suitable activities to help end an online course effectively

What factors do we need to consider when we assess asynchronous

and synchronous online discussions?
As mentioned this week, the most popular task types in online courses include forum
discussions and synchronous discussion/chats. The bigger issue, however, is how best to
assess the students contributions on these platforms. Here, we have compiled a list of our top
tips on how best to assess these discussions...

Decide whether the assessment should be public or private

Mark something early on in the course so learners know they are being

assessed and what to expect

Anonymous forum posts from previous courses can be used as models
Decide what will be gradedits not necessary to grade everything!
As the tutor, participate often and actively to be a model for students
Use a combination of assessing both quality and quantity

How can we best assess online courses in general?

There are a number of benefits to using online assessments, not just because it can lead to
more efficient submission and marking, but also because it can help foster improved learner
engagement. This is because participants act on their feedback in an innovative environment,
especially through the use of creative media and online peer and self-assessment.
Its important to note, though, that assessment criteria can include a number of factors,
including, but not limited to, quantity (range of interactions), quality (relevance of comments)
and accuracy (especially with regard to language output).

Things to consider when assessing the quantity of replies

The number of times students post in general

The promptness of response/contribution - did students contribute early enough

to allow for interaction/discussion?

The frequency and variety of posts - did students comment on a range of

different types of topics/forums/posts?

Things to consider when assessing the quality of replies

The depth and relevance of response- did the learner expand on his/ her ideas?
The critical reflection- did the learner bring up new points or offer something

constructive?
The organization of the response
The creativity of their ideas
The helpfulness of the comments to the original comment in the forum

Things to consider when assessing the language of replies

The accuracy of language

The range of language (is the type of language used appropriate for the learners

level?)

Ultimately, however, we should be focussing on the following key factors to ensure that online
assessments are fair, relevant, and ultimately work towards improved learner outcomes:

Manage student expectations about what and how contributions will be

assessed (different approaches can be taken depending on the aims and outcomes of
individual programmes)
Be clear and explicit about the assessment criteria
Individual variables should be taken into account:
Learner - including attitude, motivation, physical variables
Environmental - including physical and organizational variables
Contextual including socioeconomic, political and cultural
variables
Technological including hardware, software, connectivity
variables
Pedagogic including support systems, methodologies, flexibility
and autonomy

Be flexible when working with students with differing technologies, time

zones etc (Choose what to grade qualitatively and what to record as participation, and
use models from previous courses to help prevent recurring mistakes)
Encourage not just self-assessment and reflection, but also peer
assessment (assess the quality of teamwork and collaboration during these tasks)

Set aside specific times/days for feedback, and then make this clear to

students (Use personalization in feedback and a conversational in tone in writing, but

dont be afraid to vary how you present feedback i.e. via audio clip or video)

What suitable activities can I use to help end an online course

effectively?
Inspiration for this section has come from the various activities being conducted for the end of
this course, Nicky Hocklys eModeration skills blog, and various other online media.
Activity One: Parting Gifts
In this activity, every participant on the course says goodbye to the rest of the group by posting
a parting gift. The tutor, however, needs to stress that the gift can be practically anything (a
recipe, a picture, a YouTube video, an activity to use in class next week etc.). Students then
post this gift to the forums along with a goodbye message to the rest of the group.
Activity Two: Mock Award Ceremony
In this activity, focus on the achievement of the group by creating a mock awards ceremony. The
moderator can either create a number of different categories (keep them light-hearted!), and
then use an online polling platform (like directpoll) to let the group vote for the winners in each
category. Alternatively, provide each student with the name of another participant, and have
them design a special award for that particular person. Share the awards in a forum, or organise
a special video/audio chat.
Activity Three: Word Clouds
Compare two word clouds to recognise a broader understanding of the topic. Prior to the course
starting, brainstorm a list of words associated with the topic (have each student provide ten
words/phrases to the list at the start). Upon completion of the online course, have students
generate a new list of words associated with topic (again each student posts 10 words/phrases).
Compare the two word clouds. What change has happened in the participants knowledge of the
topic? Do they know more concepts related to the topic? Was it easier to generate the list prior
to teaching the unit or after completing the unit?
Activity Four: Online noticeboards
In this activity, participants need to identify the ONE most important thing that they have learned
during their online course. Students can post these observations on an online noticeboard like
Padlet, which makes a change to just posting into a forum.
Activity Five: Recording audio/videos
If students are feeling comfortable recording their voices/themselves, have participants record
themselves saying farewell to the group. Provide prompts on what to say, be it best bit of the
course, what they have learnt, what they want to focus on when the course finishes etc.

Honourable mention: Formal feedback forms

As with most online courses, feedback is an integral part of finding out what went well to ensure
that future courses are continually being improved. Have participants fill out online feedback
forms in the final week of the course to then go over them once the course has ended.