RSA #4: Determining utility of formative assessment through virtual community

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Again the importance of community within courses, even on-line, appears to be the key factor in enhancing learning and achievement for students. A study done at the University of Northern Colorado found that graduate students stated the importance of the sense of community in the on-line courses every time they were asked to evaluate their achievement it was connected to their sense of community. It was important to all students to be able to communicate on-line. The sharing of viewpoints and experiences enhanced the learning of other students within the course. Overall students believed that polling, breakout groups and discussion boards were formative assessment that contributed to their success due to their ability to belong to the community and communicate with one another in these formats.

The text cites Harasim and others (1996), in reflecting on the evaluation of online courses, state: “In keeping with a learner-centered approach, evaluation and assessment should be part of the learning-teaching process, embedded in class activities and in the interactions between learners and teachers” (p. 167). The number one tip was to create dialogue as a source of assessment. The rubric on page 211 is very detailed and lists the suggested criteria for discussion in an on-line course for evaluation. Other suggestions that the text included in relation to formative assessment involve student self-assessment and collaborative assessment, as well as, taking into account student participation as a part of the grade. It stated that significant weight should be placed on students that are interactive. This is a strong connection to the evidence provided in the research done at the University of Northern Colorado in that it is extremely beneficial to have a sense of community and rewarding students for participating with others is an essential part of the course for all students to achieve and gain the most from their on-line courses.

References:

Glassmeyer, D. M., Dibbs, R. A., & Jensen, R. (2011). DETERMINING UTILITY OF FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT THROUGH VIRTUAL COMMUNITY Perspectives of Online Graduate Students. Quarterly Review Of Distance Education, 12(1), 23-35.

Palloff, R. & Pratt, K. (2007). Building Online Learning Communities: Effective strategies for the virtual classroom, (2nd ed.). San Franciso: Jossey-Bass. ISBN: 978-0-7879-8825-8, pages 3-65.

RSA #3: Make Learning Personal

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How can we make learning more personal within the classroom and within an on-line learning classroom? How does it compare? How is it different? And what can we do as teachers to enhance the learning community?

“There is one important element, however, that sets online distance learning apart from the traditional classroom setting: Key to the learning process are the interactions among students themselves, the interactions between faculty and students, and the collaboration in the learning that results from those interactions (Palloff 2007).” This statement and more detail later in the reading stating that in a face-to-face setting teachers do not need to focus as much on developing a community as it happens more naturally. It leads to the question, “Should we?”

“Being a part of a community that is intentionally built on recognizing, valuing, and learning from the diversity within that community can further deepen students’ understanding of self, others, and the global community in which they live and work (Powell 2010).

Some ideas to enhance the sense of community and make learning more personal is to:

1. Teaching students listening and helping skills at the beginning of a course sequence

2. Utilize diversity as part of the planning process

3. Provide opportunities for reflection

4. Allow students to get to know each other beyond a superficial level

5. Students must learn to work together toward academic achievement

6. Focus on collaboration instead of competition

7. Educating students about diversity & promoting appreciation for differences (remembering that a student’s culture is more than just race or ethnicity… consider family, hometowns, affiliated groups, etc.)

8. Group project reflection questions analyzing team member roles and strengths and weaknesses of the group in the learning process.

9. Do not limit teaching to the curriculum, stop asking “how to” and start asking “what for”

10. Frequent contact between students and professors

References:

Palloff, R. & Pratt, K. (2007). Building Online Learning Communities: Effective strategies for the virtual classroom, (2nd ed.). San Franciso: Jossey-Bass. ISBN: 978-0-7879-8825-8, pages 3-65.

Powell, J. D., & Lines, J. I. (2010). Make learning personal: Recommendations for classroom practice. About Campus, 15(2), 20-25. doi:10.1002/abc.20018