Reading text

Purpose and Value of Assessment

• Formative Assessment vs. Summative Assessment
• Assessment Tools and Techniques
• Digital Assessment Tools (e.g., Google Forms, Kahoot, Padlet, LMS-Integrated Tools)
• Engaging Participants in the Assessment Process
• Peer Feedback, Analysis Journals, Self-Assessment Rubrics

The Meaning of Assessment: Beyond the Grade

Assessment in online contexts has multiple critical functions, which go beyond assigning a grade and include feedback, motivation, and instructional improvement. It is crucial for mentors to understand these distinctions.

Formative Assessment

Purpose: to monitor student progress throughout the learning process. Formative assessment provides ongoing feedback, helping mentors improve teaching and students improve learning. It is often referred to as "assessment for learning."

Value: it helps identify gaps early, allows for targeted interventions, guides subsequent instruction, and maintains engagement by showing students where they are and how to improve. It reduces performance pressure, promoting the acquisition of real-world skills.

Online learning examples:

• Quick comprehension surveys: during a live virtual session, after explaining a complex concept, the mentor can launch a survey (e.g., "On a scale of 1 to 5, how confident do you feel about this concept?") to assess overall understanding and identify any difficulties.
• One-Minute Papers/Exit Tickets: at the end of an asynchronous module, students write a short response to questions such as "What is the most important thing you learned today?" or "What question do you have left?" Shared documents or LMS forums can be used.
• Forum discussions: ask open-ended questions in forums to stimulate the application of concepts or personal reflection. This allows the mentor to observe students' cognitive processes.
• Ungraded practice quizzes with immediate feedback: short, low-impact quizzes within the LMS that provide automatic explanations for correct and incorrect answers immediately after submission.
• Concept or mind maps: students create visual representations of the connections between concepts, thus demonstrating their understanding of the relationships between content, using tools such as Miro or Jamboard.

A 1998 study highlighted the significant impact of formative assessment on final learning outcomes, emphasizing its fundamental role in promoting conceptual assimilation and self-regulation and self-evaluation. This work is considered a milestone in educational research.

Summative Assessment

Purpose: to assess student learning at the end of a unit, module, or course, comparing this assessment to an average standard or target. It is often referred to as "learning assessment."

Value: it provides an overall assessment of what students have learned, enables certification or assessment, and provides a sense of accountability to students who often have to self-assess by testing their knowledge fairly.

Examples in online learning:

Online final exam: a timed test, usually best proctored by a mentor, administered via the LMS and covering the entire course content.

Comprehensive project/case study: students apply the concepts learned to solve a real-world practical problem or create a livestock product, to be presented as a document, presentation, or interactive demonstration.

Digital portfolio: a collection of the best work completed by the student during the course, demonstrating progress and mastery over time. It can be hosted on Google Sites or dedicated e-portfolio platforms.

Final presentation/project discussion in a final video conference: students present and discuss their final project via video conference, answering questions from mentors and peers.