Tips for Assessing Student Learning Using Blackboard

Tips for Assessing Student Learning Using Blackboard Jason Rhode, Assistant Director Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center jrhode@niu.edu | jasonrhode.com | twitter.com/jrhode Handout available at http://blackboardtips.wikispaces.com/assessments

Agenda
Preliminary thoughts
General online assessment tips
Tips for surveys in Blackboard
Tips for tests/quizzes in Blackboard
Tips assessing discussions in Blackboard
Tips for SafeAssignments in Blackboard
Q&A

Questions for Consideration
What are the objectives of your course?
How are you currently measuring whether or not students are meeting your objectives?
What instructional materials or methods do you currently use to help facilitate the learning process?

Question for Consideration
What active processes do students engage in during your course?
What types of assessments are you currently using?
What is the purpose of these assessments? Are they fostering the learning process or are they simply a formality?

Questions for Consideration
How do you define learning?
Is regurgitation true learning?

Attainable Goals
C ritical thinking
A pplication
R eflection

The Bottom Line…
Outcomes should drive assessment, not the available technology

General Online Assessment Tips
Avoid high-stakes objective assessments online
Have students complete practice version of a require online assessment to become familiar with technology
Deploy assessment link(s) in the same folder as unit content
Reuse and repurpose assessment types once configured in Blackboard

General Online Assessment Tips
Provide meaningful feedback to students
Remember there is no guaranteed approach to prevent cheating online

Surveys
Use Survey tool to gather aggregate responses from students
Remind students surveys are anonymous
>5 questions, display 1 question at a time
If desiring to share findings with students, copy/paste results into Word to post in Blackboard

Tests/Quizzes
Format questions in MS Word; import using Blackboard Quiz Generator
Add test questions to pools for easy reuse and expansion
Check with your textbook publisher to see if they offer question pools for your textbook
Create tests from random blocks or question pools whenever possible

Tests/Quizzes (cont.)
Pay attention to test options when deploying
Randomize questions

Discussions
Provide clear expectations for how discussions will be assessed
Use Blackboard discussion grader; grade by forum, not thread
After entering scores for contributions, enter comments directly in the Grade Center

Assignments
Use Assignment Manager instead of Digital Drop Box
Attach assignment instructions and/or template files when creating assignment
Download submitted assignments for offline grading
Enter feedback electronically & return to students via the assignment

Assignments (cont.)
If attaching feedback to an assignment, remind students to view attached file(s)

SafeAssignments
Use SafeAssign for substantial written assignments
Inform students in the syllabus of the requirements to use SafeAssign
Create draft version for students to submit to in order to self-check their work
Make originality reports viewable by students

Session Handout http://blackboardtips.wikispaces.com/assessments

Archives Available Online www.niu.edu/facev/programs/archives.shtml

Archives Available via iTunes search “NIU Faculty Development” in iTunes

Contact the Presenter Jason Rhode, Ph.D. Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center Northern Illinois University [email_address] jasonrhode.com twitter.com/jrhode 815.753.2475

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Tips for Assessing Student Learning Using Blackboard

by Jason Rhode

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