Oct. 4 webinar for the Brightspace Teaching & Learning webinar. Presenters: Mary Bohman and Robin O'Callaghan, Winona State University ​ This session introduces several ways to jazz up traditional online assessments. Examples include group and individual assignments such as video presentations, online debates and a "hot seat" assignment. These assignments provide an opportunity for students to utilize technology and interact with the course tools in new ways.​

1. Jazzing Up Online Assessments
Teaching & Learning Community Webinar
October 4, 2016
Robin O’Callaghan and Mary Bohman,
Winona State University

2. New Webinar Platform –
You can resize your own windows

3. New Webinar Platform –
Bottom tray has more options
Open Twitter
Widget – tweet
with your own
account
Open Group
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by default

4. Brightspace Connections
Michigan Connection
• Friday, Oct. 14
• Western Michigan
University
• Grand Rapids, MI
South Carolina Connection
• Friday, Oct. 21
• Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical
College
• Orangeburg, SC
Southern Ontario Connection
• Friday, Nov. 18
• Harriet Tubman Elementary
• St. Catharine’s ON

5. Upcoming Webinars
Maximizing Brightspace Tools to Create a Gamified Online
Learning Environment
• Tuesday, Oct. 11
• Carrie Miller, Minnesota State University Mankato
What’s Your Story(line)? Developing Engaging Learning Experiences by
Extending the Content Tool
• Tuesday, Oct. 18
• Andrew Connery and Shantal Woolsey, Mohawk College
Setting The Tone In A Brightspace Course With QM Standard One
• Tuesday, Oct. 25
• Misty Green, Ruth Markulis, Jessica McCarty; University of Maryland University College

6. Brightspace Teaching and Learning
Community (TLC) Webinars
Hosted by Barry Dahl
Webinar Archives Available at
bit.ly/TLCwebinars

7. Jazzing Up Online Assessments
Teaching & Learning Community Webinar
October 4, 2016
Robin O’Callaghan and Mary Bohman,
Winona State University

8. Jazzing Up Online
Assessment
By: Mary Bohman, Instructional Design Specialist, Winona
State University
Robin O’Callaghan, Senior Instructional Designer, Winona
State University

9. About Winona
State University
8,800 Students with two campus.
Winona and Rochester​
65 Undergrad Programs, 12 Graduate
Programs and 1 Doctorate
Program​
The e-Warrior: Digital Life & Learning
Program integrates communication
and information technology into
the student's social and learning
experience at Winona State
University.

10. Agenda:
1.) Structured Debate
2.) Hot Seat
3.) Oral Presentations
4.) Group Assignments

11. Resources
75 e-Learning
Activities
By Ryan Watkins

12. Structured
Debate
Goals:
• Students will participate in
asynchronous discussions with
peers
• Students will build effective online
synchronous communication skills
• Students will how to debate online
and hear different viewpoints on a
course topic
Time/Directions:
• 6 days
• Select an issue that has two
perspectives that can be debated…a pro
versus con.
• Create teams of 2-4 students
• Assign teams a position on the issue
• Match the teams for the debate
• Create a forum with topics for each
group
Adapted from “75 e-Learning Activities” by Ryan Watkins

13. Faculty Interaction
• Faculty will monitor the discussion from day 1-6.
• Only chime in if the teams are not answer the challenging questions.
• After day 6, summarize the “best of comments” and declare a winner.

14. Day One-”Pro” team works together to come up with 1,000 words to
support their position.
• Define issue
• Endorse that the status quo won’t resolve the issue
• Offer a specific proposal as to what should be done
• Defend their plan to solve the issue
• Use data and references to support their ideas

15. Day Two- “Con” team will develop 3-5 questions for the “pro” team
as well as statements supporting their position on the issue
Post a single reply to the “pro” posts that is no more than 1,000 words.
Question the data and references
Question the logic of the plan/proposal
Refute the parameters established by the pro team to define the issue
Challenge the specifics of the pro’s statements and plan
Create and defend an alternative plan to solve the issue
Use data and references to back up their plan

18. Structured
Debate
Example:
To fire or not to
fire?

19. Team A: Not to terminate Ms. Huang
I support the decision of the Red Cross to retain Ms. Huang in her role primarily for the following reasons:
• No laws were broken within the content of what she published or in her actions. By all accounts, Ms.
Huang is of legal drinking age and was not drinking on the American Red Cross property or during working
hours.
• There was no libel in her post against any other person or company.
• Her post was not derogatory about the organization, co-workers, clients or those served by the American
Red Cross, suppliers.
• No confidential information was released in her tweet.

20. Team B: To terminate Ms. Huang
• While Red Cross Social Media Specialist Gloria Huang was not terminated on the account of her reckless
tweet, I completely disagree with the Red Cross’ decision to retain Ms. Huang as an employee. An
innocent mistake or not, Ms. Huang’s lapse in judgment had the potential for serious levels of donor and
volunteer loss is to large of a risk to take again by keeping her as an employee.
• Brand mismanagement is absolutely intolerable as there is nothing more important to an organization than
their brand identity. A tainted view of their brand could result in negative traction when it comes to future
endeavors.

21. Closing
Arguments
• Example of Animated
Presentation
• Example of Prezi
• Example of Google
Hangout
• Example of WebCamera

22. Best Practices for Structured Debate
1. Clear instructions for the debate
2. Create strategic teams
3. Give them enough time debate the topic and draft
responses
4. Netiquette-professionalism
5. Evidence to support argument

23. Disagree or Agree Discussion Board
• Select an issue that has two
perspectives (an agree or
disagree statement)
• Students select one board to
post in
• Provided examples and
evidence to support
statement
• Summarize best of..
• Did you change your opinion
after reading the other
statements?

24. Day of HotSeat:
• The day the group is in the “Hot Seat” all other
students ask questions based on the summary or
any of the course materials the instructor posted in
the module. (readings/recorded lectures)
• The questions that are posted on the discussion
board and must be answered by the “Hot Seat”
group.
Before:
• Groups research their assigned topic and put
together a 400-500 word summary they post on a
D2L Discussion Board. The summary will start the
discussion on D2L discussion board.
• Each group prepares 5-7 questions that may arise
from their peers. They write answers to each
question. This is also submitted to the dropbox.
Hot Seat Discussion Board

25. Hot Seat
Overview:
• In this assignment students will be assigned to a “Hot Seat” group to research a mainstream social
media channel. They will then become the expert on that particular channel.
What to do as a group:
• As a group, research the assigned channel and put together a 400-500 word summary to post on the
Discussion Board. Each “Hot Seat” group will also prepare four questions that may arise from their
peers. (One questions per group member)
• Answer the questions that are posted by your peers on the discussion board.
What to do individually:
• Review at least 10 of the “Hot Seat” channels posts-view this by stats in D2L
• Ask at least one question for three different “Hot Seat” groups based on the summary or any of
the course materials the instructor posted in the module.
Adapted from “75 e-Learning Activities” by Ryan Watkins

29. Oral
Presentations
• Provide clear directions within D2L
• Students watch and react to their peers
presentations.
• Provide directions and resources
technology
• Low Stakes introduction video to
trouble shoot any technology issues
• Students post link or embed in
discussion board.

30. Tools for
Recording:
• Screencast-O-Matic
Download from website.
Record desktop,
PowerPoint, Audio, Camera
http://screencast-o-matic.com/home
• YouTube
Share link or embed in
discussion board

31. Group
Assignment
Folders
• Share Projects
• Assign roles and submit
pieces of a project
• Group grading