Assessing Student Learning Using the Blackboard Discussion Board Assessment Workshop York College CUNY April 7, 2010 Wenying Huang-Stolte, Ph.D. William Divale, Ph.D.

Making a Grading Rubric for Discussions  It is based on the course learning objectives. Bloom’s taxonomy What do you want students to achieve through the discussion?  It should encourage participation.  It can be used to promote durable knowledge construction  It can be used to foster critical thinking and higher-order learning. Cognitive presence 2

Rubric Example 1 This rubric shows that the purpose of the discussion is to examine student’s knowledge and comprehension. CriteriaExcellent - 3Good - 2Needs Work - 1 Timely discussion contributions (20%) Actively participate in the discussion, post multiple threads and responses. Post only one thread and one response. Wait until the deadline to post and only post one thread or one response. Demonstration of knowledge and under-standing to the assigned readings (50%) Show strong evidence that the readings were well understood and provide good examples of the concepts. Show evidence that the readings were well understood and provide examples of the concepts. Not very clear if the readings were understood. Responses to peers and instructors (30%) Interact multiple times with other students and instructor, bring the discussion to a deeper or/and broader level. Interact at least once with other student or instructor, bring the discussion to a deeper or broader level. Do not interact with other people. 3

Rubric Example 2 Criteria5 – Development of ideas (30%) Well-developed ideas; introduce new ideas and stimulate discussion. Show some developed ideas. Poorly developed ideas. Evidence of critical thinking (40%) Show analysis, synthesis, or evaluation of ideas; arguments are well supported; sometimes provide unique insight. Beginning of analysis, synthesis, or evaluation; arguments are supported. Little evidence of analysis, synthesis or evaluation. Clarity (30%) Postings are well articulated and easy to follow. Postings are understandable, but flow could be improved. Postings are difficult to follow. This rubric shows that the purpose of the discussion is to improve student’s critical thinking. 4

Community of Inquiry Model Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., & Archer W. (2000). Community of Inquiry. Teaching Presence Social Presence Cognitive Presence Educational Experience Based on Garrison et al, online discussion can provide good educational experience if proper teaching presence, cognitive presence and social presence exist in the discussion. 5

Cognitive Presence  According to Garrison et al: Cognitive presence is the extent to which in any particular configuration of a community of inquiry participants are able to construct meaning through sustained communication. ( )  Garrison et al develop a model to assess the critical discourse. It considers that the discussion can include four phases. 6

The Four Phases of Discussion 1. Triggering event – raise the issue, ask the discussion question. 2. Exploration – explore relevant information, share ideas, brain storming. 3. Integration – construct meaning, make connections. 4. Resolution – draw conclusions, ask new questions. Using this model, you can see where a discussion is and guide it to the later phases. 7

How to Assess Learning from the DB Text 8 Click to go to grading tool

Discussion Topic: An Example of Integrating Two Concepts 9

Theory Behind Discussion Question: Layer Cake Theory of Culture Applied to Urban Slum Dwellers Ideology of a Culture (Includes Beliefs, Religion, Values, Modal Personality, etc.) Social Structure (Includes the customs and institutions by which people in the society Are organized, e.g., Family structure, Kinship groups, Sodalities, Institutions, child-training practices, etc.) Techno-Economic Base (Includes the energetic & economic relations the society has, e.g., How energy is harnessed, processed and distributed to members of the society.) Comments by William Divale, Ph.D. 10 Plate for the Layer Cake (Includes the natural & social environment of the society) This is the part of culture where humans make a living & survive This is the part of culture where humans are organized & taught how to function in the base This part of culture is where the person gets the values, attitudes, and personality traits that allow for functioning in the society A society exists in place & time. Its environment contains physical possibilities & limits, e.g., you can’t grow bananas in NY. Neighboring societies also influence it.

Sample Student Posting from Melissa 11

Lindsey’s Reply to Melissa 12

Assess Learning using Bb DB Tools  Performance Dashboard Provides average post length, minimum and maximum post length. Provides the average post position – an indicator on the number of responses in one thread.  Discussion Board Grading Tool Provides a centralized place to review all postings from one student for a forum and assign a grade. 13

Melisa’s Discussion Performance 14 Click on Total Posts to see all of a student’s posts in a particular forum.

Discussion Board Grading Tool 15

Exercise  Create a discussion forum.  Create a rubric to assess student learning. 16