1. Formative assessment in online spaces
University Course Design
Alan Cliff, CILT, UCT

2. Why do we assess? To check how much/what students know
To grade performance; certificate
To assess our teaching
To facilitate learning
To differentiate/separate/classify students
To promote/model thinking
To reflect on our purposes/aims/goals (Newton 2007)

3. Formative and summative assessment
It is not about when assessment occurs
It is about the purposes of assessment
Assessment for learning as opposed to assessment of learning
A ‘snapshot’ view vs a development view

4. Theoretical framing
Learning potential assessment (Vygotsky; Sternberg and Grigorenko; Poehner)
Social constructivism and constructive alignment (Biggs; Rust)
Assessment of qualitative differences / taxonomic approaches (Marton; Bloom; Krathwohl)
Adult learning theory, particularly critical reflection (Brookfield)

5. What is mediation?
An intentional, sequenced, guided, co-constructed learning activity the aim of which is to enable quantitative and qualitative change
The mediator is the skilled, aware ‘expert’ whose move and succeeding moves are based on learning environment ‘signals’
Feedback to both learner and teacher

6. Three focuses
Turning course objectives into learning focuses (from lecturer focus to student focus)
Thinking about assessment in terms of levels of cognitive/affective/behavioural ‘demand’
Analysing the extent to which student response on assessment is evidence that learning focus has been achieved

7. Alignment between learning and assessment
Recall
Applica-tion
Understanding
Transformation/re-working
Review/critique/evaluation
Content
Concept
Process
Argument
Theory
Compari-son
Scenario

8. Assessment: design questions
What do we want to assess?
How do the assessment activities align with course objectives/content/learning?
What ‘signals’ do assessments provide about the course and to students (values/learning)?
What form/s of assessment (e.g. selected response; case-study; essay) best suit what we are assessing?

9. What are we talking about?
Forums
Chat rooms
Blogs
Electronic ‘spaces’
Other?

10. Myths and misconceptions
Online assessment is more difficult than conventional assessment
Online assessment is easier than conventional assessment!
Oral assessment is more subjective than written assessment
Formative learning cannot or should not be assessed

11. Why online learning?
A continuum from very informal spaces to guided reflective moments (cf. Brookfield) to highly intentional, structured learning moments
A continuum from student-directed and led to lecturer-directed and led
A space for dialogue and meaning-making
A practice / try-out space
Knowledge-building
A space for challenge
A learning community space

12. Design issues as impact
Lecturer as participant or not
The learning purpose:
Knowledge-making
Knowledge-production
Degrees of student autonomy
Critiques / evaluation
Cognitive / affective /social issues
Lecturer as ‘voyeur’ / discussant
Learning analytics issues
Ethics

13. Focuses of assessment
Content focuses: what participants interact about
Concept focuses: conceptions and misconceptions
Change / formative focuses: the object is in what ways and by how much a student or group changes
‘Flipped’ opportunities: pre-lecture focuses; other-than-lecture focuses; augmented focuses
Assignment focuses: students share their work with one another

14. Assessment choices Discussion with students / external participants
To ‘count’ or not to ‘count’? (Should the learning event be for marks)
What counts: the content; the concept; the grappling; the reflective quality; the extent of change?
Intentional, guided activity
Rubric or feedback guide to participants
Formative or summative?