How to assess integrated delivery technology and instructional strategies
As educators, we often assess the learner’s progress in learning the content since this is the most important process in teaching and learning. We know teaching and learning is more than just about the content. Particularly in technology-based learning, we integrate online delivery technologies (Google docs, online discussion board etc.), and online instructional strategies (online collaboration, online program-based learning, online project-based learning etc.) to enhance the teaching and learning. It is common that we don’t assess the effectiveness of online delivery technologies and online instructional strategies. If we do, we assess how much content the learners learn to determine whether the integrated delivery technology and instructional strategies are effective. Is this type of assessment design valid? We are measuring multiple designs (technology, strategy, content). How do we know which designs are actually effective or not?
In fact, in the ETC program, this is what we need to learn: Learn how to integrate online technology and how to integrate online instructional strategy. No so much about teaching content: math, science, history, or whatever content you teach. Agree?!
Let’s review this scenario, in terms of assessing teaching and learning.
Scenario
We integrated Google Docs to facilitate online collaboration for American History.
· Delivery Technology: Google Docs
· Instructional Strategy: Collaboration
· Content: American History
· Assessment: Test
The learners are successful in learning based on the test scores, or how much they learn so we claim our teaching is successful because we integrate effective technologies and strategies.
Challenge yourselves with these questions: The learners are successful, but
· The learners were frustrated with Google Docs and online collaboration because they have never used Google Docs or have not used it in online collaboration. They studied very hard and spent a lot of time for the test so they made good scores in this instruction.
· Or: The learners did well with online collaboration but they were frustrated with Google Docs or vice versa?
· How do we know Google Docs is an effective technology for this instruction? Could other technologies be more effective? Such as Edmodo? Google Sites? Glogster? Weebly?
· How do we know online collaboration is an effective instructional strategy for this instruction? Could other strategies be more effective, such as problem-based learning? Online student publishing? Online discussion?
How to assess technology and strategy?
Who should assess technology and strategy?
The learners? We have to ask ourselves whether our learners are capable of assessing technology and strategy. If we have younger learners, they may not necessarily be the best ones to ask. How about other educators, or adults? Perhaps they are more capable. This is the question that we need to ask ourselves carefully. If learners are not the best choice to assess technology and strategy, perhaps we can ask other professionals who have knowledge and experiences in technology and strategy integrations, other teachers, instructional designers.
How to assess technology and strategy?
What formats of assessment would be effective? A test? Probably not.
There are some workable assessment designs we can integrate:
If the learners are capable to assess: satisfaction, suggestions, reflections on technology and strategy.
If the learners are not capable to assess, invite other professionals to conduct: professional analyses, professional evaluations, professional recommendations on technology and strategy.
Assessment instruments:
Survey, questionnaire, rubrics, checklist, report.