Aim: This task invites you to explore key concepts in assessment, as well as four types of assessment and how these can be carried out online.

Time: 20 - 30 minutes, approximately

Instructions

Online assessment, and assessment that is carried out in the physical classroom, have many similarities. Of course, some adaptations have to be made to assessment when we use it in blended and online learning spaces.

In this task we explore how assessment can be carried out online. We review four main types of assessment, which will provide you with a roadmap for assessment in your blended and online teaching. We also provide you with a six-step model to introducing and integrating different types of assessment into your online and classroom teaching.

Part One: Online Assessment

How much do you already know about assessment? What do each of the terms below mean, and how is each term related to assessment?

• validity and reliability

• authenticity

• impact

• practicality

Now listen to the presentation below to check your ideas. Click on the audio icon on each slide to listen. The audio transcript for this task is in the downloadable PDF at the bottom of this webpage.

Part Two: Four Types of Assessment

There are four common types of assessment. How much do you already know about each assessment type?

• assessment of learning / summative assessment

• assessment for learning / formative assessment

• self-assessment

• peer assessment

Now listen to the presentation below to check your ideas. Click on the audio icon on each slide to listen. The audio transcript for this task is in the downloadable PDF at the bottom of this webpage.

Part 3: A Six-step Model

We have seen that effective assessment can support and improve learning. But how do we integrate the various types of assessment into our online teaching? Below is a six-step model that includes the four types of assessment we explored in Part 1 and shows how to effectively integrate the assessment into your online teaching. Imagine that you need to carry out a graded speaking assessment with your secondary school learners. To do this, you are going to ask them to prepare a presentation over the next four weeks. The learners will then need to present their final presentations to the class online.

Add the correct heading to each step in the model below.

• Performance

• Set the scene

• Peer and teacher feedback

• Establish the assessment criteria

• Grading

• Set up peer collaboration

Conclusion

This six-step model represents a collection of ‘assessment patterns’ over a period of time where feedback is an integrated part of instruction rather than just being one part of it. This type of online activity is both process and product oriented with a series of low-stakes assessments building up to a high-stakes assessment. This six-step model lends itself readily to secondary school contexts, where further motivation may be generated by posting the final product on a blog or online school magazine. A less complex assessment activity with feedback can also be planned into primary school lessons, following the same six-step model. The image below summarises how assessment is an ongoing process, how feedback is incorporated at various points, and how low-stakes formative assessments can feed into higher stakes assessments over time:

Image source: Russell, M. 2010. Assessment Patterns, University of Hertfordshire, ESCAPE project.