Strategic Assessment Plan for Virtual Learning Environment

Assessment is one of the most highlighted parts of TEACHING. As a facilitator, we wish our learners to perform their best and try to accommodate their learning style and need as much as possible. However, are we truly providing them enough time and pace...!!! Are we open to multiple avenues while testing their understanding...!! Are we prepared to assess different interventions or relying upon closed tests at the end...!! Are we truly using the findings for all three aspects - Assessment for learning, Assessment of learning, Assessment as learning...!! I have my doubts so let's brainstorm together to help each other... : )

To adapt 'NEW CHANGE', we have started with the Virtual Learning Environment. To teach online you have stanzas of resources to address diverse needs. When it comes to assessment and evaluation for VLE, we can rely on these three types -

1. Observation

2. Conversations

3. Product

Observation :

Observation can be used for ongoing or as a formative assessment. It can be in form of a Checklist, Survey, or activity feed. Observation is helpful to amend the course content and to scaffold the strugglers. If you want to serve an individual need, this is a must tool. At times, while preparing final grades, observation works as a blessing in form of confirmed pieces of evidence. For online learning, personalized response collects various learning profiles. Personally I am a big fan of my anecdotes and scribbling of individual learners and have used personal strengths to motivate the strivers and areas of improvement for goal achievement.

Conversations:

Conversations are a rich record of assessment to check student understanding. We can utilize group discussions, classroom chats, email, video notes, and/or synchronous time with learners to evaluate the learning. A list of pre-planned, intentional questions and prompts Instead of general questions is the key to set an explicit goal for conversations. Use the unobtrusive method that produces low-stake experiences in students over obtrusive whenever necessary. This tool is stress-free, friendly, and integrates many other skills from both the parties. It's okay to go traditional while using it, I use paper and pen to jot down a few quick points and it's convenient. Conversations actually make our bond stronger with learners and can lead to a better learning experience.

Product:

Product-based assessment includes a wide variety of students' work for targeted skills. It includes assignments, quizzes, games, presentations, e-portfolio, and/or projects. Explicit guidelines and precise instructions are the core component to get maximum output. A rubric chart helps to score each level competently and critically. Products use more often as a closed test than an ongoing assessment. However, it's a piece of checkpoint evidence to put a full point on the current topic and move forward to the next.

Recommendations - online assessment tools:

1. Google forms - Can be customized as per your need or use a ready-made template

2. Edpuzzle - A wide range of videos and stories for a quick assessment. You can add questions, multiple-choice, fill in the blanks in the middle of the video for stepwise opinion and conclusion

3. Socrative - A creative, user-friendly, and one of the best assessment tools according to thousands of educators

4. Kahoot - I love to use this game-based assessment tool, I use it with my class as well as with my kids to experience fun with learning

5. Formative - Another great tool to create a quiz, multiple-choice, essay, or any type of formative assessment

It's easy to assess student progress in a physical set-up. However, when you want to transfer the same experience in virtual learning, the right choice of tool is an absolute need. Either you host a live activity or an asynchronous assignment, students should feel good about their experience. The ultimate goal of assessment is to provide constructive feedback for enhancement of learning, if you achieve that, the medium of assessment is irrelevant.

Share your views and thoughts in the comment section for further discussion. : )