Assessing Collaborative Efforts
How should participation in a collaborative learning community be assessed? How do the varying levels of skill and knowledge students bring to a course affect the instructor's "fair and equitable assessment" of learning? Siemens (Laureate, 2008) postulated that there should be a shift in the manner in which students are being assessed. However one of the challenges that many instructors face is that of moving away from the model of individualized learning assessment to a model that is tailored to collaborative learning. He continued by proposing a model of assessment that involves peers, online communities feedback and the educators contribution in the assessment process. I too believe that this would tailor to the participatory features attached to working collaboratively.
Being a peer assessor is an important aspect, as it aides students in critically observing each other, as well as, it enables individual to discover areas of weakness within themselves as they take on the role of an assessor. I also believe that an instructor’s role in assessing students is vital. However, I do not think that the feedback received from online communities, that are independent of the course being pursue, should have a great weight on students’ overall scores. This is so, as these outside individuals may not be privy to the degree of growth that an individual has made over the period of instruction and collaboration. What I think would be more beneficial is for students to receive feedback and suggestions from these online communities to build their knowledge-based or broaden their experience in such a manner that it assist them in generating a better production of work. The instructor can then observe how well the student acts upon the criticisms or suggestions given in completing the task. Finally, I think students should be given the opportunity to rate their level of growth or participation in a project. This will assist the instructor in gaining insight on the level of skill and knowledge the student brought to the course and the growth that was realized. I think this is important, especially with the use of technology; some students may be novice, while others are professional. This will assist the instructor in making a fair and equitable assessment.
If a student does not want to network or collaborate in a learning community for an online course, what should the other members of the learning community do? What role should the instructor play? What impact would this have on his or her assessment plan?
As we have heard many times, individual have preferred mode of learning. As a result of this some students may want to stay within their comfort zone of working alone. However with technology and the abundance of materials that is available this type of learning is not the most beneficial. I think of the old adage “each one, teach one” Based on this, the learning experience through collaboration and networking is endless! I think these individuals should be made aware of the benefits that can be derived by working with others. This can be accomplished by the instructor. Here, the instructor can create groups of learners that have common goals, personalities, or other similarities. This could springboard a genuine team that shares some commonalities. This should also be taken into consideration during assessment as that students may have grown to a higher degree than an intrapersonal person who naturally likes to participate in activities that involves others.
Reference
Laureate Education, Inc. (2008). Assessment of collaborative learning. Baltimore: Author.
Being a peer assessor is an important aspect, as it aides students in critically observing each other, as well as, it enables individual to discover areas of weakness within themselves as they take on the role of an assessor. I also believe that an instructor’s role in assessing students is vital. However, I do not think that the feedback received from online communities, that are independent of the course being pursue, should have a great weight on students’ overall scores. This is so, as these outside individuals may not be privy to the degree of growth that an individual has made over the period of instruction and collaboration. What I think would be more beneficial is for students to receive feedback and suggestions from these online communities to build their knowledge-based or broaden their experience in such a manner that it assist them in generating a better production of work. The instructor can then observe how well the student acts upon the criticisms or suggestions given in completing the task. Finally, I think students should be given the opportunity to rate their level of growth or participation in a project. This will assist the instructor in gaining insight on the level of skill and knowledge the student brought to the course and the growth that was realized. I think this is important, especially with the use of technology; some students may be novice, while others are professional. This will assist the instructor in making a fair and equitable assessment.
If a student does not want to network or collaborate in a learning community for an online course, what should the other members of the learning community do? What role should the instructor play? What impact would this have on his or her assessment plan?
As we have heard many times, individual have preferred mode of learning. As a result of this some students may want to stay within their comfort zone of working alone. However with technology and the abundance of materials that is available this type of learning is not the most beneficial. I think of the old adage “each one, teach one” Based on this, the learning experience through collaboration and networking is endless! I think these individuals should be made aware of the benefits that can be derived by working with others. This can be accomplished by the instructor. Here, the instructor can create groups of learners that have common goals, personalities, or other similarities. This could springboard a genuine team that shares some commonalities. This should also be taken into consideration during assessment as that students may have grown to a higher degree than an intrapersonal person who naturally likes to participate in activities that involves others.
Reference
Laureate Education, Inc. (2008). Assessment of collaborative learning. Baltimore: Author.
Storyboard for Video
Topic: Motivating Adult Learners
Video | <><><><><><><><><><>Diagram | <><><><><><><><><><>Audio |
Need to further your education but think it is not possible because of the following reasons? | Music playing in background | |
Too busy with work | Music playing in background | |
Family obligations | Music continues | |
No school in your location | ||
Feeling of isolation | Music continues | |
Feeling that you do not have the capacity to compete with the youth learners | ||
You are not alone! Research shows that distance learning facilitate % of adult learners. | Me talking about research on adult education and learning. | |
Who is an adult learner What do adult learners need to stay motivated in an online learning environment | Me – describing an adult learner and what is needed for them to be motivated. | |
All individuals need motivation to help them as they pursue various aspects of their lives. Adult learners are no exception! | Zoom in on teacher helping child |
What is the difference between children learning and adults learning? | Pedagogy Vs Andragogy | Zooming on Each word |
Slide depicting differences. | Andragogy is a term used for a theoretical framework concerning adult learning. It is contrasted with child learning, or pedagogy. It suggests that adults learn differently than children. The term is widely used by educators to describe the theory of adult learning. Pedagogy (definition) | Me narrating slide information |
Me - using a chart to explain the difference between pedagogy and andragogy. | Zoom in on each bullet on chart. | |
What can instructors do to motivate adult learners? | Me – Explaining what instructors are doing to motivate adult learners | |
What can peers do to keep motivated? | Me explaining what peers can do to stay motivated. And announcing the keynote speaker. | |
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