This document provides guidance on assessment strategies for online courses. It discusses using formative and summative assessments to evaluate student learning throughout a course. Specific recommendations include using a variety of assessment types that are aligned to course objectives, providing feedback to students, and using tools in the Blackboard learning management system for assessments.

1. AnastasiaTrekles, Ph.D.

2.  Use the Quality Matters rubric and Standards
3, 4, and 5 to help guide your course
development
 Discuss appropriate assessment strategies in
your course course and discipline
 Use a variety of formative and summative
assessment methods to maximize your
picture of how students are doing

3. FORMATIVE
 Helps you get a handle on
how the course and/or
students are doing at any
given point
 Gives you a chance to
correct something if it’s not
going as planned
SUMMATIVE
 Usually done at the end of
a unit or course
 Provides a final look at how
things went
 Determines whether
students “pass” or have
attained the necessary
skills to move on

4.  Make sure that the information that you’re
testing students on it directly related to what
students are supposed to know and be able
to do
 Nice-to-know information is great, but
shouldn’t be included if it’s not directly tied to
an objective
 Make sure your assessment matches the level
of the objective and is not above or below the
students’ skill level

5.  Unfortunately, human nature is such that we
will typically only do what we have to
 Only students that are intrinsically motivated
will tend to go beyond
 Experience and research shows that most
students tend toward extrinsic motivation
and perform best when:
 A grade is involved
 Completion of a major course requirement is
contingent on participation

6.  When students have a chance to reflect on
themselves as learners, they may be more
inclined to grow and achieve more
 Try one of these surveys in class or as an
assignment/discussion and see the reaction
 Felder’s Index of Learning Styles:
http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ilsweb.html
 Biggs’ Study Process Questionnaire:
http://www.johnbiggs.com.au/academic/students-
approaches-to-learning/

7. • Evaluation
make judgments based on criteria
• Synthesis
compile information in a new way
• Analysis
break down information into parts
• Application
use information in a new situation
• Comprehension
interpret information
• Knowledge
recall information
Lower Order Thinking Skills
Higher Order Thinking Skills

9. Type of Objective How to Measure
Discuss/Recall/Identify Discussion board, summary paper,
objective test
Apply/Use Essay or fill-in test, labs, report paper
Analyze Problem-solving, analysis paper, case
studies, presentations
Create/Design Research paper, creative essays, art,
prototypes, plans, student-created tests,
presentations
Evaluate/Judge Journals, case studies, debates, peer
review, critiques

10.  Quizzes and tests
 Discussion forums
 Rubrics for the creation of:
 Writing assignments
 Multimedia (text + images, video, etc)
 Presentation tools
 Digital video and audio
 E-books, wikis, blogs

11.  Can be mobile-capable or browser-only
 Can be supported through Respondus
LockDown Browser and Respondus Monitor
 You can create tests from scratch or import from
RespondusTest Generator (or other tools)
 Test exceptions settings allow different options
for different students (like extra time)
 See https://www.pnc.edu/distance/learn-
tutorials/ for all videos on tests
 See http://www.pnc.edu/distance/respondus for
info on downloading Respondus

12.  Edit theTest Options -
check your settings
 Do NOT turn on Force
Completion!
 UseTest Availability
Exceptions for make-ups
and accommodations
 Auto-Submit is ok –
forces the student to
stop when timer ends
 Decide on options for
how and whether
students can receive
feedback

13.  Need help with the
text for your rubric?
 Try rubric-makers that
make your job easier!
 Rubistar:http://rubistar
.4teachers.org
 iRubric:http://www.rca
mpus.com/indexrubric.
cfm

14.  You can grade using rubrics right within
BlackBoard
 Rubrics make your job a little easier when
grading more extensive assessments
 Video tutorials available:
https://www.pnc.edu/distance/learn-tutorials/

15.  Use the left-hand
sidebar and choose
Needs Grading to view
when new work has
been turned in
 Alternately, in the Full
Grade Center,
ungraded work
submitted will have a
“!” icon

16.  Allows you to see all
grades at a glance –
works like a spreadsheet
 You can create columns
for various purposes,
including calculated
columns
 Use the Manage button
to change column
organization
 Use the “arrow-menus”
to change settings, view
and edit grades

17.  BlackBoard discussion, blog, wiki, Kaltura media tools
 WebEx: http://purdue.webex.com
 Google Docs: http://drive.google.com
 Prezi: http://www.prezi.com
 MS OfficeTemplates: http://office.microsoft.com/en-
us/templates/
 Screencast-o-matic: http://www.screencast-o-
matic.com
 Jing and Camtasia: http://www.techsmith.com
 Wordpress: http://www.wordpress.com
 SimpleBooklet: http://simplebooklet.com/index-
edu.php
 Draw.io: https://www.draw.io

18.  Carnegie-Mellon Assessment resource:
http://www.cmu.edu/teaching/assessment/howto/basic
s/index.html
 Writing good learning objectives:
http://www.ion.uillinois.edu/resources/tutorials/id/devel
opObjectives.asp
 Kathy Schrock’s guide for educators:
http://www.schrockguide.net/assessment-and-
rubrics.html
 Workshop in scenario-based learning and authentic
assessment examples:
https://sites.google.com/site/workshopctandsblresourc
esite/home

19.  Tests, Surveys, and Pools:
http://help.blackboard.com/en-
us/Learn/9.1_2014_04/Instructor/110_Tests_Surveys_
Pools
 Using assignments: http://help.blackboard.com/en-
us/Learn/9.1_2014_04/Instructor/100_Assignments
 Using rubrics: http://help.blackboard.com/en-
us/Learn/9.1_2014_04/Instructor/120_Grade_Center/0
20_Grading/010_Rubrics
 Using the Grade Center:
http://help.blackboard.com/en-
us/Learn/9.1_2014_04/Instructor/120_Grade_Center

20. Reach us at:
 pncolt@pnc.edu
 Twitter and Facebook: @PNCOLT
 http://www.pnc.edu/distance for all
workshop notes, links, and training needs