From what you’ve seen of the course so far, and in the course outline, which of the assessment strategies in your reading this week are being used in this course?
Based on the blog post “Accessing Learning” and the readings under this post, the assessment strategy that is mostly used in this course is Formative assessment and Peer Feedback. Formative assessment refers to any evaluation method that provides ongoing responses to the learner, aiming to support and guide their development, regardless of whether a grade is given (Conrad & Openo, 2018). Essentially, formative assessments are tools used to enhance learning by offering continuous feedback and opportunities for improvement throughout the educational process. Blog posts are a key assignment in this course, and each time we give and receive peer reviews for these posts, this flow acts as a formative assesment. They provide learners with feedback that can be used to enhance their future blog posts.
Which are not being used?
In this course, I’ve observed that there are no grading rubrics provided for the blog posts. Typically, rubrics help clarify the purpose of an assignment and outline how students can achieve success. In my previous courses, detailed rubrics have been instrumental in guiding my success with assignments. However, I am open to the idea of these blog posts being more free, diverging from the strict word counts and other specific criteria’s that many of my previous professors have provided.
What Learning Theories (from week 1) do these connect to?
Formative assessments are closely related to constructivism. Constructivism views learning as the process of creating personal meaning from experiences rather than simply acquiring knowledge from an external source (Ertmer & Newby, 2013). It emphasizes that understanding comes from how individuals interpret their own experiences. In relation to formative assessments, this approach highlights the importance of ongoing feedback and reflection. For example, blog posts allow learners to explore and build their own understanding in a flexible manner, adapting their knowledge based on their personal experiences.
How does it compare to other courses you’ve taken in your studies? Be specific in your examples and the theories and strategies that you’re connecting to.
As a health information science major, most of my classes predominantly use summative assessments and align with behaviorist learning theories. Behaviorism is a theory of learning that focuses on observable performance (Ertmer & Newby, 2013). It suggests that learning occurs when a person responds correctly to a specific cue, such as answering a math problem correctly. This aligns with my classes, where we are frequently assessed through exams and papers. These assessments are summative in nature because they provide a final evaluation without allowing for the incorporation of feedback before receiving a final grade.
References:
Conrad, D., & Openo, J. (2018). Assessment Strategies for Online Learning: Engagement and authenticity. https://doi.org/10.15215/aupress/9781771992329.01
Ertmer, P. & Newby, T. (2018). Foundations of learning and instructional design technology. In Chapter 11 – Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Constructivism. https://doi.org/10.59668/3
wendyho August 5, 2024
Hi Ed,
Thank you for sharing your insightful post. Just wanted to add my thoughts on the learning theories discussed. In addition to constructivism, I think the course also connects to cognitivism which focuses on understanding students’ learning processes and address how information is received, organized, stored, and retrieved by the mind (Ertmer & Newby, 2018).
Students write their weekly blogs based on the assigned readings assigned their prior knowledge. These blogs demonstrate how students process and apply new information and existing knowledge in response to the prompts.