Assessment in Distance Education

Siemens (2008) would set a change in assessment models as the priority in order to engage learners in communities which are different than the previous experiences they have had. Swan (2004) added that grading rubrics for discussion participation should be developed and should reward desired cognitive behaviors. Palloff and Pratt (2007) argued that a strong sense of community can be built in distance education with the creation of a web of learning in which assessment is of the depth of knowledge and number of skills gained rather than a regurgitation of facts. Siemens (2008) suggested that a group of learners can assess each other rather than only the instructor doing the scoring. Peer assessment is encouraged in constructivist models as well. Learners can provide peer assessment though direct feedback in collaborative work when guided to learning community work by the instructors. The third assessment provided by Siemens is the instructor assessing each peer. Lastly, Siemens argued that assessment should be authentic and should include a strong connection to what the s experience in their real life situations. Mc Daniels (2009) posted that students are required to learn the content and pass the course requirements, but part of the assessment may need to focus on student growth during the quarter due to the varied levels of initial skills and knowledge according to Siemens 2008. Additionally, she argued that instructors have to be able to see active participation to be able to give a valid grade. (Palloff & Pratt, 2005). It is the instructors’ responsibility to talk with any students who are not participating to find out if there are any problems and remind the student about procedures and requirements. Although I agree that it is ultimately the instructor's responsibility to discuss non participation with students, it is first the responsibility for peers to provide gentle reminders and encouragement prior to instructor involvement. Mc Daniel, S. (2009). Module 3.http://sharon-mcdaniel.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2009-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&updated-max=2010-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=8 Palloff, R. & Pratt, K. (2005). Collaborating online: Learning together in community. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Palloff, R. M., & Pratt, K. (2007). Building online learning communities: Effective strategies for the virtual classroom. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Siemens, G. (2008). Assessment of collaborative learning [DVD]. Laureate Education, Inc. Siemens, G. (2008). Learning communities [DVD]. Laureate Education, Inc. Swan, K. (2004). Relationships between interactions and learning in online environments. The Sloan Consortium.