Assessments for Remote Teaching: Definitions, Guidelines, Uses, and Limitations

be sure that the case has enough nuance that there isn’t an immediately clear path to a right answer

make sure that the case can be responded to or solved by the application of course-related knowledge or skills

create a template or a set of guiding questions to help students formulate their responses

consider check-ins to discuss current analysis and suggest improvements

if the case is being responded to in groups, identify how students should meet (by way of Google Meet or Teams or Zoom or BB discussion board)

you’re encouraging students to apply knowledge to a particular situation

you want students to understand the complexity of a situation

there is sufficient time to consider the case and its possible solutions

case studies usually have more than one correct response, so it takes time to consider each solution when grading

case studies are challenging (though not impossible) to use in timed test situations because the time students need for reflection

be sure to read everything that students write

allow students time to adjust

track participation

offer open-ended and relevant questions

try to keep groups to about 30 (max)

be aware that students have posts in other classes

consider allowing students to opt out for one or two weeks; or allow them to choose which weeks to submit for marking

students need an asynchronous forum to interact with peers

students are discussing questions that have more than one good answer; questions of application, analysis, or evaluation work best

discussion boards can become routine or performative

sometimes students see them as an unessential and awkward part of the course

keep them short

encourage students to incorporate evidence / research / course-related terms into their reflection

ask students to reflect on their learning after an exam, presentation, research project, or fieldwork

consider asking students to describe their understanding of topic at the beginning of the course; then have them write again analyzing or interpreting that initial understanding at the end of the course

reflection papers are sometimes difficult to grade because of their personal nature

marking can be time-consuming

a recorded presentation; a paper submitted to the instructor or recorded in the discussion board

sometimes used as an accompaniment to a longer project (e.g., fieldwork or large research project)

let students know what a good presentation is, especially when it comes to recording or presenting to a remote audience

be ready to direct students to the IT user guides for recording

have students record their presentations, post/share, and ask other students to respond or comment

give the audience a role (e.g., to ask questions or to write a response)

a culminating activity is required, especially when you want students to synthesize, demonstrate or apply understanding of a concept

you want students to articulate (in a formal way) their own understandings

have students record their presentations and post them in a discussion board (e.g., a research café [courtesy of Suzanne Bailey])

give students a range of options to deliver their presentations (e.g., synchronously, recorded or as slides and script)

a podcast (as an interview or a narrative)

give choices for the topic of the essay.

offer a chance for students to check out initial drafts or components of their essays.

remind students why an essay is an important genre for the development of critical thinking and argumentation.

there are many answers to a single question or responses to a topic

as a culminating task (especially in early years of undergraduate study)

essays are time-consuming to grade

essays can be purchased or plagiarized online

students might not see the value of an essay; it is sometimes seen as a hoop to jump through, with no bearing on their current way of thinking

Offer a few questions that test for understanding of facts, ideas, processes, and concepts (using words like “list,” “identify,” “explain,” or “describe”

write more questions that ask students to apply their knowledge (e.g., a case study); use phrases like “How would you solve __ using what you’ve learned?” or “What would happen if …” or “How would ___ respond to ____’s ideas?”

present relevant qualitative and quantitative data and then ask students interpretative questions: what does the data show? What factors could affect this data?

write questions that require students to synthesize ideas or concepts from across the course’s curriculum

be sure to provide a word count for each response as a guide for students and to standardize response lengths for grading purposes

students are ready to synthesize, apply, or evaluate knowledge or information

students have low internet connectivity.

These tests are time-consuming to grade

These tests assume that students have a kind of mastery of processes or facts

offer questions which test a number of different ways of knowing

give choice (e.g., have students choose to respond to questions on three of five modules in the course)

for large classes, distribute different versions of the same exam, with problems that have different starting points with the data

have a contingency plan for tech-related issues

consider offering an alternative exam for those wishing to opt-out of a proctored exam

they are short and low-stakes

testing for memory of facts or processes (or when there is a single right answer)

it;s unclear whether a proctoring service will be available for Fall 2020; if it is available, students require a reliable internet connection, a webcam, and a private location

issues with Blackboard testing are common and can be stressful for students and instructors

loading questions into Blackboard is labour-intensive and takes significant knowledge of the platform

have students watch a demonstration or lab and interpret its results

have students record themselves doing a component of a larger task and explaining it along the way

determine the amount of time – and the number of questions – needed to assess knowledge of a particular topic

decide on the number of sets of questions needed to discourage cheating

account for a students’ nervousness; begin with a relatively easy question

if using cases, be sure they are relevant to the course and representative of issues in the field

provide students with a possible question and model answer

if possible use more than one tester

develop a rubric (with specific criteria), to make grading consistent (especially key if assistants are helping to deliver the exam)

give students choice on the topic

have students draft a thesis or research question to summarize or focus the research

have students share their annotated bibliographies before a major assignment

students have the capability to do focused research

students have been trained in the evaluation of arguments and sources