Module 3: Collaborative Assessment Efforts

Module 3: Collaborative Assessment Efforts:

     “Virtual collaborative learning environments aim to produce technology-based learning processes where participants can work together as a group to construct and share knowledge. Such environments provide a rich opportunity for collaborative knowledge building, particularly through peer-to-peer dialogue” (Ghaoui 2003).

     In the video resource of this week, George Siemens discusses several strategies for assessing collaborative learning in the online environment. George Siemens states that assessment is a teaching based activity that provides an opportunity to give feedback and evaluate ourselves as educators. That is the best definition of the meaning of the word assessment I have ever heard in my life as an educator. Furthermore, Siemens suggests that one strategy that can be used to evaluate collaborative learning is by utilizing “Peer Assessment.” “Peer assessment” consists of students exchanging constructive feedback about work effort and participation of their learning team members. I believe that the online learning format at Walden University often provides that type of assessment. Last semester, I was teamed up with two other students in order to evaluate the weekly progress of our own individual presentations. I must emphasize that we had to create a presentation by ourselves which I enjoyed very much because the thought of creating a single presentation as a group would have been a nightmare and would have defeated the purpose of the online learning format (anytime, anywhere, and at your own pace). Each week, I received constructive feedback from my team members. Their feedback was always constructive and enabled me to successfully finish my video presentation assignment.

     Luke posted on his e-learning blog one of the major problems that educators encounter while assessing collaborative groups, “One of the problems is that the same methods of assessing individual work are being applied to group work. Teachers do this because they are accustomed to it. We cannot assess this way because if everyone in a group does the same exact thing, it is nothing more than independent work done in the company of others” (Luke, 2012).  As an online learner who mainly seeks flexibility in the pursues of a post graduate degree, I view participation in group/collaborative learning as an impediment to continue my education. If an online educational program requires students to schedule online meetings in order to delegate or check work for an assignment, that online program is defeating the purpose of the promised online learning format. I would like to highlight that collaborative assessment requires several methods of assessment that can be used within a single course to provide a summative evaluation of a student's knowledge, ability and participation.  In an online course, participation can be assessed by providing students with a well written rubric. That rubric can provide useful feedback regarding the effectiveness of a student’s participation in threaded discussions and offer benchmarks against which to measure and record progress.

     In response to the question, “How do the varying levels of skill and knowledge students bring to a course affect the instructor's "fair and equitable assessment" of learning?”, my answer is that assessing students using the same rubrics for all assignments is the fairest way to assess all types of students. Most students at all levels of education come to classes with a variety of skills and background knowledge. I personally view differences within students’ levels of skill and knowledge as an opportunity to spark rich learning opportunities.  When students bring to college their various perspectives, knowledge and skills to classroom discussions, they can actually enhance the learning process of other students in the same virtual classroom. 

      If a student does not want to network or collaborate in a learning community for an online course, the instructor should ask for the reasons of such a request. If they are valid, student should not be isolated. I personally would not collaborate in a learning community that requires team members to meet online at specific times because the only free time I have after meeting my obligations with my family is about eleven o’clock at night. I once enrolled in an online college that required sixty percent of the assignments to be done in groups. Almost everyone could meet online except for me. I was extremely frustrated because I thought that the online learning format was designed for students who could only work on their own time and at their own pace. The majority of online learners enrolled into online colleges because flexibility is a great issue in their lives. At that time, I didn’t receive any support either from my instructor or administration, so I dropped out from that school. Years later, I spoke to an advisor from Walden University, and she explained to me that collaborative learning is part of their online format, but that I would never have to take time off from work in order to meet with a learning team. Instructors or facilitators should be aware that students are all different; therefore, they should always be willing to design alternate education plans for diverse students. As an educator and a student, I understand that people ‘s culture, religion, and  learning habits may differ from most people, but I also know that there is not a problem that can’t be solved by using  good communication skills.

References:

Ghaoui, C; (2003). Usability Evaluation of Online Learning Programs. Idea Group Inc. p. 43.

Laureate Education, Inc. (2008). Principles of distance education: Distance Education: Assessment of 

Collaborative Learning.

Lukes’ e-learning Blog, (2012).   Assessing Collaborative Efforts.   A blog about teaching and learning with

technology. Retrieved from: http://lukebilger.blogspot.com/2012/01/assessing- oncollaborative-efforts.html

July 11, 2012.

Palloff, R. M., & Pratt, K. (2007). Building online learning communities: Effective strategies for

the virtual classroom. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.