Online Course

FORMS OF ASSESSMENT

To evaluate clear understanding of content several forms of assessment may be used. Tools that may be used for formative assessment in an online class include:

· Blogs/Journals. These aid in reflection of what the student has learned and offers the instructor an opportunity for feedback.

· Discussion Boards. This promotes collaboration and engagement between peers and encourages critical thinking.

· Projects/Portfolios. These promote student-centered learning and allow observation for mastery of content.

Helping Struggling Learners

Constructive feedback throughout the course can aid in keeping learners on track. Additional strategies to redirect learning when formative assessment identifies gaps are:

1. Synchronous tutoring with the instructor.

2. Instructor provides additional resources.

3. Self-evaluation through reflections.

4. Responding to peer comments on Discussion Boards.

5. Providing student more time to process information.

For the purpose of this project portfolio a Discussion Board will be used. Each week assignments will be worth 100 points and participation will be worth 20 points for a total of 600 points.

USING DISCUSSION BOARDS

Research has shown Discussion Boards to be very effective in online learning. This is a student-centered approach and promotes critical thinking. It is best to use a variety of types of discussion questions to meet different learning styles and initiate socialization between peers. This is a great tool to assess students mastery and comprehension of content.

Use of a Discussion Board should:

encourage collaboration
focus on the learning objective
aid in formative assessment
assist peers with learning

To encourage student participation, instructions should use open-ended questions and create value by assigning a grade to the posts.

For the purpose of this project portfolio students will post to the discussion board in response with an original post to two questions per week. They will also respond to two classmate posts two times per week, for a total of six posts. Each response should be between 100-200 words.

REFLECTION IN LEARNING

Reflection in Learning is an action or thought based on your own experiences or engagement in your learning process. It helps clarify your thoughts about what you have learned. Reflection also helps you to focus and actively participate in your own learning.

A reflection assignment for an online media literacy class might be: How has your definition and understanding of media literacy changed? What is the primary goal of media literacy in our society?