Ann, your idea about "extensive use of posts at the beginning of a course might be utilized, whereas a collaborative document during the middle of the course might be beneficial" is a good one. I, for one, feel overwhelmed when I sign into DIIGO and find that people have been posting, posting, and posting while I have been doing other tasks, therefore, switching etools or cutting back on their usage would be useful for me.

This is the title of an article in today's Seattle Times (2/7) in the NW MONDAY section B-1. Basically, it is about a proposed plan to partner Washington State with WGU (Western Governors University) which is located in Utah. If adopted, the "plan would expand a nonprofit online university in Washington as a way to increase access to higher education." It is a thought-provoking read that has implications for all of us aspiring to become online educators.

Joy, consider the process of Metacognition--thinking about your thinking. You may want to do a little reading about it. In my teaching, I have often used metacognitive strategies to find out just how well the students "understood" what I was hoping they would "understand". Using journals and guiding questions that force a student into reflecting on what was learned is always a good one. Another favorite of mine is the Self-Reflective essay in which students would write a 1-2 page discourse on the learning process they had just gone through--what did they do, what did they learn, what was the thinking process they engaged in to get to the completion of the learning project, who might have engaged intellectually with them and what was that process all about, etc. I hope this little bit will help in your quest. Assessment is always tricky because how can a person (instructor) TRULY KNOW what was or was not learned by a student? That's why multiple assessment strategies are used. Among them are peer evaluations (these can be verbal or written), conferences/interviews with instructors, portfolios, projects, rubrics, demonstrations and oral presentations, as well as a variety of tests or quizzes. I often built in a CHOICE factor which allowed students to choose two ways they wanted to be assessed for the learning that took place for them. This was a helpful strategy, but again, it was difficult to truly know if the student "got it" completely! The use of a particular assessment strategy is also dependent upon what the instructor is looking for. That might vary from facts to concepts, to a universal principle that has broad application. The Understanding by Design model looks for the latter.

I think your questions that were shared yesterday by Jennifer are excellent! It will be great to see what you end up with in your completed learning framework!

I posted an URL for an article discussing this topic. I am really interested in hearing from and/or discussing with any of you, its application in your professional lives. Learning how you have successfully incorporated these skills or, difficulties you have experienced in the work place would be most welcome!