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I think an instructor of a course that was completely online could find him/herself overwhelmed with the amount of communication taking place. It takes time to navigate around, read everyone's posts on each topic, and comment, all while working to be both professional and approachable. In a face-to-face class, you can visually monitor how long it's going to take the instructor to respond to you. (How many other hands are in the air? How many people are lined up?) The instructor can also view facial expressions and body language to determine if his/her students are "getting it" and buying in. It seems like this element, in an online course, would have to be done entirely by computer interactions. I'd be completely overwhelmed if I had to teach a course completely online!

It is challenging at times. I've had a few of you call me, if you have a Moodle problem. I also agree that you need to be very clear when you communicate online because you don't see those facial expressions and body language. You also have to be careful about joking with people online, because again you don't see facial expressions, body language and hear tone of voice.

This is where I think online learning can really be utilized to the benefit of every student. Online learning can be personalized for each student's need.

I think that Moodle is great for providing that immediate feedback. It lets students know if they are on the right track!

I think collaboration and group work is great for students in preparing them for life after high school if done correctly. Too often I see groupwork done where one or two students do the majority of the work while other students do little or nothing. Online classes can can either help or hurt group projects depending on how they are set up and the work required by each individual student.

I think more teachers would add an online component to their classes if they felt more comfortable. I was hoping my school district would choose one online platform (Moodle for example) and then train all of our staff to create pages. Some teachers have created their own websites but it would be much easier for the students if all teachers had the same online set up for their classes.

I completely agree with having all teachers use the same website. It seems easiest, most cost-efficient, and just smart, best practice for a district to do that. Good call!

I too agree--and my district is trying to move forward on the decision making path. BUT deciding which of the CMS to go with is challenging/daunting.

I believe this is an important element of online learning. There are so many tools that can be used to get the same point across, and if it engages the students they will be more likely to want to learn it.

Brings up a good point. Most districts have the right to keep students off the internet if they have abused it in the past. What happens when it is required for a class?

That is a good question Bethany! What does happen??

I think policies need to be developed by schools and school districts to address such issues.

This seems to be a particularly relevant standard for this field in particular, perhaps more so than in any other area. Not only do "new" technologies enter the educational setting, but familiar ones are updated/upgraded. There is also such a broad range of technology available, as well as slightly different "products" to do similar tasks.

I agree Erin this is so important and so challenging as an educator to stay on top of the new learning that is needed to teach native tech students in todays world.

Paige Keeley offers many strategies for formative assessment in her books. I wish she wrote one for use online, but some of her ideas could be adapted. Partner Speaks could change to Partner writes and have feedback to whole group be based on what partner's work or strategy was.

These are some of my favorite techniques for student assessment and engagement.  The critique is a major part of art education and the more I do it, the more I enjoy it...I think the students tend to feel the same way.  

This is where rubric perfection is key. The better, more fine-tuned a rubric, the more sensitive it can be to student assessment.

It's very important for everyone to get on th esame page with this definition and truly understand the intended use of formative assessments- to adjust teaching!

I agree. I also think teachers need to be reminded at times that formative assessments provide "feedback to adjust ongoing teaching and learning." I think sometimes teachers administer what they would call formative assessments, but don't use the information to drive instruction.

And when educators do not use the information to drive instruction, it is not formative assessments.

Formative assessment is hugely important to guide teachers' instruction. 

I think it is also important to remember that it isn't just for teachers...the learner needs to be involved in the process and more than just as a resource for gathering data.  The learner and teacher go hand in hand as a part of this process. 

There are, unfortunately, too many who see formative assessment as a data collection tool only, as opposed to an instructional resource. This, of course, needs to be changed.

YES!

And really, if you are not going to use assessment for this purpose, why would you do it?

Great reminder that it is for the STUDENTS and not just the teacher!

The fact that there are so many definitions of formative assessment can be frustrating. In all of my training, Rick Stiggins in the author who's opinion on assessment most closely matches my own beliefs.

The process is the assessment:)

I think the word process is key here. There should be several formative assessments along the way in each unit to inform teachers and enable incremental changes along the way. 

I think that is the key too. "A process of strategies that the teacher can implement during instruction" to "elicit evidence of student learning to inform and adjust instruction." So important to adjust instruction for best learning outcome for student.

I see so many who forget to involve the student in the process and it results in low student engagement because they feel it's "not about them" and there is nothing they can do to change the outcomes.

I've seen this as well while working within different classrooms. Students need to be included in the process and be given more responsibility for their learning.

To me, this is key and all too often missing.

Descriptive feedback is very important.  How often have teachers just written standard phrases such as "well done", "way to go"..... But, to do descriptive feedback takes quite a bit of time.

I truly wish everyone could see that everyhting is built upon this foundation:) I think this should be #1 of the 5!

I agree. The more we work together the better the outcomes and desire for students to be actively involved with their own learning.

I think that Number 5 sums it all up. Collaboration between students and teacher makes it all happen if everything else is in place: instructional outcomes and criteria for success.

Providing "frequent feedback" gives the student an opportunity to make adjustments as they progress instead of waiting until the assignment has been finished. Frequent assessments can result in the redirection of student(s) work especially if the assignment was misunderstood.

What a great way for students to provide feedback. I've heard this stated a little differently but with the same general idea/outcome. All to often the focus is on the negatives and students become discouraged and lose interest. If we can focus on a couple of positives and then share what may need to be improved the students overall approach and attitude might be better.

I really liked this approach as well.  We should be looking for more ways to encourage the repetition of positive behavior then always pointing out what is wrong. 

This is a good approach for peer assessment.  It give enough encouragement to balance the items that need work. 

I like this idea. Using "two stars and a wish" students need to look for positive things as well as one thing that needs improvement. This focuses on the positive.

I think that this sentence is important and should not be missed.  Interesting that the thought is that self-assessment should not be part of the formal grade. 

I agree that peer and self assessment should not be used in the formal grading process. Peer and self assessment should help guide the student and help him/her think about their thinking, but not be an actual part of their grade. That would put too much pressure on them.

Closing the gap between students' current understanding the desired goals is a great way to explicitly state the purpose of formative assessment.  It keeps the focus on the students, but also impacts the reflective teacher on how to proceed next to truly differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all learners.

I think another important piece to the learning progression is to involve the student in the tracking of this process and progress.   In the elementary classroom I found it common place for teachers to use good formative assessment, but the results and process were almost hidden from the students.  I found that by involving them in the process it had a greater impact on their understanding and sense of responsibility in the learning process.

I agree with you. I think involving students in the process of their own learning will give them more of a buy in as well as more motivation.

I see this as being a component of online learning that could be implemented and beneficial to the students.  I think that building the relationships in the class prior to peer assessment would be key to insuring the success in the online environment.

I did not have great luck with peer assessment in elementary school. It was very time consuming and rarely provided the results I had hoped. Each time I refined how I set it up, how I modeled it, etc. with about the same results. 

I think this is vital to the success and achievement of our students.  I struggle with what this looks like in the online environment.

I think that this is a slippery slope, some students will look to take the road of less resistance, ie no homework, but if the teacher prepares work thoughtfully, then the students may be allowed to choose which homework assignment best suits them and be possibly allowed to change or tweak a topic in order to suit one of their interests which would then increase student buy-in.

The conversation between the teacher and student regarding learning is the most powerful part of formative assessment!

This is true even for presenters who have already established a relationship with the audience.  The presenter still has to work to continue to win the audience over, rather than rest on the success of past presentations.  

I notice that children do this naturally.  They love to scoot up front, as close to my legs as possible.  They're establishing a connection, and that helps them listen, attend, and learn.  

Oh, but we like our podium. It feels safer to hide behind the barrier, especially when we're not used to giving presentations to adults. This will take some getting used to.

This always increases classroom participation.  I continually use this technique in order to gain attention.  It keeps the participants on their toes and allows the presenter to be more "present".

And carry extra batteries for said remote, too.  It's very easy to forget to turn the remote off after the presentation.

Bingo!  This is the key for the longer-scheduled presentations.  Students need opportunities to move, talk, laugh, and share how they're processing what's being presented.  

I often did break my presentations up, but more like 20-30 minute intervals.  Having only 10 minute intervals will aid in discussions and feedback.  I am looking forward to trying these time frames out.

Most of my presentations are to students and I'm expected to fill 48 minutes.  By using this principle and breaking it up every 10 minutes I will have a much better chance of keeping them engaged.  They respond to video well and as mentioned, need to interact with the content.

This is so true. And I am just as guilty as the next presenter for using this standard technique. Somehow we thought that a spash of color here or there would make it more interesting. These kinds of "Death by PowerPoint" presentations are going to be even more difficult to endure as an audience member, now that we know Presentation Zen.

Guilty.  Working on it, though. :)  Trying to incorporate less words and more images to illicit better retention.

Simple, yet effective. I didn't know about this

Empathy. Understanding the issues from the audience perspective. This is a very proactive approach to changing the minds and hearts of others. I will consider this when I review the slides for my project.

Honestly, I have never done this. I understand the need to internalize the content but practice 10 hours? Who has that kind of time for practice?

A valid point.  I try to go through my presentations silently a few times, but 10 hours seems like a lot.  I would love to have that kind of time, but just don't.

This is a great tip for those who want to become better presenters. If we're going to rehearse for 10 hours, we might as well video tape ourselves and then watch that as part of the practice time so we can critique ourselves in action.

I haven't done this for a few years, but it is likely time to do it again.  It's uncomfortable, but necessary if the goal is to improve.

There is such a drive for "bigger is better" these days.  I truly believe gigantic screens can be overwhelming at times, therefore distracting.  This is a wise tip.

Great reminder. I am presenting at a conference next week, and mine is the final presentation on a Friday afternoon, the second and final day of the conference. Those who stick around will be ready to roll. I'm keeping it short!

I'll have to make some inquiries at our school. I'm not sure if we have these. 

I wish I could feel this way every day in class. Truth is, I don't. Gotta keep working toward it. 

This takes all the pressure off! I am going to write this on my first note card. 

More great advice for teachers. They resist. Oh, they resist. 

Duly noted! 

Public speaking 101. This is a must, and it seems obvious to those of us who have to watch unrehearsed student presentations day after day. Grrr. 

Right!

I am a scanner, it seems to feel safer when I'm presenting. However, it makes good sense to look at individuals to increase connection and attention.

I like this idea of empathizing.  Stepping to the "other side", the audiences side, to see/feel/think what they may.  This allows us to work through any challenging differing points of view prior to our presentation.

Agreed.  This is very annoying to me.  I can read.  Engage me with something that is not on the slide.  I can say this is one thing I feel pretty comfortable with in my own presentations.  I glance at my slides for reminders or to jog memory, but try never to read them.

That isn't surprising. Its new and could feel threatening.

I wonder if when initially doing self-assessment if some students would almost feel guilty about assessing themselves too positively....even if they feel they did a really fantastic job. That's where rubrics come in, right?

I think that's why self-assessment really needs to be explained what it is and how it is going to be used. As students use this more, they will become more confident about assessing their progress.

My personal opinion: I don't feel this can take place in one class. This is a cultural norm that has to be set up over many years in school.

This is the life-long skill to develop!

Looking objectively at your own work isn't always easy. Sometimes the more work you put into it the more your think it becomes great and/or the more you struggle with it the more you think it isn't great. Sometimes how objective you are is subjective.

True. It is hard to separate the quality of the work itself, and the effort you put into the work.

These last sentences summarize the article.  Self-assessment does not have to equate with grading.  We need to teach people how to evaluate their own work so that they can make changes for improvement of their work. I feel that at times people are just after the grade.....pleasing the professor....not about learning. 

It's important to have a "predetermined list of criteria" that has been identified by the teacher. Followed by a practice peer assessment being completed as a group for practice. This will serve as a guide to the student(s) as they begin the peer assessment process for each other.

Developing good judgement skills of a student takes practice and time. Small group work of 4-5 members on a couple of sample assignments will help in learning how to identify and offer good peer assessment.

The idea of using some sample assignments as a way to help identify good peer assessment is a good recommendation. I don't think students are naturally good assessers, and this requires practice (and scaffolding).

I can see peer grading being low stakes in the beginning. However, as students start to become more proficient in their skills the teacher might consider giving them the opportunity to work on a high stakes assignment as well.

Interesting how the students see the value of the self assessment and prior to this class didn't put as much thought into their work.

I agree, I find when I include self-assessment regularly my students are more thoughtful about what they produce.  It is also helpful for me because self-assessment allows students to verbalize their processes.  

I agree that if a student knows how to effectively complete a self evaluation of their work then chances are they will be able to work more collaboratively in a group situation.

I think I agree here. I have found that for the most part students are usually honest in a self-reflection, especially if they have to provide specific evidence to support their claims rather than just a number. If the self-evaluation is just a number it is often inflated. 

Key elements of self-assessment to keep in mind.  

This sets the tone for the class and helps to avoid some of the disadvantages discussed above.  

I think that the steps given in this paragraph are crucial for this process to work.  It is teaching what is expected and guidance how to measure.

I have a lot of questions about his process.  Did he provide students with a rubric for grading? Were comments expected?  Maybe students didn't know what to comment on (organization, subject, editing, etc.)  There are a lot of variations that need to be considered.  Also, is this expectation set out at the beginning of the course?  

These are valid questions. The context could paint an entirely different picture. Hypothetically, though, I can see situations where he would be correct. Commenting can often be lacking, regardless of the strength of the guidelines, given a student's perceptions around how they should critique fellow students.

Depending on the type of class, peer feedback might not be an expectation of some learners.  For example, in an art course peer feedback is critical, but I wouldn't necessarily want (or expect to give) peer feedback in other courses I have taken.  

This is very true. Not only subject areas, but different contexts as well. It is harder to be critical when you are simply a classmate; much easier when you are a teammate on a Mock Trial team or a Basketball team, for example.

This is important to note- if makes the process clear and meaningful.

I feel a clear process and expectations would help with this.

It can. Though, the term "clear" is not very clear. I've seen peer assessment tasks that are very detailed, but it doesn't mean students can actually provide good assessment. Many see this as something that will potentially make them look bad if they are overly critical... it seems to go against the proverbial Sunday School Lesson of being nice to everyone.

Absolutely!

This is key!

As long as it is valuable to the learners I think it should be worth the time;)

Interesting!

It would be difficult, when you are so used to teachers evaluating your work, to truly assess your own work without thinking about what the teacher might want.

That teachers share their expectations really makes it self-assessment, not self-grading.

I think this is a good skill not only for the current time and place, but also a skill students can use throughout their life. If they can learn how to effectively and objectively look at their work, they will become better and better at it in all areas of their life.

I think this is a good case in support of using rubrics- if written correctly, it's a good tool to guide self refelction in a measurable way.

While this seems obvious and upfront, I can recall some experiences in my undergraduate work where we were expected to complete a peer assessment and this was not at all clear.  It left our conversations to be very dull and not meaningful.  We focused on very superficial things and tried not to say things that would hurt the other's feelings.  If the expectations had been clear it would have made the process much more meaningful.

I think the word "clear" isn't clear. That may be a bit glib, but it is a throwaway statement to say "Your expectations should be clear". Well, no doubt. But how do you know they are clear? Clear to whom? Luckily, the author backs this up with some other paragraphs below... usually authors leave it at that.

I see more and more reference to portfolios as students and schools move toward a 1:1 computing environment.  However, often I find that the purpose has not been clearly articulated, and the portfolio essentially becomes a collection of student work similar to the scrapbook that my mother made of my school work while growing up.  Placing the focus of the portfolio on either a self assessment of the process or product helps to provide a context and purpose for the practice.

I feel that self assessment done well can be extremely valuable for our students.  It focuses the the process of self reflection and forces the student to constantly look back at the criteria listed for the work to be completed.

Unfortunately, this statement rings very true in my personal experience.  The focus of the professors often seems to be to protect their standing as the expert and power holder.  I often wonder if the constructivist centered work that is starting to take place in our K-12 institutions is impacting what is happening at the next level.

With the growth of MOOCs as well as other online learning options I see this as an area that will certainly continue to change and grow over time.  While both peer and self assessment may offer specific challenges in the online course world, I do believe they can have a place in assessment.

I think this is a crucial point in the process of self-assessment.  the purpose must be viewed as a process for improvement.  If the objective is complete upon grading, the self - assessment will be of little value.

I agree that this is a crucial point. It is about the process for improvement. I take classes now for the knowledge not the grade. It puts a whole new spin on the learning and wanting to improvement my practices, etc.

This is so true. I hate to admit it, but I think I was too focused on making sure that the assessment took into account each member's contribution more so than did each student meet the target or goal. I wonder if it's because I was always one of the heavy lifters in all projects. I wanted to be sure that my grade didn't suffer because of those that didn't care. I suspect my approach to assessing group work was influenced unduly by my past experiences as a student than sound pedagogy.  

Question: Couldn't the teacher "see" who has participated in the group work by using the instructor's tools for the online platform?  Why use peer assessment for a grade?

I see the reasoning behind this peer assessment but I never liked it as a student and I have had a hard time even giving part of a grade on group projects based on peer evaluations so I have generally steered clear of using them in this way.

I agree. I have never been satisfied with efforts at peer assessment. I love the idea of it, but I never got the desired results. I suspect I did not do enough modeling. 

I have to agree here. This has more of a punitive feel to it rather than providing an incentive for positive behavior. 

A well-written rubric provides guidance for what the end result should be, but it doesn't do much to ensure that the group works well together to accomplish this goal. Often, it just indicates what the heavy lifters have to do.

More than anything else I have learned this through this course...that well-written rubrics are so important! I thought that before, but now as we look at self and peer assessment I see it as absolutely critical.

Deb, you really have a good point. Rubrics for group work in of themselves do not ensure that everyone is doing their part.

I have found that the more students practice assessing other pieces of writing, the better informed they are as to the what quality work looks like. They are better able to assess it in others' work as well as their own. However, often there doesn't seem to be enough time to devote to this process. It is so worthwhile but very time consuming. 

I agree with you Deb. It is so worthwhile but it takes time. In order to get better they need practice and guidance. I do think student engagement and responsibility for own learning will outweigh the time involvement in the long run.

This is an important part of career readiness, being able to self-assess. In my work career I am constantly reflecting on my own work, what I need to know more about and how I can improve the process and/or the final product.

If we want students to be engaged and responsible for their learning, self-assessment is a great start. Students monitor their progress and contribute to their learning goals.

These last sentences summarize the article.  Self-assessment does not have to equate with grading.  We need to teach people how to evaluate their own work so that they can make changes to improve their work. I feel that at times people are just after the grade.....pleasing the professor....not about learning.