5 Keuntungan yang Hanya Bisa Kamu Dapatkan dari Kegagalan

The word evaluation is used to describe a wide array of activities but the purpose is generally the same - it is an assessment of what students have learned and a gauge that indicates if specific learning outcomes were met. When you see this word in the context of an academic environment, you may also likely associate it with a formalized review process, such as a test that a student has taken. If so, you have a basic understanding of what it means and how it is utilized. But an evaluation is not always a one-time event and it can be implemented at various times throughout the class. The definitions may also be somewhat confusing. An evaluation is both the review process utilized by an instructor as well as something that the student completes or performs. But overall an evaluation is the process used to gauge students' progress and its effectiveness is determined by the design process, its intended use, and its underlying purpose, which can make it either meaningful or meaningless. Whether or not you control all aspects of the design phase, you are in control of its implementation and use. There are steps you can take to give an evaluation meaning for your students and ensure that it is beneficial for your work as an educator. Establishing a Definition At its very basic purpose and evaluation is designed to assess or measure students' progress, knowledge acquired, or development of a specific skill. The traditional formats include a quiz, exam, test, or completion of an assignment or learning activity. When grading is conducted it is done based upon a correct or incorrect answer, or some other guiding standard or set of criteria. Students know from their primary schooling that evaluations are part of the learning process. For online classes there are not as many options implemented. Some of the primary tools utilized in online classes are discussions and written assignments. Over time technological tools have enabled online quizzes, exams, and other forms of assessment. While there are words that seem similar in nature it is possible to make a distinction. For example, to evaluate is to judge, to assess means to make a determination, and to measure is to make a comparison of the result to a specific standard. The word evaluation itself is best suited for academic purposes and it indicates that a valuation is being made through some form of instrument. For example, a test could make a determination of the number of correct answers and for written assignment it is evaluated based upon the number of points earned. Feedback provided by online educators is generally related to the process of evaluating what students have learned as they process information and work with course concepts. The discussions and written assignments then become the instruments used to evaluate online students.

Why It Matters The results of evaluations serve to inform the college or university, provide critical information for instructors, and offer a progress report or status for students. From the institutional level, the results are tied to students' grades and this provides data that can be analyzed, such as completion rates and overall trends among students. For instructors, there are learning activities to be evaluated and it can include class discussions and written assignments. Each one provides insight about students and their learning ability, along with their developmental needs. When students receive the results they also have received a progress report and it can become a resource for them to build upon and learn from, or it may serve as a source of frustration and demotivate them - depending upon the instructional strategy used to evaluate them.

Here are the Basics Some of the most important aspects for the process of evaluating students is the underlying purpose of the instrument designed for them to complete and the criteria established for grading. This is part of the design process, when a decision is made concerning what students must complete as a means of demonstrating their progress. In order to create meaning the purpose of the instrument needs to be linked to a learning outcome or goal and supported through the assigned course materials. For example, an instrument may take the form of a written assignment and it needs to be supported by the instructor through their written announcements, resources provided, and involvement in class discussions. The criteria established provide a uniform method of developing feedback and showing students how points were earned or lost. Even if an instructor is not in control of the instrument design phase, they are in full control of evaluating students.

5 Steps to Purposeful Design Step #1: Design Phase Start by developing a purpose or overall guiding statement. What do you want or expect students to learn? What are the learning outcomes and how does this align with course outcomes? Once these questions are answered you can decide upon a specific instrument and the level of complexity required to ensure that learning goals have been met by students. If this is a graded activity you will also have to determine the number of points associated with it. This step must be completed in a carefully planned manner if you want it to become an indicator of where students are at in the learning process. Step #2: Development Phase Once you have established an overall guiding purpose and an instrument, you then need to create a specific set of instructions and set of criteria. The more explicit your instructions are the better results you are likely to receive from students. Learn to be clear and concise with each step written, and articulate the expected learning outcomes and resources needed for students to complete this assigned activity. Step #3: Preparation Now that you have a well written instrument it is time to assess the resources that were built into the curriculum and determine if anything else is required. You will need to develop a balance between what students need to complete on their own and what you should provide them with the instructions. The preparation step involves how both the instructor and students need to be readied for this task. Step #4: Implementation Once you have fully developed the instrument a decision needs to be made when it will be delivered to students. For most online courses the learning activities are built into the curriculum, stated in the syllabus, and integrated into the course shell. This means that students will know ahead of time what they are expected to complete and when it is due. Typically there are discussions that take place throughout the class week and assignments that are due at or near the end of the week. Step #5: Feedback The last step in the process is where the most important work begins for instructors - conducting the evaluation. As a general rule, online instructors are given a specific number of days to complete their feedback after the class week has concluded. Of course some evaluations will be auto-graded if there was an online quiz our exam; however, all other learning activities require careful review and detailed feedback provided to the students. Something to keep in mind is that an effective instrument can be rendered meaningless with a poor evaluation or review by the instructor.

How to Add Meaning It is possible that you have completed all of the five steps but the evaluation still lacks meaning for the students. As an example, if an auto-graded online quiz provides only a score - that is an indicator of what students know at that moment in time or they have memorized. But if students are given an instrument or learning activity that requires reading assigned materials and providing a written response or paper, they are likely to gain much greater value. But most important, the full impact of that activity will depend upon the feedback provided - which means that instructors need to consider what will add meaning to students' learning experience. Many online instructors do not have an ability to create their own evaluation instruments and this is a trend in the industry - providing them with prebuilt courses. That removes the first two steps in the design process but an instructor can still determine how to prepare students, when to remind or informed them about the activity, and provide additional resources as needed to assist them. Every instructor will have control of the last step in the process and the evaluation conducted can become much more meaningful by understanding the purpose of its design. Students know that they must produce some type of work in each of their classes and a properly designed instrument provides instructors with a tool that will allow them to assess their progress in the learning process.

Share this post