At this point you have already identified learner outcomes at the program, course and unit levels. Now you are ready to design assessments that allows the student to SHOW you that he or she has mastered the Culminating Course Outcomes you have so clearly laid out for them. Another term frequently used for this type of assessment is summative assessment. Summative assessments are the demonstrations of learning you expect at the end of a course or program.For the purposes of this tutorial, we will use the term Performance Based Assessment. The 'A Funny thing Happened Leaving No Child Behind" YouTube video below looks at some of the mixed signals that we receive when implementing alternate assessment methods.

 

When planning assessments for online courses, it is important to think creatively and "out of the box." This is the time to provide a wide range of opportunities for students to tap into their own "intelligences." Projects can be created or Power Point presentations can be substituted for a research paper; both different ways for the student to demonstrate the mastery of the same content or skill. The on-line student can mail, fax, e-mail or drop off in your office their final "demonstration."

Following are a few examples of assessments that instructors have used in their on­line courses:

• In an instructional unit on marketing concepts: A Power Point presentation that summarizes the environmental analysis for a specific drug company.
• In a biology unit: An animation project that demonstrates cell division.
• In a social studies program that expected students to become actively involved in their community: A letter written to a senator stating why nutrition programs in public schools is important.
• In a language arts program which stressed communication skills: A video-tape that demonstrated the skills needed for public speaking.
• In a computers basic course: A web design project that demonstrates understanding of communication design, accuracy and creativity.
• In a business strategies course: A simulation project that shows the interrelationships between stakeholders, finance, marketing, and regulations on consumer behavior.

The following are a few tools that can assist you in defining assessment criteria for applied projects.

• Assessment Techniques - page provides a listing online assessment techniques and supporting websites.
• Designing Rubrics - A rubric is a scoring tool that lists the criteria for a piece of work, or the major points on which the student will be graded.
• Authentic Assessment Toolbox (off-site)- This site is "a how-to hypertext on creating authentic tasks, rubrics and standards for measuring and improving student learning."
• Teaching Goals Inventory (off-site) - This online survey, taken from Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Teachers, is an excellent planning tool to insure course goals are obtainable.
• Using Wikis for Assessment - Wikis offer educators an opportunity to create a different type of web resource in which both the instructor and the student group can have equal active roles as contributors and editors. The nature of Wikis means they offer a number benefits relating to learning and teaching applications. This page provides some guidelines for integrating wikis in the teaching environment.

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