Common Characteristics of Effective Assessments-2

One common thought is that the assessment for online courses must follow (or be the same as) assessment strategies used for face to face classes. However, instructional strategies may be different for online courses than for face to face courses. Thus there is a need for alternative assessment strategies, keeping in mind the ultimate goal: to ensure that students learn the material. Consider the concepts presented in the 10 Assessment Design Tips for Increasing Online Student Retention, Satisfaction, and Learning Links to an external site. (Bull, 2014).

Some things to keep in mind to make sure the course assessments are effective:

• Alignment with the specific Intended Learning Outcome (or learning objective) it is addressing
• Reflects the instruction (i.e., activities and materials in the course are a consideration in assessment)
• Is inclusive in its instruction
• Alternatives for accessibility and Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
• Associated with specific evaluation criteria (i.e., rubrics)
• Promotes engagement between students and between students and content