aace site 2012: authentic assessment

How to support collaborative knowledge building through authentic

assessment in online education?

Hanna TeräsIrja Leppisaari

Marjatta MyllyläLeena Vainio

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Collaborative knowledge construction &team work skills are in demand

Traditional online learning

Weak sense of community

Assessment supports only individual performance


“More authentic learning, more

working life oriented approaches, versatile use of social media,

better student engagement and

ownership through collaborative learning

and knowledge construction, please!”

Higher Education Evaluation Council

National Assembly For Wales / Cynulliad Cymru


http://www.flickr.com/photos/nationalassemblyforwales/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nationalassemblyforwales/

Authentic e-Learning

Authentic tasks

Access to expert performances

Images starting from context: vgm8383, Bodum, Destiny’s Agent,Brian Hatchcock, Commons, Minette Layne, Robert Higgins,

James F Clay, clairity (Flickr)

Multiple perspectives

Authentic context

Collaborative knowledge

construction

ReflectionArticulationScaffoldingAuthentic assessment


How to develop assessment methods that better support collaborative

knowledge construction?


Two casesTampere University of

Applied Sciences:online teacher education

Virtual benchmarkingproject: 20 courses

internationally

• True collaboration rare• Simple cooperation

•Appreciation of diversity• Perspective of a team

Why the difference?


Collaboration in the two cases


VBM: challenges• Opportunities for

group and pair work but course structures do not support meaningful collaboration

• Simple cooperation

• Linking discussions to learning objectives

• Participation in discussions not rewarded or graded.


VBM: what promotes collaboration?

• Wikis and synchronous tools

• Purposeful tasks

• Tasks that cannot be completed without group effort.

Darcy L. McCarthy


TAOKK:past experiences & research

• Mere introduction of collaboration tools: no improvement

• Sense of community essential but not automatically formed

• Teachers find new roles challenging

• Online discussion forums: creation of community slow and weak image: m d d


A new approachto teaching

faculty development

Social technologiesas learning

environments

Progressive inquirymodel

Networking

Team learningPrinciples of

authentic learning

Ongoing dialogicassessment


Assessment in the two

casesimage: andercismo


Even in group tasks, assessment

is based on individual

performance.

There is a need to assess the entire learning process but it’s still in the planning stage.

We need self, peer and group evaluation but we’re not there quite yet.

There are good examples: e.g. working life

representatives taking part in the

assessment.

VBM


Development directions

Image by jakebouma

More diverse assessment methods

Better workinglife integration

Integration intoauthentic tasks

Portfolios &social technologies


http://www.flickr.com/photos/jakebouma/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jakebouma/

Image: ccarlstead

• Progressive inquiry in teams

• Ongoing and dialogue based, not separately at the end

• Digital social narratives: learning process as a continuum

TAOKK


Conclusions and future research


Image by wstryder

• Meaningful collaborative tasks and social technologies promote authentic assessment.

• Assessment must be tightly connected with collaborative knowledge construction.

• Universities recognize new roles of teachers & new learning environments, but assessment has not been renewed accordingly.

• Continuous professional development of teaching faculty is needed.

•This requires wider attention also on management and policy making levels.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/wstryder/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wstryder/

FUTURE RESEARCH

How can social technologies advance authentic assessment?

Collaborative knowledge construction - facilitation -

assessment?

image: neilalderney123


Thank you!

[email protected]


mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]