Assessment in the Virtual Classroom

How are online classrooms assessed? The defintion of assessment in this article by Xin Ling and Kim Creasy is "all activities that teachers and students undertake to get information that can be used diagnostically to alter teaching and learning." So online courses, like their traditional classroom counterparts, need assessment to improve both teaching and learning. The authors point out a distinction between assessment of learning and assessment for learning. Ideally, capable teachers are assessing students to find the gaps in their learning and helping students to self-monitor and understand their own learning. Teachers, in both traditional and online programs should provide assessment that: promotes peer learning and assessment, provides consistent and thorough feedback, teaches the student to self-assess, and enables students to monitor their progress.
Professors conducting online courses note some problems with virtual learning and assessment. It is harder to identify students who are really engaged, since there is an absence of non-verbal cues, and it is much harder to identify cheating. Another particular challenge is disentangling a student's writing ability from her total academic ability. That is not as much an issue in traditional classrooms. The authors noted that one of the things that can alleviate these challenges is for professors to spend more time getting to know their online students.
Professors also noted benefits of online learning. One benefit that deserves particular mention is that the professor's role shifts from that of an "expert" to one of a moderator, when students are forced to become more proactive in their own learning. Many professors feel that online education has a special ability to move students toward learner autonomy and students constructing their own knowledge based on their own experiences.

Response:
I really like the idea of online classrooms. Despite my lack of techonological proficiency, I have always enjoyed using Blackboard. I like the way it captures conversations and I like the flexibility of being able to work from home. I wouldn't mind taking some classes that are entirely through Blackboard. I also feel the need to become a more self-directed learner and move toward constructing my own knowledge, rather that absorbing everything from the authority standing in front of the class. It sounds like more online classes could be a good fit for me.

Liang, X. and Creasy, K. (2007). "Classroom Assessment in Web-Based Instructional Enviornment: Instructors' Experience." in Computers in Education, 12th Edition. Annual Editions.