Tuesday, March 8, 2016
Objectives Assessment for Distance Education
4.1
Discuss the role of assessment in the instructional design process, especially
for distance education.
The role of
assessment in the instructional design process is a corollary development of
learning objectives. The assessment activities are matched to expectations and
instruction is then based on assessment plans. When designing assessment
measures one must focus on the cognitive domain.
4.2
Describe the characteristics of several types of assessment activities and the
appropriate uses of each within a distance education environment.
One of the most
important characteristics of a good assessment tool is that it matches the
objectives which are also known as alignment, which indicates an acceptable
degree of synchronicity among objects. Another characteristic is known as
validity which is when an assessment provides an accurate estimate of learning
gains. Another characteristic of a good assessment is clarity of expectations
and it is referred to how easy the assessment is for the learners or others to
understand. The most important thing is does the assessment activity measure
learning gains and allow an accurate generalization of results beyond the
immediate situation.
4.3
Implement practical strategies for assessing learner progress in a distance
education course.
When wanting to
implement some various assessment strategies to improve the effectiveness of
the distance education environment these strategies are helpful: ongoing and
non-graded assessment measures. Ongoing strategy is known also as embedded it
is when assessment activities are woven into the fabric of the instructional
process to see if the student progress doesn’t represent a student’s threat.
The purpose is to monitor progress toward intended goals in a spirit of
continuous improvement. When using non graded assessment one must assign scores
to massive amounts of students work. Balancing flexibility and structure is
when students have the opportunity to prepare their assignments on their own
time. It should be based on the maturity of the student.
4.4
Discuss issues related to academic misconduct and describe how cheating,
plagiarism, and other forms of unethical behavior may be preempted or
alleviated in a distance education course.
Many institutions
have their own policies stating their academic misconduct. The most important
thing we know as students and educators is that cheating and plagiarism are
serious problems. Plagiarism is when one has the intent to claim someone else
work as their own and misuse sources. Of a\the technologies that have
influenced them both the most frequently one used is online entrepreneurs which
sell papers that are already formatted for easy submission. In distance
education programs cheating is when students submit assignments, participate in
discussions or request the instructor assistance with no face to face identity.
Technological measures cheating on test includes randomizing the order of test
items. A Media report of unethical behavior in politics, business, journalism
and other professions says “it’s not a big deal” in fact leads to dishonesty in
people. An honor code is a great way to eliminate cheating.
Definitions Assessments for Distance Education
- Authentic assessment refers to tasks that simulate real-world challenges. Ideally, the student is presented with the full array of expectations for a task and is expected to engage in activities that reflect a meaningful response.
- Performance-based assessment is expecting the learner to perform a skill. It may include determining what the learner knows about the skill itself, or focus on higher-order thinking and critical reasoning.
- Asynchronous Communication These flexible online utilities can be used to implement a wide variety of assessment activities.
- Synchronous Communication tools such as audio conferencing, online chat, or instant messaging provide a real-time dynamic for assessment that can offer instructors an immediate sense of how well students grasp the course content.
- Portfolios have a long history of use as summative assessment tools in fields such as graphic design, architecture, and marketing, but are gaining acceptance quickly for their value as formative compilations of work in a much broader range of disciplines. A portfolio might consist of a variety of materials (papers, videotapes, computer files, etc.) reflecting generalized learning across disciplines, or it might be a more specific gathering of content-based materials, such as tests, worksheets, or art projects.
- Problem-Based Activities This instructional approach has been used successfully in medical education for decades and is now being utilized in many other disciplines. Learners are presented with a case or scenario and are expected to analyze the situation and recommend a course of action.
- Journal Writing Students participating in field experiences or clinical rotations are frequently required to track their progress through journal writing, often in response to specific learning objectives or for accountability and accreditation purposes.
- Concept Maps graphical representations of concepts and how they’re related to one another, for assessing student learning is a relatively recent phenomenon.
- Problem-Based Activities This instructional approach has been used successfully in medical education for decades and is now being utilized in many other disciplines. Learners are presented with a case or scenario and are expected to analyze the situation and recommend a course of action.
- Plagiarism Clarifying precisely what constitutes plagiarism and having clear policies for dealing with it are two strategies suggested by the Council of Writing Program Administrators (WPA) (2003) for alleviating this problem. Instructors should also attempt to distinguish between plagiarism (i.e., the intent to claim as one’s own someone else’s words or ideas), and the simple misuse of sources, resulting from ignorance or carelessness.
- Cheating to a great extent, teachers assume that students are honest individuals. For example, few instructors in a face-to-face classroom environment would consider checking identification to verify that each person sitting in that room is, in fact, who they claim to be.
Monday, March 7, 2016
Objectives Handouts, Study Guides, and Visuals
4.1
Develop a distance education course syllabus.
In order to develop a
distance education syllabus one must include course logistics (title), course
policies (attendance and homework assignments), instructional activities
(course goals and objectives) assessment information (grading system) and any
additional information such as student information. It should be made available
by the first day of school or earlier.
4.2
Use interactive study guides.
The purpose of the
interactive study guide is to make note taking a more structured process. It
leads the student through concepts and requires some student involvement active
and interactive. It is an organized and systematic process and it is also a management
tool that directs course activities
before during and after the learning process.
4.3
Apply graphic design principles.
When applying a
graphic design principle one must use the correct size, font, color and
contrast, alignment and capitalization in order to have an effective learning
system.
4.4
Develop word picture?
A word picture is a
graphic representation of concepts, principles and information. It should
contain chunks of information rather than the entire document. It should also
apply principles of graphic design and emphasize communication via the visual
scene.
Definitions Handouts, Study Guides, and Visuals
- Size. Letter size is very closely related to legibility. Large, bold lettering is easier to see and read than is smaller lettering. Certainly lettering should not be smaller than 24 point (1/3 inch), and 32 to 36 point is preferable, especially if computer output is to be displayed on regular television monitors. Five words per line and five lines per page are a maximum for an ISG display or a screen of television information.
- Font. Sans serif fonts should be used instead of fonts with serifs, the thin extensions to letters often used in textbooks and printed documents. Serifs tend to be too fine for display on television. Bold fonts with thick stems display the best. Also, the same fonts should be used throughout a presentation, and no more than three different fonts should be used for any single display. Two font types work the best, when one is used for one category of information and the second is used for background or secondary information, for example. Fancy typefaces and italics should be avoided unless there is an overriding reason for using them.
- Color and contrast. Color is often misused in television. Colors should be bold and simple and should not be overdone. Some combinations, such as green and red, do not work well together. Avoid saturated colors like red. Use dark letters with a light background, or vice versa. Many television instructors like to use bright colors on a black background for displaying computer screens of information. This approach produces very readable displays.
- Alignment. Centering text for television display is not as effective as aligning text to the left. Left-justified text seems to be most legible.
- Capitalization. The literature on readability is quite clear that uppercase and lowercase lettering, rather than all uppercase or all lowercase, reads the best.
- Line is generally considered to be one-dimensional. Line has length but not width. Line portrays direction, presents objects, and defines the outer shape of something.
- Shape is used to symbolize objects or to show large or small spaces. Shapes have two dimensions, height and width. Space is either positive or negative. The outline of an object in a visual signifies its positive space. The most common negative shape of something is its background.
- Texture is the perceived or actual roughness or smoothness of a surface. Texture is used t o help define shape or space.
- Value is the degree of lightness or darkness of a surface. Value is accomplished through shading. Value shows changes in space, and is often used to create the illusion of volume or solidity in a graphic object.
- Color is related to value and is used to visualize an object realistically or to differentiate an object from another object. Colors have hue, value, and intensity. Hue describes a specific color, such as red, green, or blue. Value is the lightness or darkness of a color. Yellow has the highest value. Intensity is the strength of a color; such as bright yellow or dull red. Intensity is determined by the purity of a color.
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