Maintaining an effective and positive environment during online classes is definitely not an easy task. However, assessment is also an indispensable component of teaching that requires serious consideration and planning. Tutors should not completely reinvent traditional assessments, but rather modify them to fit the virtual classroom.
Regardless of the type of assessment that teachers choose, it must correspond to the following unwritten rules:
Always match the evaluation strategy with the main goal or objective
Teachers can measure a student’s overall performance or simply the completion of a specific task. Your focus should be on reaching the learning objective and motivating students to strive for progress. The virtual classroom allows teachers to extract:
- information about what skills students need to improve and gaps in existing knowledge
- valuable feedback on the tutor’s teaching performance
- ideas on how to improve assessment strategies
Do not underestimate the comments
The overall performance of the students is a clear sign of the teacher’s efforts. Furthermore, it provides crucial data on which aspects of the learning process need to be improved. Tutors should also listen to the views of students when deciding on a future assessment strategy.
Try to personalize assessments as much as possible
Teachers can feel overwhelmed creating a specific assessment strategy for each student. However, this is not the case with adaptive assessment. It offers students the freedom to:
- learn at your own pace
- plan what and when to learn
- Gain greater control of the entire process
For example, test questions can be delivered by computer and adjusted as students take them. A series of correct answers will result in more complex questions. Also, the tutor can play a video or display a text on the online whiteboard in the virtual classroom and then ask questions.
Decide the evaluation frequency
Many teachers choose the exam form as an assessment strategy. However, it is not the best option for this generation of young people. Exams are stressful, and stress is the main factor that makes even high achievers fail. Also, the online environment predisposes to cheating.
Therefore, tutors should focus on frequent and innovative assessments throughout the school year. They can think of an assignment or question that will trigger the discussion and divide students into breakout rooms. Thus, teachers can evaluate their performance, teamwork and way of thinking.
Teachers can go one step further and implement case-based assessments. They consist of a real life situation that the tutors explain to the students and then pose the problem. Thus, young people learn to present their arguments backed up with facts and in-depth research.
VEDAMO’s virtual classroom offers all the necessary functions to implement effective evaluation strategies and use technological tools. However, it is vital to keep in mind that teachers should not overwhelm students with too many virtual assessments and tools. As a teacher, it is best to use 2-3 of them and define the purpose of using each one.
There is an intriguing evaluation strategy called one-pager. Students are asked to write key ideas and questions about the lesson on a single page and upload them to the virtual classroom. They could also include images. Canvas, Google Slides and Word Document are the perfect tools for this type of activity that requires almost no technical knowledge.
elevator pitch
It’s a creative idea to help students list the key points of a lesson by writing them in a Google doc or on a virtual message board like Padlet. Teachers can also ask students to share their verbal summary of the lesson, called an elevator pitch. Thus, they manage to concentrate on the essential facts and practice public speaking.
one-on-one conversations
A virtual classroom allows tutors to conduct one-on-one assessments. In this way, they obtain more information about the way of thinking of the students. After all, one-on-one conversations are the perfect tool for bonding with a person, whether it’s offline or online.
Basic Tests
Tests may seem like an old-fashioned form of assessment, but they’re still one of the most popular among teachers. Software like Poll Everywhere, Google Forms, and Peardeck allow educators to create tests for each lesson.
output inputs
The best way to check for understanding and retention is exit tickets. Using the “Post-It Parking” strategy, students answer questions on sticky notes and post them on a whiteboard. In the online environment, students can use a group Google document to enter their responses. Thus, the tutor can measure her performance and knowledge and start an interesting discussion.
Teachers should keep in mind that different subjects require different assessment strategies. Based on students’ previous experience and preferences, tutors could establish interesting ways to measure student performance in the virtual classroom. The following assessments are appropriate for history classes.
Divide and Debate
Students tend to remember more information when they use it in conversation and support their claims with arguments. This activity is possible in the VEDAMO virtual classroom using the work rooms. The tutor can set the topic on the legacy of a historical figure or the consequences of war and then divide students into groups. After accumulating facts, students can argue in support of their thesis.
Analysis of a historical document
The teacher can share a historical document on the online whiteboard and then ask questions about its content. Therefore, teachers assess students’ retention and analytical skills by combining them with knowledge of history.
Investigate, Formulate and Present
A great way to measure overall student performance in history class is to establish a theme around a historical event or figure that directly relates to the area in which they live. Students can collect data, write an essay, create a video, and present it to the front. of the class. Such an evaluation strategy requires criteria of cohesion and dedication on the part of the young person.
Online education requires a flexible methodology from teachers and an innovative approach to assess student performance. It is a well-known fact that students tend to perform better when they know they will receive recognition for their hard work. That’s why a tutor’s mission is to personalize their assessment strategy to motivate and inspire students to strive for more.
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Categories: Technology
Source: vtt.edu.vn