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Best Practices for Online and Multi-modal assessment
Written by Ariful Shanil
Content review May 2025
The emphasis on assessment practices for online learning is critical in post-secondary education. By emphasizing practical application and critical thinking, assessment fosters deeper learning and engagement that prepares students for real-life world situations. This resource aims to provide educators with comprehensive insights and best practices for implementing online assessments, ensuring that evaluation methods are inclusive, equitable, and reflective. By embracing these strategies, we can create a dynamic and responsive educational environment that truly supports student success.
Highlights:
- Incorporate multiple resources for representation, action, and engagement to cater to diverse learning preferences and foster a more inclusive learning environment.
- Design assessments that simulate real-world tasks, encouraging students to apply their knowledge in practical scenarios and develop critical thinking skills.
- Provide specific instructions and detailed rubrics for assessment to set clear expectations for the student.
1. Alignment with learning objectives
Ensure that assessments are directly aligned with the learning objectives of the course. The first step to designing an authentic assessment is identifying the learning goals (Mueller, 2018). Assessment begins with outlining the knowledge, skills and attitudes learners require to demonstrate in the assessment. Instructors should consider course and program-level learning outcomes to decide relevant learning goals for the assessment.
2. Multiple ways of instruction and provide scaffolding for assessment
Provide information in multiple formats to cater to diverse learning preferences. This can include:
- Text, Audio, and Video: Offer instructions and content in text, audio, and video formats.
- Visual Aids: Use diagrams, charts, and other visual aids to support understanding.
Provide an example of work that students need to do during the assessment. Explaining the criteria that make each example work effectively or ineffectively is critical. Students will not just blindly model what they see; instead, they will engage in a more thorough process of determining what makes their work good or bad (Sardo and Sindelar, 2019).
Give practice tests on the same technology before exams. This will allow instructors and students to participate in a trial run for identifying and resolving technical issues. It builds confidence for everyone using the technology before being in a high-stakes situation. It decreases real-time support needs during the exam (Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning, n.d).
Providing scaffolding for the assessment is beneficial by allowing students to do smaller chunks of the assessment with proper support and feedback. For instance, in a teaching mathematics class, if the assessment is to teach a math lesson, scaffolding could be an assessment by first having students complete a lesson plan, create a classroom management plan, and record themselves practicing the lesson (Centre for Instruction and Research Technology, n.d.).
3. Provide flexibility on assessment structure and expression
Allow students to demonstrate their learning in various ways. Examples include:
- Quizzes: Use multiple-choice, true/false, and short-answer questions.
- Projects and Presentations: Students can create videos, infographics, or written reports.
- Discussions and Reflections: Encourage students to participate in discussion forums or write reflective essays.
Assessment structure flexibility helps increase equity for a broader range of students (Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning, n.d.).
4. Multiple means of engagement
Engage students by offering choices and fostering collaboration. This can include:
- Choice of Topics: Allow students to choose topics that interest them for projects and assignments.
- Collaborative Activities: Incorporate group projects and peer reviews to build a sense of community.
Allowing students to choose assessment topics and creating space for project-based learning is critical for decolonizing post-secondary education (Lalujan & Pranjol, 2024).
5. Consider alternative forms of assessment and incorporate real-world tasks
Assessment in an online setting is significantly different than face-to-face. Online assessment needs a careful look while designing, as technological limitations could negatively impact students’ ability to demonstrate their learning. There is a broader range of creative alternatives to access students’ learning on online platforms. It is good practice to select from these alternatives. Instructors can explore the Assessment Garden provided by the MB Hub to check out a good range of possibilities for online assessment.
Design assessments that simulate real-world tasks and challenges. This can include case studies, simulations, and problem-solving activities that require students to apply their knowledge in practical scenarios. Students benefit more from an assessment when they understand its rationale and how they will use the same skills in their future careers.
6. Clear Instructions and rubrics with criteria
Provide clear instructions and detailed rubrics for each assessment. This helps students understand the expectations and criteria for success, reducing anxiety and confusion. Using a rubric also helps instructors grade with transparency, consistency, and speed. Quality Matters (2023) on the 7th edition rubrics recommends a statement of criteria that provides a full explanation of how to calculate a grade on an assignment, whether the instructor is providing the grade and/or learners are engaging in self or peer-evaluation.
7. Establish a support structure to resolve problems
A clear support channel for escalating issues during exams in online settings is recommended. It is important to provide information to students on where they can find urgent assistance if technical problems occur. Discussing ahead of time how things could go wrong and where or who you will go to for help is good practice. (Learning Technology Hub, n.d.)
8. Accessibility and usability
Ensure that all assessments are accessible to students with disabilities. This includes providing alternative formats and ensuring that the technology is user-friendly and compatible with assistive devices.
9. Continuous improvement
Regularly review and update the assessments based on student feedback and performance data. This iterative process helps maintain the relevance and effectiveness of assessments (Pappas, 2023).
10. Focusing on promoting learning, not on avoiding cheating
Conversations about academic integrity should happen early and regularly. Make sure students are familiar with your institution’s academic integrity policy.
In conclusion, implementing these best practices can be a starting point for fostering an inclusive, equitable, and effective online learning environment. Taking a holistic approach and embracing integrity in learning further ensures the relevance and fairness of online assessments.
References
Center for Instruction and Research Technology. (n.d.). Online Assessment Best Practices. University of North Florida. https://www.unf.edu/cirt/id-resource-Online-Assessment-Best-Practices.html
Mueller, J. (2018). Standards. Authentic Assessment Toolbox. https://jonfmueller.com/toolbox/standards.htm
Lalujan, J.D., & Pranjol, M. Z. I. (2024). Project-Based Learning as a Potential Decolonized Assessment Method in STEM Higher Education. Trends in Higher Education, 3(1), 16-33. https://doi.org/10.3390/higheredu3010002
Learning Technology Hub. (n.d.). Online Assessment Tips. The University of British Columbia. https://lthub.ubc.ca/support/technology-tips/online-assessment/
Pappas, C. (2023, April 22). 8 Ways to Design Online Assessments That Strike a Balance. eLearning Industry. https://elearningindustry.com/ways-to-design-engaging-online-assessments
Quality Matters. (2023). QM Higher Education Rubric, Seventh Edition.
Sardo, C., & Sindelar, A. (2019). Scaffolding online student success. Faculty Focus. https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/scaffolding-online-student-success/
Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning. (n.d.). Five Principles for Meaningful Online Assessment. University of Calgary. https://taylorinstitute.ucalgary.ca/resources/five-principles-for-meaningful-online-assessment