Maximizing Learning Using Online Student Assessment.

As the technological age reaches its peak, so does the need to improve assessment for online instruction. Assessment includes all activities that teachers and students undertake to get information that can be used to improve teaching and learning (Black and William,1998b). Assessment is a critical factor of the learning environment. The popularity of distance education and online assessment has forced educational institutions to revise delivery methods, reshape teaching methods and reevaluate learning environments. The transformation in delivery of instruction has consequently brought on the need to reassess how educational institutions are implementing online assessment. According to Allen and Seaman (2008), over 20% of all students took at least one online course in 2006; consequently this has brought more attention to the quality of online instruction. Today, educators are wavering in new territory and educational institutions are forced to adapt to an online environment and change curriculum to meet the needs of learners. The purpose of the study is to investigate preservice teachers’ perceptions of online assessment and its impact on student learning. Online assessment has many benefits. Like ice-cream, it comes in a wide array and can be encrusted in several arrangements. Instructors have the capability to create test-banks that include multiple-choice, true/false, completion, essay writing or matching. Reports are easily generated to allow instructors to preview grades, participation, and assessment results for the entire class or individual students at any time. Since many distance education courses are either asynchronous or synchronous, students benefit by having more flexibility. At this juncture, the effects of attitudes for online assessment vary. The complexity of teaching or taking online courses can be overwhelming for some and impossible for others. Successful online instructors incorporate a variety of instructional strategies and implement a variety of formative assessments to maximize learning benefits. Online assessments are relatively new because they have been emphasized in predominately face-to-face environments. Literature Review Advances in technology have forced many educational institutions to move beyond face-to-face traditional assessment to one that expands more online curriculum. The goal is to increase student enrollment. Distance Education is giving traditional instructional methods a run for their money (American Federation of Teachers, 2009). Pope (2006) stated, “3.2 million people took at least one online course last fall.” The numbers are increasing every year. This was affirmed again by Allen and Seaman (2010) report. Approximately 5.6 million students were enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2009. Based on this, educational institutions have been required to prepare their students and instructors for online classes. Online instructors are utilizing assessment techniques and strategies to determine “what students are learning in the classroom and how they are learning” (Angelo and Cross, 1993: 41). Pecheone and Chung (2006) addressed performance assessment as part of the teaching practice. First, these assessments inform instructors on needed curriculum changes. Second, these assessments can contribute to the improvement of teacher quality. Curriculum embedded assessments are stressed more than ever before. These assessments occur throughout teacher preparation programs. Additionally, Pecheone and Chung reported that these assessments come in the form of case studies of individual students, lessons, unit plans, analysis of student work, and observation of student teaching. It is also believed these assessments can improve instructional practices. Beebee, Vonderwell and Boboc (2009) research studied emerging patterns in transferring assessment practices from face-to-face to online environments. In addition to acquiring a new technology skill set, instructors using the online medium structure required more time spent streamlining course content, requirements, building test banks, and uploading resources. Instructors need to build a sense of community as they redefine pedagogy to meet the needs of learners in a virtual environment. This was affirmed by Woods and Ebersole’s (2010) research using “communal architect” or building community-building strategies. A “communal architect” is someone who erects a communal scaffold for the purpose of community building (Woods and Ebersole, p2). Method As more educational institutions move towards online instruction, authentic online assessment has become the heart of every learning experience because it helps negate negative student learning outcomes.. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate pre-service teachers’ perceptions of online assessment. The study was conducted at an urban university in the Midwest, where the majority of the students were African-American and all were enrolled in a technology class. Overview of Design This study incorporated the survey methodology to gain insight to student perceptions of online assessment. All students enrolled in a technology course were given the opportunity to complete the survey and descriptive and frequency statistics were conducted to analyze the data.