Embedding Assessment into Everyday Instructional Activities

1. Embedding Assessment into Everyday Instructional Activities Renee Fisher Open Learning Initiative

2. About the OLI • The Open Learning Initiative began in 2002 with funding from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. • Goals included • Data Driven Design/Evaluation • Multi-disciplinary teams creating each course • OERs that enact instruction • Since its inception, OLI has grown, now participating in several research and development projects. • Including CC-OLI and OLnet

3. Student answered incorrectly and then asked for a hint. Hint asks if they need help remembering the first step Each of the new questions provides hints and feedback specific to the question. This problem allows the student to try an additional problem. Clicking the link inside the hint will expand the tutor and walk the student through the first step.

4. Fueling Feedback Loops

5. Using Assessment to inform Students and Instructors • Identify students who are having trouble with particular concepts as the students struggle. • Predict students’ learning outcomes • Discern what students are doing to foster their own learning • Detect common misconceptions • Reveal murkiest points from lecture • Assess students’ depth of understanding

6. An example in Practice

9. Conclusion Assessment can and should be more than a single snapshot – such as a final high stakes exam Instead, Assessment becomes something that is tracked throughout the students’ interaction with the learning environment This creates a robust picture of how much the student has learned, applied and retained throughout the course.

10. For More Information OLI • Current Research and Development Projects http://oli.web.cmu.edu/openlearning/initiative/research • Publications http://oli.web.cmu.edu/openlearning/initiative/publications • Introduction to the OLI Design Methodology http://oli.web.cmu.edu/openlearning/initiative OLnet http://olnet.org/ Renee Fisher – reneep@andrew.cmu.edu