Technologies to enhance assessment

In the online and blended environment, there are many different learning technology tools you can engage with to enhance the assessment process for students and teachers. By maximising the functions of your Learning Management System (ie: Moodle) online assessment processes can include creation, submission, grading and feedback mechanisms all in the one place. It is important to understand that using the wrong online tool for your assessment task can impact on the efficiency and quality of the processes, just as choosing the right online tool can enhance the learning and teaching processes. So the underlying principle is choosing the right online tool for the assessment job!

Learning technologies supported by Federation University

Listed below are the most common learning technology tools used at Federation University. It is important to understand that using the wrong online tool for your assessment task can impact on the efficiency and quality of both student and/or teacher processes.

Support guides for these technologies can be found on the Learning Technologies Hub.

  • Assignment – The assignment activity is a function in MOODLE that enables a teacher to communicate tasks, collect work and provide grades and feedback.
  • Quiz – The Quiz function is an activity in MOODLE that can be used to generate and assess learning in an automated way. In a basic way it can test student knowledge. In a more sophisticated manner, it is a very powerful tool to drive motivation and learning.
  • Forum – A forum is a ‘place’ on a MOODLE page where lecturers and students can ‘talk’ via typing, audio or video and share images. Forums are generally considered to be a form of asynchronous communication as there is a time lag between when someone makes a post and another user can read it. This however allows time for students to formulate their ideas or responses to others.
  • Wiki – A Wiki is a set of internet based pages that can be edited by multiple users, the most famous of which is Wikipedia. In MOODLE, Wiki’s can be set up to facilitate both individual and group work for learning and assessment.
  • Workshop – Workshop is a peer review MOODLE tool that can be used for both self and peer assessment by creating a collaborative space and process where students can both provide feedback on each other’s work and receive feedback on their own work.
  • Turnitin – Turnitin is an external software program linked directly to MOODLE. Turnitin can compare students’ assignments to internet content, journal databases and a global database of submitted student assignments and generates a report of similarities found.
  • MS Teams – Federation University provides Microsoft Teams as the primary tool for delivering online synchronous teaching. Teams allows you to talk and present in real time with either an individual or group of students, but also record the session for reference later. Please remember, all copyright teaching materials, readings, and formal assessments should remain in Moodle.
  • ePortfolios – An ePortfolio is an electronically stored collection of student experiences, achievements and artefacts and/or reflections on learning. At Federation University, we use the MAHARA ePortfolio program.
  • Video – Video is the creation of visual or audiovisual media that in the context of online and blended learning can be used for the delivery of content, engagement, instruction and assessment. This medium can be used within ALL of the tools explored above - uploaded as quiz question, a link on an ePortfolio page, created for a Wiki or Workshop activity and submitted as an Assignment link.

Resources

Strategies

  • Contact your Director, Learning and Teaching or Institute Learning Designer to organise a group workshop for your teaching peers to upskill in the use of learning technologies of your choice to support your assessment practices.

Assistance

  • Contact your Institute Learning Designer to discuss the best learning technology to support your assessment needs.