Report investigating the usage of the module assessment section of the university blackboard content management system.
Executive Summary
This report will be investigating how different users rate the module assessment section of the blackboard system and they use it. I will be using 4 different users to compile my results that have been chosen as they have different perceptions and usages for the system. I will be using questionnaires that I will send out electronically for my knowledge elicitation. The overall conclusion is that most users from a range of backgrounds think that the module assessment section of the blackboard application is working well and reliable with not too many changes needed. The key learning point that I have taken away form this exercise is to ensure that I make my knowledge elicitation clear and easy to understand for the user.
1.0 Introduction
This report will look into the usage of the module assessment section of the online blackboard application, which is used by universities around the UK. My assumption of the module assessment section is that of the content when a particular module is selected from the main page and the tabs within, such as module content, assignments etc
The reason for this report is to see what types of people use the system and for what particular uses. To see whether they think the system is working well and all it could be or whether they think it could do with some improvements.
I will use 4 subjects for the study; they are all from different backgrounds and have different perspectives on the usage of the system. There is a support worker working for Leeds Met, a computing student from Huddersfield University, a graphics student from Newcastle University, and an accounting student from Stafford University. This should mean that the overall view we get is a general view.
I am using a questionnaire to obtain my data, I have chosen this method, as it is easy for the user to understand and complete and is much less demanding on time and resources. It also means it can be sent out electronically for the user to complete when convenient.
2.0 Design
I have chosen to use a questionnaire for my knowledge elicitation. The reason for this being that I thought it had many advantages over an interview session or similar alternatives for this topic. While using a questionnaire I can send it out to multiple subjects electronically and they can return it electronically when it is suitable for them.
The first method I will look at is the rt method which is built upon collected data from surveys etc. Its main plus points being that it uses a much larger sample than the other methods because it takes less time to collate the results. It is also useful because it allows for further research to be added - it can be updated. There are a number of problems with this. The subjects may not feel comfortable and could answer just to please the experimenter. A big problem with the method is that it does not give enough range for the subject. They are restricted within the boundaries of the tick boxes. The researcher can only learn so much.
The district is now making all teachers use an assessment tool called iReady. It is a website that assesses students in math and reading. They are first tested on a kindergarten through fifth grade range to find out what they know. Then the program takes that score and determines the right level for the child and they are tested again on the level. Once all students have been assessed the program orders the students from highest to lowest and by average grade level skill they are on: early second grade, middle second grade, late second grade or any other grade. The teacher uses those scores to create her reading groups, math groups and the students she will give extra assistance to. They haven’t officially established how many times and when they will do this iReady assessment but for now they are doing it once a week for forty five minutes. The test also flags if they spent too long or too little time on a question. The ones that spent less than 15 seconds per problem are to go back and do the assessment again.
I have always had a keen interest in observing children as they play and learn and using the observations to support the child’s growth. This is partly based on my past professional experiences and observations of my own children. I believe that my other strength in assessment is in analyzing data and using the data to make decisions. While I feel, this area is a strength, my exposure to the vast array of assessment tools used to support student learning has been
Informal assessments provide the most useful, practical information about the learning processes of a student. Informal as...
Originally this category was titled technology and assessments, but I needed to make the category larger in scope to fit in some of the more “specialized” articles. This article was published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2009 by Edy S. Quellmalz and James W. Pellegrino was simply titled, “Technology and Testing”. Although the focus of this work centered on large-scale testing, there was some helpful dialogue surrounding classroom-based assessments that proved useful. The main idea of this article was that besides the obvious advantage of quick, accurate scoring and feedback, technological applications can be used to provide “rich, authentic tasks that challenge the sorts of integrated knowledge, critical thinking, and problem solving seldom well addressed in paper-based tests” (Quellmalz & Pellegrino, 75). In other words, these two authors strongly feel technological based assessments are superior to paper-based assessments, and thus will yield greater results. They go on to say that this shift in assessment is a crucial part of 21st-century learning and will continue to improve and develop. Already this can be seen within districts as they struggle to implement the PARCC throughout their schools. In their discussion of classroom instructional uses of technology-based assessments, the authors reaffirm the benefits of formative assessments if they
...king it quicker for the subjects using their time to fill it out. I got a little confused during my initial calculating of the surveys due to the amount of questions and the different age groups I split each survey up in.
Schools are constantly looking for an edge that will help their students to succeed. One way that schools accomplish this difficult task is by integrating new technology into the classroom. Often times, the decision on which technology to incorporate is driven by trends rather than research. Schools are always in the process of upgrading their technology, often looking at what everyone else is purchasing and then following in their footsteps. Currently, one piece of hardware that many school districts are investing money in is interactive whiteboards. These boards allow the teacher to easily integrate technology into their classroom. With all of the money being spent on interactive white boards, are they really an effective tool? What does the research, teachers, and students have to say about these boards? This paper will explore whether or not interactive white boards are effective in the classroom, from the option of both the teacher and the student.
Obtaining information or rather measurements by a survey in this type of occupation would be one of the last type of methods that I would use. Simply and to sum up, not everyone answers or likes to complete surveys.
After designing this assessment and explaining the relevance of it to the students, I told them that there were four particular items that I was assessing during this exercise. The rubric for the assignment has four key items that I am using to judge student performance, which were based on their roles. One, the role of the researcher. Did they keep the group on task, help the group understand the document, did they give background knowledge of said document, etc. Two, the role of the summarizer. Both students in the group had the summarization role. However, I was looking to see if the included all the main points of the Fireside chat document. Three, the role of the illustrator. Did they use detailed illustrations or significant elements of the document? Finally, I was looking for application of technology. Did the Word cloud or wordle demonstrates an effective understanding of the document. The use of the rubric will be communicated to the students by explaining that each
Through the use of Interactive whiteboards, referred from this point forward as IWBs, the classroom setting moves into the 21st century as teachers and students alike employ this innovative tool to support learning in whatever form they need: text, audio, video, graphics, and images. Its use has heralded a new paradigm in the way lessons are taught allowing lessons to be more visual as well as giving students more hands-on, authentic learning experiences. This new “soup de jour” in education has many advantages and disadvantages, as well as a variety of applications that can be found throughout the educational spectrum, making many school districts seriously consider all its pros and cons when planning their future classrooms’ use of multimedia and technology.
The new system will reduce the amount of time spent recording user details and increase the accuracy of information. The new system will allow for the viewing of up to date information so that management can plan courses of action. Overall the new system will improve efficiency and will let different sections of the organisation to work more closely together. The system would be in place by the 17th of February 2009. The total estimated costs described above are within the agreed budget set by Mr M Black of £6500.
In the past, assessments were popularly conducted for the purpose of accreditation, but with the growing change in the quality of education, it has become evident that assessments aren’t just products to qualification but as Sieborger (1998) identifies, is that assessment is the process of gathering and interpreting knowledge to make valid and justifiable judgements about the learners performance and the assessors ability to transfer and establish knowledge to the learners. What is pivotal in assessment is that it enhances teaching and learning; it is also the crucial link between learning outcomes, the content that is taught and learning activities. Furthermore, Sieborger (1998) states that assessment is a reciprocal process; as it is used by both learners and teachers to decide where the learners are at in their learning and where they need to go and how best to get there. The characteristics that Sieborger identifies to be contained in assessment are made up of: tasks, exercises, tests and exams, which are set and assessed by educators. There are different methods and uses of assessment that are used in the Education system, the reason for this, is that not all assessments serve the same purpose for its methodologies, the feedback that learners receive needs to correspond with the purpose of the assessment.
The interactive whiteboard has been in use in the corporate arena for many years and has been successful in making impact on customers through a seamless presentation of data. The interactive whiteboard has made a jump to the classroom and has been able to have just as significant of an impact but for many different reasons. The interactive whiteboard has become a tool to engage students, provide for student involvement in the learning process and has generally made learning more fun for both teacher and student. There are many articles about the use of interactive whiteboards and there have been researchers throughout the world measuring the benefits that these boards are providing to the impact of learning and delivery of knowledge.
Lack of response is the main disadvantage for mail surveys. The group survey is another low cost form, however the individual respondent is interviewed in a group. The disadvantage with group surveys are the logistics of marshaling the respondents to one location and the perception by respondents that grouping posses less anonymity. Electronic surveys are a relatively new addition in survey research and could very well become comparable to the telephone survey. Electronic surveys are advantageous for the low cost as well as ease in delivery. Because the delivery method is through internet, and the general population does not
Through assessment students and teachers are able to determine the level of mastery a student has achieved with standards taught. Both formative and summative assessment should be purposeful and targeted to gain the most accurate data to drive further instruction (Ainsworth, 2010). While this syllabus does a good job of identifying the need for both formal and informal assessments, the way in which this is communicated does not provide enough detail for understanding. Simply listing assessment types does not give any insight into how these assessments fit in the learning process of this course. While some of the assessments mentioned could be common assessments chosen by the school or district to gain insight into the effectiveness of instruction, the inclusion of authentic assessments is most beneficial to students and demonstrates learning in a context closer to that of a work environment (Rovai, 2004). Unfortunately, this particular course, according to this syllabus, relies heavily on quizzes and traditional tests and essays to form the bulk of assessment opportunities. While other activities, such as formative assessments, journaling and discussions are mentioned as possible avenues for scoring, they are given a very low percentage of the overall grade. This shows that they are not valued for their ability to show progression and mastery. If this is indeed the case, this puts the students as a