This presentation offers a creative approach to assessing students’ learning in online classes, as well as lessons learned over several years of application. It has roots in Malcolm Knowles’ concepts of andragogy (adult based learning) and contract grading as well as pass/fail grading schemes. In essence, this approach consists of a set of activities bundled together in a module that must be completed based on clearly stated criteria and is evaluated on a pass/fail basis. Each module corresponds to a grade level in the class. For example, students must complete Module 1 to earn a C in the course, Modules 1 and 2 to earn a B, and Modules 1, 2 and 3 to earn an A.
Many of the components of the module may be comparable to questions on traditional take-home exams and essay questions that might appear on exams for online classes. However, the concept of partial credit is eliminated in this approach, as well as much of the agony of traditional point-based grading. The success of this approach is based on clear specifications about what is required to meet acceptance criteria, often including length of a response and suggested time required for completion. This pass/fail assessment of the entire module allows instructors to include additional activities that may be difficult to grade with traditional methods. For example, activities may included that are designed to broaden awareness of a topic, increase authentic engagement or stimulate creative thinking about the learning objectives.
Sample activities of this nature include: reflect and relate the lessons learned to future career goals, interview someone about a given topic, find a current article of interest that relates to the learning objectives, create a blog entry describing an important insight from the module, update their resume to reflect the added-value gained from completing this module, or create a visual representation of the knowledge gained from the module (e.g., a mind map). In this way, the core components of demonstrating learning about a topic are maintained while allowing the learner to select and experience fun activities that may not traditionally be associated with exams. Because of the pass/fail assessment, these activities must be given the same attention as essay type items in order to meet the learner’s goals for a grade in the class.
This approach has been used in classes such as management information systems, MBA classes, bioinformatics for K12 teachers, and computer technology for managers. There are several lessons learned to be shared, and one example is described in the following paragraph.
Lesson Learned #1 The students report a sense of panic when they first read about the “no partial credit” rule. Two approaches have been effective in managing this initial reaction. First, a few examples of clear violations of the module specifications are given in terms that spell out what an unsuccessful module might look like. Missing work, a 2 sentence response when 15 sentences are suggested, and blatant responses such as “Though I am supposed to find three interesting points from the article, I found the entire activity a waste of time and didn’t find anything interesting at all.” are examples that are included in the syllabus to ease anxieties of students with a strong work ethic who would never consider such a response. The second approach that has been successfully used is the concept of a virtual token that can be used to resubmit one unacceptable module or extend the deadline for submission by a specified time (e.g., 24 hours or 48 hours). The tokens provide a psychological safety net to ease the anxiety of possible failure, especially in the first module. Having an additional use of tokens such as extending a submission deadline, encourages students to strive to keep their tokens, just in case they need them later. Students truly appreciate the concept of tokens. It is worth noting that in several years of using them in various classes, not one has been claimed for resubmission of unacceptable work. If the success criteria are clearly specified, the students are motivated to keep their tokens by completing the work as communicated or elect not to submit the module.
Other lessons learned include issues related to perceived grade inflation, increased student engagement, constructive feedback that students actually “hear”, and the importance of choreographing a set of interesting and effective learning activities.
This method has been the basis for a workshop offered numerous times for faculty, co-facilitated with Linda Nilson, director of the Office of Teaching and Innovation Effectiveness (OTEI) at Clemson University. When we present the workshop, we stress that this approach can be used in ways other than described here. For example, an instructor might design a project or assignment according to these guidelines rather than the module/grade level described in the original approach. The approach was born at a time when I was considering leaving the teaching profession due to grading burn-out, though I love the privilege of designing meaningful learning experiences that help people reach their goals. The approach reached a new level when Dr. Nilson, author of Teaching at its Best (published by Jossey-Bass), recognized the innovative approach and coached me in making it work within the administrative requirements. It is only with the disruption of “old thinking” brought about with online classes that this approach has been fully realized. I believe it enriches the lives of both students and instructors in that it helps each achieve their intended goals.
