Learner Assessment Ways for  Online Courses

With the advancements in science and technology, platforms to create and sell online courses are increasing rapidly. With better flexibility, convenience, comfort, and other advantages offered, educators and students are switching to the online mode of education. To make online courses successful, and teach effectively, educators need to assess students regularly. Let us discuss some of the benefits of student assessment. We will also be discussing a few methods that can be used for online student assessment. 

Benefits of students assessment

• Keep students consistent and dedicated to their studies.
• Helps in effective teaching and learning.
• Allow teachers to get an idea about how effective are the current teaching practices.
• Help students check their scores and work for improvement.
• Regular assessments help students to get timely feedback from teachers.

Assessment ways for online courses

1. Question answer rounds

One of the best ways to take assessments in online classes is question answering rounds. The more students will speak about the subject or the lessons, the better is their understanding and they complete the course successfully. So teachers should conduct question-answer rounds in the class. For example, after completing a few lessons, plan for this test. 

Keep a question list prepared. Include a maximum of five students in one round. This will help you to focus on every student, be more systematic and give equal chances to students to answer. Larger groups of students can lead to confusion and unfair chances. So divide the groups accordingly. Ask a question and tell students to press the hand raise option, and answer when called out. Tell students to keep their cameras turned on during the assessment process. 

2. Written assignments to make

Yes, we all know that today’s kids are reluctant to write assignments. They find this activity boring and tiring. But once in a while, writing assignments are important too. Though it is a conventional method, we can’t deny its effectiveness. Writing and framing answers improve students’ academic understanding. This also enhanced memorization and comprehension skills. 

• Don’t give lengthy assignment topics: don’t give too much to write. Make sure you give specific questions only. Set a standard word limit for the answers so that students can do it easily and submit the work on time.
• Give enough time to complete: if you set a deadline that is too short to complete the work, students won’t be able to complete the work. So make sure that you give students enough time to search, write, make pdfs, and submit.

3. Group discussions

While working on how to sell courses online, make sure you plan well for the student assessment ways too. Group discussions can also be conducted to check students’ understanding and knowledge of the course subjects. For group discussions, students don’t have to mug up or memorize anything. 

These are spontaneous, where students can share their thoughts, perspectives, and ideas based on the subjects being taught to them. Divide your online class into a few small groups. Make a list of some interesting, and informative topics on which students can speak well. Assign each group a topic and ask them to have discussions one by one. Analyze students well, and jot down the grades or scores you want to assign them. 

4. Online quizzes

Quizzes are always engaging but become best when paired with technology. We all know how much today’s kids are attracted to technology so using the same for assessment is a great idea. Quizzes are easy to conduct and evaluate. So it becomes convenient for both teachers and students. You can make a google form, or, multiple-choice question worksheets, fill in the blanks, tick the correct options, or more.  Send this google form link in the chatbox and ask students to start filling it out. The responses will be collected automatically and later you can track students’ exam scores. 

5. Self-assessment

Other than teachers assessing students, make sure you give students the opportunity for self-assessment. This will make students more consistent with their studies. When teachers give importance to self-assessment, a learner-focused, online class environment can be constructed. For self-assessment follow these tips. 

• Give students worksheets to practice at home: tell students to first learn the lessons and later wisely do the worksheets given.
• Keep asking about the scores: tell students to check the worksheets and test on their own. In the class, ask how much they scored and where they lagged. This will make students aware that teachers are keeping a track of them regularly.

Conclusion

For effective teaching and learning online, student assessment is very important. By following the above-mentioned ways, teachers can conduct assessments in online courses. This will help educators to know what is the current learning status of students, and what more can be done for improvement and betterment.