Module 3 Blog

1. How should participation in a collaborative learning community be assessed? How do the varying levels of skill and knowledge students bring to a course affect the instructor's "fair and equitable assessment" of learning?

According to Palloff and Pratt (2005), “student assessment should be embedded and aligned with the design of the course. Assessment should also be learner-centered, teacher-directed, mutually beneficial, formative, context-specific, ongoing, and firmly rooted in practice,” (p. 41).  These characteristics can also apply to collaborative learning communities to a degree.   According to Dr. Siemens (Laureate, 2008b), there are essentially four models for assessment.  These include student assesses peers, students receive feedback from online communities, educators assess based on student contribution, and educators assess based on metrics from learning management systems (Laureate, 2008b).  I believe that there are two of these assessments that work better than others.  They are either where students assess their peers or when educators assess based on metrics from learning management systems.  I also agree with Dr. Siemens (Laureate, 2008b) in that assessments need to be broadened from mark-based ones to one that incorporate student growth.  In past collaborative assignments that I have graded, I have tried to incorporate both students grading each other as a component along with a grade that I assigned them.   

2. If a student does not want to network or collaborate in a learning community for an online course, what should the other members of the learning community do? What role should the instructor play? What impact would this have on his or her assessment plan?

After watching the video on learning communities, I gained a better understanding of some of the challenges with collaboration.  Dr. Siemens (Laureate, 2008a), states collaboration can often be a challenge, because much of our education system is presently using an individualistic model.  I grew up in a system such as this.   Most projects that were done in school were done on an individual basis.  This is much different than it is in the business world where teams are often needed to be successful.  I agree with Dr. Siemens (Laureate, 2008a) with his position is that students need to have collaboration modeled for them before they can usually be successful in it.   My first step as an instructor, in answering the above question, is to find out whether or not the student has had previous experience with collaborative learning.  I would then also attempt to stress to the individual the impact he/she could have on the system of learners together.  I would attempt to change the assessment model that is being used and try to better align it with one used for collaboration (Laureate, 2008a).   Something that other members of the community might do is to create a charter.  This charter could help to show individuals what is expected of them as they collaborate.  A student who is unwilling to work with the group would most likely have the points of the charter stressed to them first and then be reported to the instructor if he/she continues not to participate.  (Anderson, 2010).

Jason

References:

Anderson, T.(ed.) (2010). The theory and practice of online learning (2^nd ed.). Edmonton, AB: AU Press.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008a). Assessment of Collaborative Learning [Video program]. Available from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=4930712&Survey=1&47=8482003&ClientNodeID=984645&coursenav=1&bhcp=1

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008b). Learning Communities [Video program]. Available from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=4930712&Survey=1&47=8482003&ClientNodeID=984645&coursenav=1&bhcp=1

Palloff, R., & Pratt, K. (2005). Collaborating Online. San Francisco: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.