Proposals

Instructional Technology Conference 2009

Title: Use "online testing"; not for testing but to spur assigned reading and discussion!

Name: James Janossy

Audience: Faculty, instructional technology specialists, distance learning professionals, administrators

Audience Level: All

Length: 45 to 60 minutes

Abstract: Course/learning management systems like Blackboard provide means to create tests or quizzes with time limits and randomized question presentation. These tools are little used for their named purpose because system usage by students is almost entirely unproctored. These can also be used as a means to drive students to interact with learning materials in pace with course topic progression. We demonstrate and evaluate student reaction to such usage in actual course use.

Description: Course/learning management systems (C/LMS) such as Blackboard, Desire2Learn, and Angel include mechanisms to compose and deploy "tests"; and "quizzes"; of various question types as a means of assessing student learning. Some types of questions such as multiple-choice, true/false, sequence/ordering, matching, and graphic "hot spot"; ("point to the answer";) have the advantage of being self-grading since the instructor indicates the correct choice of answer in preparing the test. But these features have limited utility for assessment for grading purposes because students most often are not supervised in the test administration process. The features are misnamed "tests"; and impede their use in a totally different way. In this presentation we describe and demonstrate how brief weekly "homework/quizzes"; can be used to prompt undergraduates to keep up with assigned readings as a form of interactive "homework."; The administration of this is almost entirely automatic if things are done differently than they would be for testing purposes. A weekly assignment of this type, coupled with an accessibility window of a few days and the ability to take the test as many times as the learner desires completely changes the nature of the assignment. The intent here is to provide a self-assessment device with which students realize their own individual need to review or reread material in order to achieve mastery. As graded (but low-stakes) items, these "HW/Quizzes"; become a low overhead/low maintenance way to assist the instructor's goal of achieving meaningful application of knowledge in collaborative classroom exercises and discussions. We demonstrate such usage and present and evaluation of effectiveness conducted in a class in the Autumn 2008 term.

Session Type: Lecture/Presentation

On-Site Equipment Requirements: Venue must provide a computer projector and screen. A wired or Wi-Fi Internet connection for the presenter is desirable but not necessary.

Contact Information/Affiliation:
James Janossy
DePaul University School of Computer Science
243 S. Wabash Avenue, Room 400
Chicago, Illinois 60604
(773) 325-8629
e-mail: jjanossy@depaul.edu