Project RITE
Recipients
The Impact of Traditional, Performance-Based and Online, Learner-Based Assessments on Student Learning
launch blog |
Katherine Greenberg
Professor, Educational Psychology & Counseling, UT Knoxville
Overview
Within the paradigm of traditional assessments, learners are often
restricted by time, place, and resources. Such limitations may be
addressed through carefully designed implementation of online
assessments (Buchanan, 1998). It is important to recognize that the
means by which online assessments are delivered often varies. For some
college level instructors, online assessments create an avenue by which
reflective learning (Taylor and Maor, 2000) is fostered through the
elimination of time constraints, student access to course materials,
multiple opportunities to submit answers, and immediate feedback.
Related to such, online assessments may also be recognized as a means by
which to transform a performance-based activity into a learner-focused
task as traditional components of testing (i.e., proctored, closed book,
timed) are minimized or eliminated. A great deal of literature exists
discussing the benefits of utilizing online formats of instruction.
However, additional understanding is needed related to guidelines
impacting the design and application of online assessments.
Understandings of this nature will serve to astutely inform the learning
and teaching modules developed by college level instructors.
Additionally, knowledge of the experiences of students engaged in taking
traditional and online assessments may also aid in guiding assessment
design. The purpose of this proposed study is twofold. First, we aim to
determine the extent to which learner-focused online assessments and
traditional assessments affect undergraduate students' performance on
traditionally administered comprehensive examinations. Second, we will
investigate the experiences of undergraduate students as related to
traditional and learner-based online assessments. Results will
specifically assist University of Tennessee faculty involved in
designing assessments that evaluate student learner outcomes.
