As I delve into the course materials and syllabus, I find myself thinking about various assessment strategies. This week’s readings provided valuable insight into different types of assessment, particularly the difference between formative and summative assessment (Conrad & Openo, 2018). In the following, I will explore the assessment strategies used in this course, relate them to the learning theories from Week 1, and compare them to my experiences in other courses.
Assessment Strategies Used in This Course
Based on my observations, this course mainly uses formative assessment. Blog posts are a prime example of formative assessment, allowing us to publish milestones. Peer feedback is involved in this process, which encourages us to accept feedback and refine our ideas. Besides individual blog posts, group projects lead to the motivation of group members. Engaging in discussions provides a platform for formative assessment, and reflections from peers and the instructor can help us improve our critical thinking and communication skills.
While formative assessments are common, this course places less emphasis on summative assessments. The course does not mention the high-stakes final exam as the ultimate measure of our learning. This contrasts with more traditional courses, which often rely heavily on summative assessments to determine final grades.
Connection to Learning Theories
The assessment strategies in this course are closely related to several of the learning theories discussed in Week 1, including constructivism, cognitivism, and behaviorism (Ertmer & Newby, 2013). Blog posts and discussions are emphasized to be consistent with constructivism principles, where learners construct their own understanding through active participation and reflection. They encourage meaningful learning by connecting new knowledge to our experiences. Iterative feedback loops are related to cognitivism approaches, which focus on organizing and comprehending information. Feedback helps us structure our knowledge and improve our cognitive strategies. On the other hand, there is an element of behaviorism when using prompt feedback on activities. For example, comments on blog posts and discussion contributions can act as reinforcement, shaping our future behaviors and responses.
Comparison to Other Courses
The use of formative assessment in this course stands out compared to other courses I have taken. For example, for most of my course major, HINF (Health Information Science), assessments were mostly summative, with midterm and final exams composing the majority of the grade. There were fewer opportunities for iterative feedback and improvement. This approach is more consistent with behaviorism principles and focuses on reinforcing specific responses through high-stakes testing.
Conclusion
The assessment strategies in our current curriculum consist primarily of utilizing formative assessments that provide ongoing feedback and opportunities for improvement. These strategies are well aligned with constructivism and cognitivism theories of learning and create an environment in which we can actively construct and organize knowledge. This approach supports a deeper, more reflective learning process than traditional courses that focus on summative assessment. As the course continues, I am looking forward to further engaging with these strategies to enhance my learning experience.
Reference
Conrad, D., & Openo, J. (2018). Assessment Strategies for Online Learning: Engagement and Authenticity. Athabasca University Press.
Ertmer, P. A., & Newby, T. J. (2013). Behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism: Comparing critical features from an instructional design perspective. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 26(2), 43–71. https://doi.org/10.1002/piq.21143
Comment of Xinyi’s Blog Post#1
Thanks for sharing, xinyi! Given that I’m also a student in the HINF program, it’s not hard to realize that there are actually a large number of terminology specialized in the healthcare system, as mentioned in the article, such as PHR, EHR, and EMR, etc. Therefore, for professors, exams are a more accurate indicator of a student’s understanding of healthcare system concepts. Personally, I prefer formative assessment because it facilitates students’ critical thinking and interaction with peers and lecturers. This also reminds me of our previous case study in HINF 420 exploring ethics-related issues. In the class, everyone joined in the discussion for the participation grade which resulted in an interactive environment. Participation grades did not measure whether a student’s response was good or poor, instead they acted as a motivator.
26 May 2024 at 8:14 pm
Hi Kate, Thank you for sharing your blog.
In your blog, you have fully reflected on the difference between formative assessment and summative assessment and used some practical examples, such as “blog posts, group projects” are types of formative assessment, and also mentioned the reasons why this lesson is not a summative assessment, such as the lack of a “high-stakes final exam” to judge students’ performance. In addition, you have combined formative assessment with the three learning theories we learned in Week 1 to make your content more precise and more prosperous for the reader.
As a student, I believe that Behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism are all essential learning theories that can contribute to an efficient learning process and improve our learning ability, and that different courses have their appropriate learning theories. Besides, when using these strategies, I think it is important to consider the learner’s level of knowledge, the audience’s way of thinking and processing, and the desired outcomes of the course, which can also help in choosing the most appropriate learning theories.