Week 7 and 8 were dedicated to modifying and improving final assessment draft. It can be found at: https://sites.google.com/site/class2intermalg/
This weeks discussion circled around providing feedback to others and planning for the future classes. There were not many readings, but some reading links are provided below.
Wow, week 6 is already over. Either the time flies or I am getting really really old! 
This week I missed the Wimba chat session, but there is the transcript that I’ll listen to as soon as I get the access. The discussion focused on assessment techniques from the readings to the assessment techniques we plan on using in our final project. One of the things that stood out for me is the use of Rubrics for complex assessment pieces like the class final paper. I also pointed out the virtues of ALEKS to my peers in this class, but there are some people who don’t like it.
We also created a ten open ended question pre-course survey. The purpose of my survey is to create inviting questions and engage students in on line discussion from the start. As a result some of my questions are a bit wordy. I think I need to work on shortening future survey questions.
Readings this week included Video Paper Builder and Cybercoaching_paper. Cybercoaching paper emphasized deep thinking assignments where there is no right or wrong answer. It also embraces technological on-line innovations and tales about formative (monitoring) and summative (grade) assessments.
We also saw some final project samples from past students.
Project 1, Project 2, Project 3, Project 4
Projects also gave me an idea of using Xtranormal, text to movie tool. It will come in handy for class avatars. Other interesting tools I learned about this week are audioboo and jing. Both are great for providing student feedback.
audioboo
Week five reading included articles on social learning, this article discussed how on line tools can enhance school and after school programs and how learners interaction enhances learning, the article calls this social and emotional learning process. Second article by Cynthia L. Corritore discussed how instructors translate their in-class learning into on-line learning; reluctance of on line teachers. This article describes authors reluctant journey into on-line instruction and how it blossomed.
Here is a sample of Math learning objectives that uses Bloom’s Taxonomy. Each learning objective has three elements – behavior, condition and expectations or level of learning expected.
Here is a table that describes assessment taxonomy for an Algebra class:
|
Bloom categories |
Learning objective verbs |
Activity |
| Knowledge (recall, list, define, identify, collect, label) | Define, Write | Instructor solves problems in class or video on line and relates them to real life scenarios. |
| Comprehension (summarize, describe interpret, predict, discuss) | Demonstrate, Discuss, Explain | In class, on line group assignments where students work in teams of two and can get help from other teams if they are stuck. |
| Application (apply, demonstrate, illustrate, classify, experiment, discover) | Compute, Show | Homework problems from text |
| Analysis (analyze, classify, connect, explain, infer) | Analyze, Deduce | In class, on line tests |
| Synthesis (combine, integrate, plan, create, design, formulate) | Compose, | Reflective paper on how students solve math problems. |
| Evaluation (assess, recommend, convince, compare, conclude, summarize) | Asses, Summarize | Reflective paper on how students solve math problems. |
These concepts apply to a class of mixed students, some traditional and some adult learners. The idea is to pair them together to maximize return on class math background diversity.
In Week 3 we created some assessment tools. My first assessment tool is a SurveyMonkey class evaluation tool. It is very basic proof of concept survey, nothing very specific to a given discipline or program.
Click here to take survey
This week we discussed different assessment techniques. Nine Principles of Good Practice for Assessing Student Learning: Where Do I Stand?
wisc-online.com
A ten minute video about on line assessment was also part of the readings, BONK: ASSESSING STUDENT ONLINE LEARNING
YouTube Video
Concept mapping was presented, and Imagine software was suggested, however it seems to cost money, so I chose to use bubbl.us, because it is free.
Some examples of thinking maps are at: http://www.thinkingfoundation.org/research/case_studies/case_studies.html and at http://www.mapthemind.com/thinkingmaps/thinkingmaps.html
Concept Map: Algebra_101
In week 2 we saw a power point future of on line learning by Peter Shea from Albany. Some of his main points are that people learn when the learning environment is knowledge, learner, community and assessment centered.
shea_20100323
Discussion centered on use of Blogs and other technology by learners. Some students debated lack of language proficiency and lack of equal technology access by learners. The posts were long and the discussion forum was swamped with 69 messages as of Sunday at the end of the week.
Another simple reading this week was teacher vs. learner centered learning.
teacher_vs_learner_table
Other readings included UW-Stout page on on-line assessment resources for teachers, if there is one thing you want to check out from this post it would be the link below.
UW-Stout on-line assessment tools
Oh and before I forget, we also learned a few things about blogs, but not worth mentioning to advance bloggers like you.
I teach at the College of Menominee Nation in the Business and Public Administration department. College of Menominee Nation is located on the Menominee Indian reservation one hour west of Green Bay, Wisconsin. One of the challenges we face at our college is with rural poverty. Despite difficulties many of our students move on to other four year universities in the state.
Our college has a philosophy of not accepting student loan money. So most of our students get either scholarships or pay their own way. The good thing about is that no one leave our college with a student debt. At the college I also help student organizations and volunteer at the coffee shop that uses work study students. I am making Lattes and Mochas every Wednesday between 11:00 am – 3:00 pm. The coffee shop is located in the library entrance area and my students love to study there when I am there because they know I will not only make them a hot cup of coffee but help them with their assignments. You can see our coffee shop by looking up Campus Grind on facebook.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Keshena-WI/Campus-Grind/110749415621662
