What steps can you take to ensure the validity of online assessments?

Coursera's gamified learning employs clear objectives, enhancing online assessments. For instance, in a Data Science course, specific objectives like "Understand statistical analysis" guide quiz and assignment design. Feedback and gamification elements are tied to these objectives, motivating learners to engage and providing valid evidence of goal achievement. Coursera's approach showcases how clear objectives in assessments enhance motivation, alignment with goals, and the overall e-learning experience, setting a valuable example for online education platforms.

Setting proper goals is essential to any evaluation. I totally agree with these comments. I'm not so sure about action verbs. The goal should not be an action --- researching, learning, understanding. The research should be an accomplishment. For example, complete the collection of images of lighthouses in Maine. For learning, be able to replace a flat tire.

Defining clear and specific objectives is pivotal for the validity of online assessments. These objectives must be intricately aligned with the intended learning outcomes and stipulate the skills, knowledge, or competencies the learners are expected to acquire. Utilising measurable and observable terms, often articulated through action verbs, clarifies the level of cognitive engagement required. This meticulous approach to objective-setting ensures that the assessments designed are directly relevant to the skills or knowledge being taught, thereby avoiding the pitfall of measuring extraneous or irrelevant factors.

Be honest about what your test measures. Validity assesses whether a test actually measures what it says it measures. Don’t say "my test measures intelligence" if it’s an IQ test. Say "it measures the ability to identify patterns / problem solve in such-and-such context."

When defining good learning objectives, important to consider also the time allotted to the training. The desired learning level needs to be aligned with the time needed for learning. A short elearning course cannot aim to reach application level.

So going back to the difference between an objective and a learning outcome. The way you assess depends on what you want to assess. So for learning objectives, for the most part your usual assessment quiz, knowledge checks, etc are fine. For a learning outcome, a scenario based assessment would be perfect no matter what form it is in. This is so they can transfer the knowledge into a work situation.

Always choose assessment tools and systems that learners will actually use on the job. The same approach should be applied when selecting scenarios and situations. there is no point in creating a disconnected experience between the test and the actual task. Make your assessments as close the on the job scenario as possible to gain realistic insights to someone’s capabilities/knowledge/expertise.

Engaging learners and assessing their knowledge are the most important ways by defining the appropriate tools and methods that making them more involved and engaged with the online assessment. Considering this tool to be user friendly and easy to be navigated and meeting learner’s expectations.

Generally speaking, tools are less important than the conditions of the test. Locked-UIs (computer is locked on test mode from beginning to end). Design questions + timing so that render looking for the answer online obsolete. That kind of stuff.

In a Professional Communication Skills course for sales professionals, effective online assessment methods and tools include sales pitch videos, customer interaction simulations, sales proposal writing, peer and self-assessment, role-play interviews, and sales script analysis. These assessments align with real-world sales contexts, evaluating learners' communication and persuasion abilities while providing valuable feedback for skill enhancement.

This is the hardest part of assessment design. I make participation in classes or online a key factor when assessing 'subjective' responses. 1+1=2 however comparing apples with oranges is much harder because they have characteristics in common. A student who participates with questions that I can't immediately answer is more likely to pass even if their exam marks are borderline. NB discovering answers with help from students is a good teaching tool.

To ensure a thorough evaluation of cognitive skills such as recall, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation, it is crucial to incorporate a variety of item types in online assessments, ranging from multiple choice to essays. This approach goes beyond mere knowledge recall and provides a comprehensive assessment of student learning.

Validity refers to the extent to which an assessment measures what it is intended to measure, while reliability refers to the consistency and accuracy of the assessment results — having clearly defined learning objectives aligned to the assessment and using a variety of question and scenario types to reduce learners from 'guessing' answers is important. Another critical note would be to avoid vague or ambiguous questions and avoid language that can be interpreted differently. Pilot-test your assessments before using them with learners to ensure reliability. Provide learners with feedback to learn from mistakes and improve their knowledge and skills.

Still, it is important to have a measurable outcome. For example, marksmanship - scoring 100% on a rifle range test. It should be able to demonstrate the skill learned in a test. I'm teaching a writing class and I have included homework that requires completing a task --- plot outline, query letter, etc. By completing the assignment, the student will demonstrate that he understands what is required and prove that he can perform the task.

In a cybersecurity course, you can enhance validity and reliability by designing a scenario-based assessment. Present learners with a simulated cyberattack situation where they must identify vulnerabilities, analyze the threat, and recommend security measures. This practical assessment not only measures theoretical knowledge but also practical skills, ensuring the assessment aligns with the course's learning objectives and providing a reliable measure of their cybersecurity expertise.

Ensire your questions use common language and are clear. Make sure your instrument is measuring learning, not test taking skill or reading comprehension.

One of the most important ways to ensure the validity of online assessment is to make sure that the assessment is accessible to all students. This means considering the needs of students with disabilities as well as those of students who are learning English as a second language, to name a few. In many ways, taking care of these cases traditionally thought of as exceptional actually creates better assessments. For one, they require that questions are formulated so as to assess knowledge in the subject not knowledge of English. In the same way, quizzes are constructed so as to evaluate skills in the subject not abilities (e.g., speed) in the use of technology. In effect, taking these into account makes us better online assessment creators.

In the realm of adult learning, ensuring the validity of online assessments becomes even more crucial. Adult learners often lead busy lives, managing work, family, and various responsibilities. They value efficiency and require clear, explicit instructions and grading criteria. This transparency respects their time and commitment, boosting motivation and engagement. Furthermore, adults bring diverse backgrounds and prior knowledge to the table. Clear guidelines level the playing field, ensuring assessments accurately measure progress and understanding, ultimately enhancing the validity of the learning outcomes.

Providing clear and consistent instructions and criteria is crucial in online assessments: 1. Student Clarity: Instructions should be precise, explaining what is expected in responses, the format of answers, and any technical requirements. 2. Assessor Consistency: Provide uniform grading criteria or rubrics to ensure fair and reliable scoring. 3. Feedback Criteria: Specify how and when feedback will be given. 4. Transparency: Share criteria before the assessment to aid preparation. 5. Relevance: Instructions and criteria should align with the course objectives and content.

One good tool is to use consistent assessment standards on all exercises so the students are use to the expectations as they progress through the course. Also consider repetition such as placing the expectations on a course home page, on a reminder slide before the assessment and on the assessment themselves.

This can be the most time consuming of the entire process, but I also believe that technology in combination with SMEs can help you create a more agile process. It also depends on the level of the assessment - quizzes included in content to assess knowledge progress should not take the same resources that a high stakes certification does.

In the realm of adult learning, ensuring the validity of online assessments is paramount. A pioneering example involves multinational corporations utilizing virtual reality (VR) language immersion for employee language training. In this immersive environment, employees engage in real-life conversations, and AI assesses their language skills, including grammar, pronunciation, and cultural awareness. Quality assurance is upheld through expert reviews, while immediate feedback mechanisms enhance the learning experience. This innovative approach not only validates assessments but also offers engaging, practical, and effective adult learning opportunities.

Evaluating the effectiveness of assessments is something that AI can help with because of the large data sets involved. For example, you can feed assessment experiences from multiple sections of a course over multiple terms and ask AI to look for trends. Questions that have a high rate of student failure and assignments that frequently result in low levels of achievement can then be re-crafted. AI can also generate ideas for replacing problematic assessments - but that's a subject for a different article. :)

In knowledge questions, the key is to test the instrument’s difficulty and discrimination. Discrimination means that does the instrument discriminate the learners who know from those who don’t.

Implementing quality assurance and feedback mechanisms is key to maintaining the effectiveness of online assessments: 1. Quality Checks: Regularly review and update assessment items to ensure they remain relevant, fair, and aligned with course objectives. 2. Feedback Collection: Gather feedback from students about their experience with the assessment, and use it to refine the process. 3. Data Analysis: Use analytics to monitor student performance and identify patterns that may suggest issues with the assessment. 4. Peer Review: Involve multiple educators in reviewing and improving assessment design and scoring. 5. Continual Improvement: Use these mechanisms to iteratively improve the quality and effectiveness of assessments over time.

In adult learning, ensuring the validity of online assessments while addressing ethical and legal considerations is crucial. A multinational corporation provides compliance training to adult employees as an example. They align assessment questions with learning objectives, use diverse question types, and regularly review them for relevance. Ethical considerations include informed consent, data privacy, cultural sensitivity, and accessibility. Legal compliance involves adhering to relevant regulations and data retention policies. The company offers constructive feedback and personalized support to enhance the learning experience. This approach fosters effective adult learning in a responsible and inclusive environment.

To ensure the reliability of online test you want to ensure several factors. 1) Assessment Instructions should be clear and concise. 2) The environment of testing should be consistent for each learner (The assessment should recommend a conducive test environment to remote testers) 3) Testing measurements should be related to content. 4) Number of questions should be plentiful. 5) Opportunity for testers top retake the assessment with identical stipulations should be offered to compare to original results.

Recommendation: Although this recommended booklet was published by Leeds Metropolitan University in 2010 I would highly recommend it for any educationalist developing online courses/ content. ISBN 978-1-907240-06-5 Using assessment to support student learning. By Honorary Professor Graham Gibbs This booklet proved invaluable to me in designing a range of online courses for a Graduate Diploma of Information Technology in Education Of particular value: Assessment Experience Questionnaire ( V3.3) Just one small example of using this questionnaire guided my assessment design Quantity and quality of feedback Regular teacher feedback to avoid online students saying I hardly received any feedback on my work. Feedback came too late.

One critical step often missed when designing online learning and courses in organisations is linking learning and development with business KPIs and performance; an online assessment is excellent for assessing the course itself and the learner's knowledge on completion, but what is the long-term impact of the learning? Linking and reviewing learning against overall business objectives and improvements helps measure the impact of training initiatives, make informed decisions, and ensure that resources are being used effectively. Organisations can create a skilled and engaged workforce that drives business performance and long-term success by aligning employee development with strategic goals.