What do you do if your online students need better feedback and assessment?

From my experience, clear criteria are just the beginning. It’s essential to go a step further by tailoring our feedback to each student’s individual needs, ensuring it's both actionable and encouraging. This approach not only aids in clarifying expectations but also in fostering a supportive learning atmosphere. Incorporating simple, yet impactful, personalized messages or targeted suggestions can make a significant difference. As educators, our goal should be to make every student feel seen and understood, even in a virtual space. This personalized touch not only enhances learning outcomes but also builds a stronger, more connected educational community.

You need to ensure that your assessment criteria are clear, specific, and aligned with your learning objectives. Provide timely and constructive feedback on assignments, highlighting both strengths and areas for improvement. Utilize a variety of assessment methods, such as quizzes, discussions, and projects, to cater to different learning styles. Incorporate peer assessment and self-assessment where appropriate to encourage student engagement and reflection. Finally, leverage technology tools such as rubrics, online quizzes, and feedback forms to streamline the assessment process and provide students with actionable feedback.

Setting Expectations for Success - The foundation for effective assessment lies in clearly defined criteria. Outline what "success" looks like for each assignment or activity. This could involve rubrics, checklists, or detailed instructions that specify expectations for content, structure, and presentation. Providing clear criteria allows students to understand what they need to do to excel and guides them toward achieving the learning objectives.

Improving feedback and assessment for online students involves implementing strategies that promote clarity, engagement, and effectiveness. This includes providing clear learning objectives, timely feedback, and varied assessment methods such as quizzes, essays, and projects. Incorporating interactive feedback elements, peer evaluations, and formative assessments further enhance the learning experience, while leveraging technology tools and gathering student feedback for continuous improvement ensures a holistic approach to online education.

To improve feedback and assessment for online students, consider implementing various strategies such as using rubrics for clear expectations, providing timely and specific feedback on assignments, offering opportunities for self-assessment and peer review, utilizing interactive tools for engagement, and incorporating formative assessments to track progress and address areas of improvement effectively. These approaches can enhance the learning experience and support students in achieving their academic goals.

Embrace Multiple Assessment Methods, A Holistic Approach Don't rely solely on traditional tests and quizzes. Utilize a variety of assessment methods that cater to different learning styles and skills. Integrate online quizzes, collaborative projects, discussion forums, presentations, and self-reflection activities into your online course. This multifaceted approach provides a more comprehensive picture of student learning and allows for personalized feedback.

Building on the idea of using diverse assessment methods, I've found that combining them with real-life tasks and projects brings a new depth to online learning. In my experience, especially in teaching languages and working with digital platforms, formative feedback used into practical assignments can significantly enhance engagement. For example, asking students to create a video presentation or write a blog post in the language they're learning allows for a blend of summative and peer feedback, catering to various learning styles. This approach not only makes assessment more comprehensive but also prepares students for real-world applications of their knowledge.

Tengo la certeza que es fundamental utilizar múltiples métodos de retroalimentación y evaluación que se adapten al entorno de aprendizaje virtual y a los resultados del aprendizaje. Esto implica: Retroalimentación formativa: Implementar un sistema de retroalimentación continua e informal para monitorear el progreso de los estudiantes a lo largo del curso. Retroalimentación sumativa: Incorporar evaluaciones finales y formales para medir el rendimiento general de los estudiantes al final de una unidad, curso o proyecto. Retroalimentación de los compa?eros: Fomentar la participación de los estudiantes en la retroalimentación entre pares, donde pueden proporcionarse comentarios unos a otros sobre sus trabajos, proyectos o participaciones.

Feedback is most effective when it's timely and actionable. Aim to provide feedback as soon as possible after assessments, while the learning is still fresh in students' minds. Move beyond simply assigning grades. Offer specific, constructive feedback that highlights strengths, identifies areas for improvement, and provides clear steps for students to take to enhance their learning.

Additionally, I have found that video message feedback has been incredibly important for students. Taking their assignment and talking through what they did well, what can be omitted, and what needs improvement, but placing that in a video format, empowers the student for revisions and growth. Unlike in a classroom setting, video feedback can be paused and replayed as many times as the student needs rather than relying on a quick desk-side conference in front of peers, where many of my comments or suggestions could be easily forgotten or taken out of context when written. Video feedback adds a personal touch and buy in from the student, who feels as though they are worth their teacher's time.

En este punto es importante adaptar los comentarios a las habilidades, intereses y estilos de aprendizaje de cada estudiante. Es de conocimiento que no todos aprenden de la misma forma. Emplear una variedad de formatos de retroalimentación, como comentarios escritos, grabaciones de audio o video, y sesiones de retroalimentación en tiempo real. Esto permite a los estudiantes recibir información de manera más diversa y efectiva, de acuerdo con sus preferencias y necesidades.

Create time for meaningful feedback. Ensure everyone is on the same passage. Effective communication is key and building a positive relationship will promote positive results.

We've leveraged tools like Padlet for students to create digital portfolios that not only showcase their work but also their personal reflections on learning. This practice helps students to see their progress, understand their challenges, and appreciate their achievements in a concrete way. It’s about making learning a personal journey, one where they not only acquire new knowledge but also grow in self-awareness and confidence.

Incorporate self-assessment and reflection activities into your online course. Encourage students to evaluate their own learning, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and set goals for improvement. This empowers students to take ownership of their learning journey and fosters a growth mindset.

Mentimeter is a great tool to capture feedback from students. I utilise their word cloud feature. Other methods I use are exit tickets, 3-2-1 Reflection and Feed Forward. I also created my own student self-reflection where students use emojis to express how they feel about each question on an assessment.

Ensure that your assessment strategies are aligned with your course learning objectives. What are the key skills and knowledge you want students to acquire? Design assessments that directly measure these objectives. This alignment ensures that your assessments are not only effective but also relevant to the course content.

Don't underestimate the value of student feedback. Conduct surveys or hold discussions to gather student input on their assessment experiences. Ask about the clarity of feedback, the effectiveness of different assessment methods, and any challenges they encounter. This student feedback allows you to continually refine your assessment practices and ensure they are meeting your students' needs.

I like to share this quote: "To teach is to learn twice." - Joseph Joubert. When I transitioned from the sage-on-the-stage to online learning, I realised teaching and learning is not a one-way street. Asking for feedback was strange at first for many Asian students back then as we tend to be passive learners. So I made it a point that at the end of my online course or session, I would encourage my learners to note down their thoughts and comments that can help improve my online teaching practices and support action research.

Encoraje os alunos a refletir sobre seu próprio aprendizado, forne?a ferramentas e recursos para ajudá-los a se autoavaliar e promova a autoconsciência e a autonomia dos alunos.