Assessment matters.

~criteria criteria

initial posts/stud 0.83 0.82

initial post length 147.19 145.40

responses/stud** 1.52 1.96

response length* 68.73 70.12

messages read** 11.83 23.05

*significant at p>.05; **significant at p>.01

assessment of online discussion (Swan, Schenker, Swan, Arnold & Kuo, 2007)

Assess what is most important.

Understanding By Design, Wiggins & McTighe

enduring understandings

important to know & do

worth being familiar with

Assess transparently.

discussion postings rubrics (Pelz, 2004)

Assess often.

Use a variety of assessments.

Assessments can be powerful

opportunities for learning,

not just opportunities to

demonstrate what has been learned.

Encourage do-overs.

Use structured assessments .

ARTICLE REVIEW

Please use this form to guide your discussion of each research article as well as a template for your group submission. You should address each category in your discussions (remember I can see these) and your group leader should use the assignment link to submit a completed version of this form (you may delete the questions, but be sure to answer them) for you all to receive credit for the assignment.

Article (use APA reference style):

Research Problem: What is the general problem addressed by this article (stated or unstated)?

Literature Review: What major findings are noted in the literature review? Is the literature review related both to the problem and to the reported study?

Research Questions: What are the research questions? Are the research questions stated? Are they meaningful? Does the study really address the questions?

Research Methodology: What is the research methodology? Does the research methodology suit the research questions? Can it answer them? Are there some other method(s) that might be more appropriate?

Results: What are the major findings of the study? Are they justified by the data?

Conclusions: What are the author(s) conclusions? Are they justified by the findings? Are they significant?