Assessments of Learning

Assessments are imperative to the learning process for any course.  An assessment allows the learner to apply what he or she has learned to new contexts.  "If learning is not transferred from the place of learning to practical application, there can be no positive return on investment of the time needed to create, implement, and evaluate instruction"(Thompson, K., 2014).  Therefore, creating assessments that are aligned with instruction is imperative.  

The types of assessments instructors can use throughout a course are: formal and informal.  Formal assessments include tests, midterms and finals, which measure a student’s progress and understanding of concepts taught throughout the course. Informal assessments can be checks throughout the course to see if students understand the concepts.  Checking for understanding, periodically allows the instructor to monitor and adjust any part of the curriculum that students are struggling or excelling at.  They can then reteach material that students do not understand or extend those students that already know the material and need an extension to keep them engaged and motivated.   

Designing informal and formal assessments is an important part of the process. Incorporating higher level thinking as well as focusing on application and synthesis, are more effective strategies for any assessment in a blended classroom.  Some examples of highly effective assessments are:  multiple choice questions that incorporate Bloom's Taxonomy, portfolios, web quests and creating visual products.  

References:
Thompson, K.  (2014).  Understanding blended learning.  Retrieved from https://blended.online.ucf.edu/blendkit-course-blendkit-reader-chapter-3/