PROF. PITIȘ EUGENIA ȘCOALA GIMNAZIALĂ “SF. GHEORGHE” CRAIOVA

Due to COVID-19 lockdown, the teachers are asked to take online classes. Besides imparting instruction, the teacher also has to conduct different types of assessments to evaluate students’ performance. What is an effective way to evaluate students’ performance during online teaching? Online assessments are a critical part of eLearning and should be undertaken with the same level of care and rigor that you put into creating your learning content. The good news is that you don’t have to be a programming genius to build online assessments. There are many software tools that allow you to generate engaging tasks.
Choose your way to assess student learning and a related tool to align your needs and the results you want to achieve. Some of these methods and techniques I have already experienced with my students depending on their age their level of English Quizzes, matching exercises, self-assessments, case studies and problem-solving questions, scenario-based questions, and games are some of the best instructional tools you can use when it comes to assessing students. Assessing student learning is an essential component of effective teaching and learning in the online environment. The following resources will provide you with information on how to effectively use online assessments. Assessment is simply the process of gathering information on what students know based on their educational experience. Assessment results are typically used to identify areas for improvement and ensure that course content meets learning needs.
 1. Online Quizzes
Quizzes are a traditional assessment tool. Plus, when paired with technology, they are an excellent way to engage student learning. Quiz questions can take a number of forms, such as multiple-choice, fill-in-the-blanks, and hotspots.
2. Open-Ended/Essay Questions
Open-ended or essay-type questions are one of the most popular qualitative assessment methods. They prompt learners to explore their thoughts, feelings, and opinions, while testing their overall comprehension of a topic. This type of question encourages critical thinking and is best suited for evaluating higher-level learning.
3. Drag-And-Drop Activities
Drag-and-drops are a type of assessment that show a learner’s ability to link information and apply knowledge to solve a practical problem. You can incorporate both images and text in a drag-and-drop activity, giving it a real-world feel that is both challenging and engaging. It’s essential to use this assessment type when you want learners to be able to apply knowledge in a real-life situation.
4. Online Interviews
You can incorporate a video conference within your online teaching to give learning a more personal touch. During brief online interviews, students can demonstrate their proficiency in language, music, nursing, and other courses, for example, where mastery of specific skills is an important requirement.
5. Dialog Simulations
 A dialog simulation is a way to train learners for real-life conversations with customers, colleagues, and others. When creating a conversation activity based on a situation that a student may face on the job, let them know what to expect and provide a safe place to practice their reactions and responses.
6. Online Polls
Polls allow you to capture feedback directly from your audience about their learning experience. They can be used to measure anything from learning satisfaction (Kirkpatrick Level One feedback) to why a student made a particular choice during a lesson..
7. Game-Type Activities
Game-type activities turn a series of test questions into a game. For example, a trivia game might ask learners to answer a certain number of questions within a period of time and award points based on the number of correct answers. Quizlet and Kahoot are two popular applications that teachers can use to create fast-paced interactive learning games. There are also many other apps, such as GimKit, Formative, and Plickers, that can add a game-show experience to the classroom.
8. Peer Evaluation and Review
Peer evaluation turns the tables to put learners into the instructor’s seat and allow students to review and edit each other’s work. Such activities give each participant a chance to reflect on their knowledge and then communicate their feedback in a consistent and structured way.
9. Forum Posts
A forum is an online discussion board organized around a topic. Asking students to contribute to a forum post is an excellent way to gauge their understanding, pique their interest, and support their learning. In this activity, students are given a critical thinking question based on a lesson or a reading, and are asked to reflect on both. Their answers are posted to a forum and their peers are given the chance to respond.
10) Problem-Solving Case Studies
Case studies involve analyzing a real life instance of an event to gain greater insight into what could be done the same or differently in future occurrences. It is an ideal assessment tool and practice for learners as they help bridge the gap between theory and practice. It is a natural impulse for anyone to solve problems and provide solutions to situations in everyday occurrence. So, why not take advantage of this to provide an interactive learning experience for your audience?
 
REFERENCES:
*Pallof and Prat: Assessing the online Learner
*Kearns LR: Student Assessment in Online Learning: Challenges and Effective Practices
*Faculty Focus: Assessing Online Learning: Strategies, Challenges and Opportunities