Continuous Online Assessment in the Life Sciences: Challenges Faced and Lessons Learned



Alston, Peter
(2015) Continuous Online Assessment in the Life Sciences: Challenges Faced and Lessons Learned. 4 December 2015, Berlin, Germany.

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Abstract

The advent of online learning is having an impact on policy and practice in many universities around the world and is quickly becoming common place in higher education (Gikandi et al. 2011; Rowley et al. 1998). Larreamendy-Joerns & Leinhardt (2006) also note that teaching and learning in an online environment is now becoming more commonplace within an educator’s everyday practices and in general, can be more advantageous than traditional instruction (Means et al. 2010). There a variety of reasons for this, in part due to the numerous benefits afforded to both tutors and learners. Falling under the conference theme of “Shaping Learning Longetivity” by exploring new pedagogical practices, this presentation reports on the experiences and challenges faced by a Life Sciences department at a UK university when implementing a continuous assessment strategy within an online environment. Presented in the form of a ‘case study’, the presentation will first draw upon earlier work by the author into the nature of continuous assessment and share some of the views of tutors in regards to adopting such an approach in an online environment. The department’s rationale for adopting continuous assessment will then be discussed, along with how, working with an external content provider, an online assessment strategy was implemented into the first year of undergraduate degree programs. With a strategic responsibility for TEL within the department, I will then highlight some of the challenges that we have faced in implementing such a strategy and share the lessons we have learned in the hope of informing others who plan to embark on such a journey. For those adopting a continuous assessment approach in an online environment, it is crucial that tutors are aware of a range of assessment methods that help to promote self-regulated learning amongst students, through the delivery of personalised and detailed feedback in a timely manner.

Item Type: Presentation Material
Subjects: ?? LB2300 ??
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?? QH301 ??
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Depositing User: Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited: 15 Dec 2015 09:04
Last Modified: 17 Dec 2022 01:34
URI: https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/2042819