May 2008 — News
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21st Century Teaching and Learning: Assessing New Knowledge
Therefore, for one concept or concept area, the instructional design includes:
- Online and hardcopy text resources (articles, papers, textbook etc.);
- Online discussion topics, blogs, or wikis;
- In-class group work; and
- In-class and online project work and new knowledge work.
This process is in place for each concept or concept area and can be captured for assessment purposes. Providing clear rubrics ahead of time guides the process but does not dictate the process. Additionally, each course provides an opportunity for class groups to think through a project that best demonstrates their new knowledge work and how it applies to real life. Finally, a self-directed research paper customizes the concept learning, critical thinking, and application of learning for each student. Each research paper is different, and each application of learning is different. These summative exercises help students to understand their own learning and "see" how it affects their own knowledge and practice. While this presents many data sources for me as an instructor to evaluate, the data are still within the confines of the course and relevant to the subject area but demonstrate the learning process that has taken place for each student, and ultimately stretch me as an instructor in my own learning and understanding of the subject.
Throughout the learning process, students can become frustrated as most conventional learning environments do not expect students to engage at this level, and students ask me often to "short-circuit" the process and simply tell them what I'm looking for , "...so we can get an A and move on." Therefore, commitment to the process is essential for any instructor, and expectations must remain high so that students should engage, if real learning is to take place. As I have remained committed to the learning process, on many occasions I have had students (sometimes up to two years after the course) contact me to tell me that while they felt frustrated they finally realize what I was attempting and that they have never felt so engaged or that the learning was as relevant as from my expectations that they remain focused on the learning process: They could see how it changed their thinking and their professional practice.
As technology continues to change and affect how students think and process information, instructors must realize that there is an opportunity to now capture and assess in ways not formerly possible. Research continues to enforce the importance of learning as a process, student engagement, and learning outcomes in the process of learning. Technology does not change these realities, but it can provide new ways to evaluate learning through clear demonstration and new ways to challenge students in the process. In order to maximize these opportunities, we as instructors must be willing to move away from conventional forms of assessment and, using new tools available to us, create new ways of assessing actual learning. Ultimately this will not only benefit students directly, but grow our content area knowledge and methodology as instructors: Our skills can expand to as high a level of innovation as we demand from our students.
References Howe, N, Strauss, W, Matson, R.J. (2000). Millennials Rising: The Next Generation. Vintage Books, N.Y. Howe, N, Strauss, W. (2006). Millennials and the Pop Culture. LifeCourse Associates, USA. Siemens, G. (2004, Dec. 12). Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age. Soloman, G; Schrum, L. (2007). Web 2.0: new tools, new schools. International Society for Technology in Education OR, USA. Smith, M. K. (1999) 'Learning theory', the encyclopedia of informal education, www.infed.org/biblio/b-learn.htm |
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About the author: Ruth Reynard is the director of faculty for Career Education Corp. She can be reached at rreynard@careered.com.
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