Assessing Collaborative Efforts

Collaboration is an essential part of an online learning community, and it takes all learners working together to make the process more effective. Instead of individuals learning, learning communities say, “We have a difficult, complex task ahead of us. The only way we’re going to achieve this is if everyone contributes” (Siemens, 2008). Therefore, instructors have to change traditional assessment methods to meet the needs of a collaborative environment.

There are many ways to assess students in an online environment. Siemens (2008) identifies four ways to change the assessment model to make learning more effective. First, he suggests using a rating scale or checklist, so students can assess their peers (Siemens, 2008). This provides students with a chance to communicate and express their ideas, and it builds the social presence within a community.

Next, he suggests that students participate in online communities with members that have varying degrees of expertise. Receiving feedback from outside sources expands knowledge and stimulates learning beyond the virtual classroom. According to Siemens, “The goal of an educator is to provide learners with as many opportunities for those kinds of collaborative interactions as possible” (Siemens, 2008).

The third expectation requires assessments to be “fair and direct, based on stated learner outcomes” (Siemens, 2008). By utilizing rubrics, students’ goals and objectives are clearly stated. Rubrics also eliminate instructor's biases regarding answers or participation levels. According to Palloff and Pratt, “Students need a road map not only to guide the activity, but also to know how that activity will be assessed and evaluated” (Palloff & Pratt, 2005, p.42). Incorporating rubrics allows for fair assessment since expectations are stated before the activity begins.

The fourth example requires instructors to assess students based on their participation levels with the group (Siemens, 2008). This assessment strategy parallels the f2f environment. If members do not participate in collaborative assignments, the whole group suffers. Therefore, the group should continue communicating and building trust with all members. If this technique fails, the instructors roll is to continue facilitating knowledge to all learners, but gently remind the noncompliant member of the expectations. By utilizing guidelines and rubrics, learners are held accountable for their participation. Therefore, we ultimately increase the chances for engagement within a learning community (Palloff & Pratt, 2007, p. 42).

Laureate Education, Inc. (2008). Principles of Distance Education. Baltimore: Author.

Palloff, R. M., & Pratt, K. (2005). Collaborating online: Learning together in community. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Palloff, R. M., & Pratt, K. (2007). Building online learning communities: Effective strategies for the virtual classroom. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.