Online Assessments - Trysts and Trials

It is rightfully said by Carol Ann Tomlinson, "Assessment is today's means of modifying tomorrow's instruction". It is an integral aspect of the education cycle and the image below sums it all. 

Further, it helps in the following parameters as per UNESCO

Given the current situation, the paramount question is how to assess students on a virtual platform objectively and ensuring students have used fair means. We are also a nation dealing with numbers and thus the primary question is, 'How to cater to a huge number of students using a minimum of resources?

We, at school, are using MS Teams but also dabble with other platforms including our in- house school portal. With discussion with many more educators, I am aware that people are using platforms like Google, Flipgrid, Zoom, Kahoot, or Mentimeter or own school portals and each one has their strengths and shortcomings. 

These platforms allow us to ask a variety of questions but how are teachers using it for long assessments especially an essay or letter. 

In our school, we are using MS Teams which offers Forms which can accommodate both formative and short answers and Assignments where you could upload a paper, have your student download, solve and turn it in but the vital question is how do you verify it is your own student attempting the paper and not the support system which is a similar question with all other platforms. 

The concern is definitely not with the platforms, creating, uploading papers, and correction on every platform can be handled by any smart teacher. The real concern was the execution and the scenario at home where we had minimum control. 

So, collectively our teachers brainstormed with Heads regularly as we were attempting assessments with over 1500 students. A week was given for mock assessments to analyze the loopholes and plug them for the final evaluation. The shortcomings were as follows:

1. The link to the paper was shared with students on time but due to varying bandwidths, some papers having images would open late and students would panic. 

2. Certain papers like Literature or Language had to be downloaded, solved and the file or image either uploaded. The uploading took ages and students missed the deadlines. 

3. The correction for teachers was extensive as they spent more screen time and their eyes were hurting. 

4. In some papers where marks were automatically shared after submission, students who had given correct answers had their marks deducted because the answers had their ''case'' changed or in Math, the format changed. Ex: 

It takes Julia 1/2 hour to wash, comb her hair, and put on her clothes, and 1/4 hour to have her breakfast. How much time does it take Julia to be ready for school? (2 points)

13

Responses

Latest Responses

"3/4Hr"

"3/4 hr" or "45 minutes "

If the student had written both responses the computer gave it wrong because the teacher had not fed the varied possibilities. So, every paper had to be scrutinized before giving it to students. We had to control automatic marks hand out. 

5. Both students and parents felt emotionally stressed and it reflected in their approach to assessments. Few parents wanted it discontinued but we were relentless and today they are satisfied. 

So, the following week, we had further meetings to strengthen the process.

1. The paper pattern ensured that Bloom's taxonomy leading to HOTS was given more leverage. The student would not find the response directly in any textbook, he had to think. 

2. Our Unit Test paper of 20 marks was split into two parts:

1. Objective done through MS Forms

2. Subjective done through Assignment. 

Students had time denoted for both and felt assured that one paper was not deciding their understanding. 

3. Assessment guidelines were created for every single class, courtesy hard work of the VP and Section Heads along with teachers so that parents had clarity and awareness of the expectations. 

3. During the assessment, the student's videos were on. Every class had two teachers invigilating who would pin children and observe their work. We also had the virtual backdrop removed to gauge whether there was anyone seated beside the child. 

3. After the assessment, we followed up with a Viva wherein the teacher would call the student from the classroom and have a 1:1 interaction to assess student's learning. The questions would be different from the paper and differ from student to student so that no parroting happened. All the extra efforts helped us understand who actually took up the assessment sincerely and mark them accordingly. 

The teachers are now busy correcting the papers and will turn in the responses soon. Next week they will be ready for an Open House on a virtual platform sharing 1:1 feedback. Truly hats off to the dedicated teachers and amazing Heads for working much beyond their time to ensure a fair evaluation. A physical evaluation would normally take 40 minutes to complete and then mechanically everyone would move on to regular class timetable but a virtual one took hours of executing assessments which included viva plus regular teaching. 

Honestly, when I hear people dismissing virtual classrooms, I feel like offering a free internship to them to experience this process for only a week and then pass judgment. 

Success comes when everyone feels the pulse and works collectively and that is what is transpiring in every school all over the world. Educators have not only moved on to teaching but also assessing, conducting online events and activities not only within the school but also interschool and simultaneously connected with parents to support student's learning curve. It somehow feels as if school never shut for a single day but seamlessly went for a makeover. 

Note: We are on a journey to improve our assessments and would welcome more ideas and suggestions. 

Assessments of and for learning