VERIFICATION OF THE LEARNING OUTCOMES
Theoretical introduction
Verification of the learning outcomes is one of the key stages in the educational path of each student. Every course / module and especially its content needs to be verified, in other words finished. Verification of the learning outcomes aims, among other things, at assessing students’ knowledge, skills, and competences. All of them are assumed and described in the introduction to the course, which proofs the needs of a given module.
Another aim of the verification of the learning outcomes is to assess the level of students’ knowledge, skills, and competences, and decide whether a given student may enter higher level of his/her education. Another aim of the verification of the learning outcomes is to provide students with proper feedback about their strengths, weaknesses, and fields for improvement. Finally, the verification of the learning outcomes allows teachers to reflect upon the course content and, if necessary, improve it.
Exercise I: ONLINE TESTS
Testportal, MS Teams, Mentimeter, Google forms, Naiku, other testing platforms (depending on access and fees)
Theoretically at any time – depends on the purpose of testing.
Practically – during the semester, last class, credit week for partial or complete verification of the learning outcomes.
Online: Synchronous/asynchronous
Face-to-face: Synchronous – access to mobile devices and internet is required
To verify learning outcomes by implementing various online tools
STEP I
Teachers get acquainted / learn about a particular portal to prepare a test.
STEP II
On a test day the teacher provides students with a link, code etc.
STEP III
Students do the test.
STEP IV
Students receive feedback immediately after doing the test.
STEP V
Teacher meets the students to discuss the test and the results
- Teacher may check students’ knowledge by implementing various technologies
- Tests might be used several times
- Tests might be performed at any time in any place
- Some tests automatically verify answers/tests are automatically corrected
– Routine: teachers implement the same test year by year, course by course
+ Teachers improve the tests and their content systematically
– Test might not be reliable
+ Teacher needs to perform a mock-test to assess its reliability
– Test may contain some mistakes (especially when prepared by teachers who are not familiar with online testing resources)
+ It is good to ask a peer teacher (especially one who is more familiar with online testing resources) to do the test and spot possible mistakes
– Students may copy either the whole test or selected questions
+ Teacher needs to control the content of the test, improve it, add/remove questions
Exercise II: MINI-INTERACTIVE STUDENTS’ LECTURE/CONFERENCE
Depending on the platform (MS Teams; ZOOM, ClickMeeting); the platform needs to be equipped with conference/webinar mode
Depending on the information contained in the syllabus. May be performed as a form of final assessment.
Online/synchronous;
Face-to face
To assess students’ knowledge by organizing a mini students’ lecture or conference during which the students deliver speeches/papers on a particular topic. The exercise is a very good form of raising students’ awareness, self-confidence, building rhetorical skills.
STEP I
At the beginning of the course the teacher announces that the final assessment will take a form of a mini lecture/conference
STEP II
Depending on the number of hours of the course, the teacher – usually in the middle of the course – prepares a list of topics. The number of topics should be adequate to the number of students. If there are more than 10 students in the group, the teacher may decide to let students work in pairs.
STEP III
Final assessment date is a date of the mini lecture / conference. The date is set in advance.
STEP IV
During his/her office hours, the teacher informs the students about the requirements concerning the lecture/conference: structure, tools, presentation skills; content of the lecture, etc.
This step might be omitted if introduced at earlier stages, e.g., when announcing the mini conference. However, the teacher needs to be available and ready to answers all the questions that may arise regarding the presentation.
STEP V
Assessment Day/Lecture Day / Conference Day
- The students – like during any conference or lecture – deliver their speeches/papers.
- The event is supported by moderators who introduce the speakers, manage the time, comment, and ask questions.
- At the end of the conference, the teacher sums up all the speeches/papers and assesses the students. The assessment might be performed by fellow students as well or the teacher might ask the students to assess the conference and the papers.
- The exercise helps students overcome the fear of public speaking
- The exercise develops students’ competences (time management, group work, pair work, debate/discussion preparation)
- The students can check their public speaking skills
- Mini conference may enrich students’ overall knowledge
– The whole event may fail if all the rules are not explained explicitly
+ Before introducing this type of assessment, the teacher needs to plan it well in advance
– Students may not be willing to ask questions to presentations
+ The teacher may involve himself/herself and start asking questions or give additional points to students who ask questions
+ The teacher may ask all listeners to prepare questions (one question from each student to each presentation)
– Time and space parameters: a mini conference cannot last the whole day
+ The exercise is best for groups of max. 10 students.
+ Assessment Day / Conference Day / Lecture Day might last longer, i.e., the teacher might devote more time for the assessment.
Exercise III: GROUP ESSAY
google forms, interactive text editor
Depending on the information contained in the syllabus. May be performed as a form of final assessment
Online: synchronous/asynchronous
Face-to-face: computer and internet access required
Students write an essay for their final assessment. This type of assessment gives students a chance to learn and get inspired from their peers. Good students may become role models to weak students.
Depending on the subject, students may perform other tasks: interpretation of a poem, work of art, film, piece of music, or they may solve a case.
Before introducing this task (especially essay writing) students need to be familiar with all the guidelines concerning the final papers.
STEP I
The teacher prepares a list with the topics of the essays. The number of essays depends on the number of students – max. 3 students for one essay.
STEP II
The teacher prepares interactive forms (e.g., google forms) in which topics of essays and the names of students are included.
STEP III
On the assessment day, the teacher divides the students into groups and provides them with a link to the interactive form.
The form also includes all necessary information – evaluation criteria which the students need to follow.
STEP IV
Time devoted to do the test is the time students should spend on preparing / writing the essay.
STEP V
Students work online. They can communicate with each other through, for example, breakout rooms.
STEP VI
When the students finish working on the essay / time is over, the teacher closes the forms, saves them, and downloads them.
STEP VII
The teacher discusses the essays during his/her office hours.
- Pair/group work facilitates interaction
- Students learn responsibility
- Weaker students may learn from good students
- Students learn creative thinking, the use of different sources as well as time and source management
– Grouping students may turn out to be inadequate
+ Teacher should create the groups. Weak students should work with good students
– On the one hand the exercise may motivate weak students, on the other they might remain passive during the exercise
+ The teacher should monitor students’ progress and make sure that all the students are equally involved in the task
– Final grade – there is only one. Some students may feel that their workload is not adequate, the same concerns the grade
+ Teacher should observe / monitor the students. Grade for the essay might be just one of the components of the final grade.
+ Components of the final grade need to be transparent and clearly introduced to students.
Exercise IV: JEOPARDY
Padlet, interactive board, Kahoot and MS Teams or ZOOM
Depending on the type of the class: might be conducted at the beginning, at the end, during the classes or as a form of final assessment.
Online: synchronous
Face-to-face: synchronous
To obtain final credits; to introduce final assessment with the implementation of Jeopardy
Due to its mode and structure, the exercise may work best during revision classes. This exercise requires the implementation of two online tools at the same time. That is why, it needs to be well prepared in advance.
STEP I
According to the rules of the quiz, the teacher prepares a series of sentences in the form of answers, e.g.:
a) in literature classes: “…the title of his novel which was published after his death was chosen by Max Brod…” (answer: Who was Franz Kafka?)
b) in fine arts classes: “…the majority of Warhol’s works were prepared with the use of a technique where a mesh is used to transfer ink onto a substrate…” (answer: what is screen printing?)
c) in sociology classes: “…a group of individuals who interact with one another and share similar/common interests…” (answer: what is a clique?)
STEP II
On the assessment day the teacher divides the students into 3-participant team
STEP III
Each team constitutes a separate quiz where students are both participants and audience
STEP IV
Teacher uses Padlet to prepare three windows with names of participants.
STEP V
The teacher explains the rules of the game:
a) the clue is read
b) a participant who knows the answer raises his/her hand
c) the participant writes in the question
d) in the event of a wrong answer, other participants receive a chance to answer
e) the participant who fills in the correct answer receives points
STEP VI
Summary: depending on the number of clues and points, students receive grades
- Interactive and unconventional method of conducting final assessment.
- The teacher may find/recognize some gaps and students’ problems with understanding the material – it may turn out that some issues/topics will require revision.
- Students may check their progress.
- Students may become convinced that constant pursuit of knowledge / lifelong learning is crucial nowadays.
– This type of assessment is full of traps (equipment may fail, pace may not be adequate, students might not know the rules of the game).
+ Best way is to rehearse the exercise a few times before it is introduced as a form of final assessment
– The risk of whispering the answers to other students (through chat or other messengers)
+ The teacher might ask the student to develop the answer, give more details.
Exercise V: INTERACTIVE QUESTION POOL or „FIFTEEN TO ONE”
Padlet, Mentimeter
Depending on the type of the class: might be conducted at the beginning, at the end, during the classes, or as a form of final assessment.
Online: synchronous/asynchronous
On-site: computer and internet access required
Students need to challenge a pool of questions prepared by the teacher. The exercise is best for small groups of students (max. 10). The exercise well checks students’ knowledge.
STEP I
Teacher prepares a pool of questions which refer to the material / module / series of topics. Each student receives the same number of questions, i.e.: minimum 5 questions for each student x number of students = total number of questions.
STEP II
The teacher reads the first question. The student who knows the answer raises his/her hand. In case more students raise their hands, we use the rule “first come, first served”.
STEP III
Student answers question 1. The teacher says whether the answer is correct or not.
STEP IV
If the answer is correct, the student receives a point; if not “0” points.
STEP V
If the student’s answer is correct, the student points another student who should answer next question.
STEP VI
The aim of the game is not to eliminate the participants. Each student should receive the same number of questions. That is why, the teacher needs to observe/monitor/take down how many questions a given participant has answered so far.
STEP VII
Summary: points are added; the teacher might decide to grade students.
- The teacher may have insight into students’ gaps of knowledge
- The teacher receives feedback which topics need to be revised
- Students can check their progress
– Some questions may not refer to the topics covered or may simply be vague
+ The teacher needs to prepare questions according to the topic covered. The questions need to be reliable and adequate to all types of students (good and weak).
– Time and spatial factors: the quiz might last long (students don’t know answers to many questions) or may pass quickly (students are well prepared and answer the questions quickly)
+ The teacher needs to manage the pool of questions well. If the questions turn out to be too difficult, the teacher may decide to limit the number of questions for each participant; if the questions are too easy, the teacher should prepare a pool of spare questions.
