How can teachers determine whether their students are actually learning in an e-learning environment besides purely assessment based acivities?

In response to Averill's question

Prineas and Cini (2011) argue that online education and assessment of learning outcomes are strongly connected, but that the semantic environment may markedly improve assessment and its ability to improve teaching and learning.

The Learning Outcomes Assessment (LOA) movement and online learning in higher education emerged at approximately the same time in the mid 1980s, but these are just now beginning to intersect. The authors note five key factors:

1. Educators still need a sophisticated understanding of e-learning’s power and associated technologies to alter how we perceive and design LOA programs
2. Data mining from course management systems indicates patterns of student behavior which can be used for timely intervention
3. With new technologies educators can design and assess programs that mimic the way learners learn
4. Instructors require technological expertise
5. Faculty roles will change

Today’s online learning is ubiquitous and multifaceted and the following observations are crucial to ensuring successful student performance.

Data mining

Firstly, they note that online learning systems allow educators to monitor students individually and provide timely feedback.  These ‘data analytics’ as Prineas and Cini (2011) term them guide improvement.   Secondly, the authors note that online programs offering asynchronous mastery learning provide more respect for differing background knowledge and learning styles, affording students flexibility with completion time, but still retaining the same defined learning outcomes.  Kulik, Kulik & Bangert-Drowns, 1990, cited in Prineas & Cini (2011) observe that faculties need to invest much time implementing an effective course to utilize this method.

To further ensure effective learning outcomes, static activities such as readings need to be designed with interactive tasks and with embedded assessments, individually, or in collaboration with peers and/or an instructor.  Once again, the monitoring and assistance to students is the key to effective learning.

Mimicking the way learners learn

The Seven Principles of Good Practice for Undergraduate Education written by Chickering and Gamson in 1987 (ibid) has guided good pedagogy since.  An overview of the seven principles are: contact between students and faculty; reciprocity and cooperation among students; active learning; prompt feedback; time on task; high expectations and respect for diverse talents and ways of learning.    The authors note that traditionally assessment was often performed by the same individual who designed a program, delivered the content, counseled and assessed, but that with online education, assessment is now a distinct function of faculty and can be performed more thoroughly; this unbundled approach being more advantageous to the learner. They believe that online courses need to be framed in good educational practice.

Instructors’ technological expertise

In support of the above, Paechter et al. (2009) studied students’ general expectations and experiences of an e-learning course including the important characteristics of the course, the learning outcomes and satisfaction with the course. They discovered that students’ own learning goals and the instructor’s didactic expertise led to greater learning.  The researchers noted that many students believed that many instructors are not facile with the implementation of e-learning.  This is consistent with findings by Bonk (2006) who argues that e-learning is facing a “perfect e-storm” connecting pedagogy, technology and learners’ needs, and notes that instructors’ competence in online teaching is critical to the quality of online education. He also observed in one study a gap that existed in instructors’ professed and actual online practices, with fewer than 40% actually using the interactive, creative, analytic practices they professed.

Palloff & Pratt (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007) also stress the importance of instructors being skilled in facilitating online instruction and quote, among other competencies, “Attend professional development workshops that will review learning theories and continually develop facilitator skills” (Davidson, 2006; cited in Palloff & Praff, 2007).   Derrick (2003; ibid)  stresses the view that engagement with the online community is the pathway to success and that learner competence increases;  the best five practices are changing the balance of power; changing the function of the content; instructor’s role needs to change, as does the learning responsibility and the assessment processes.

Changing roles of faculty

An individual instructor will no longer be working independently and faculties will be transformed and that group efforts will provide the best teaching for the students.    The porosity of the online classroom walls with other educational staff providing teaching input will continually improve the learning experience of the students (Neely & Tucker, 2010; cited in Prineas & Cini, 2011).

Conclusion

The conclusions are that, for educators to best determine whether their students are actually learning in an on-line environment, thinking needs a turnaround from the traditional orientation of teacher being an instructor who imparts knowledge to waiting students and makes summative assessments of their competencies, to a technically facile instructor who utilizes educational technology combined with sound learning practice, i.e. a model that recognizes the best interventions for student performance.   Such a structural framework is essential for effective assessment.

References

Bonk, C. (2006). The future of online teaching and learning in higher education: the survey says …Retrieved April 15, 2013 from http://www.educause.edu/ero/article/future-online-teaching-and-learning-higher education

Paechter, M., et al. Students’ expectations of, and experiences in e-learning: Their relation to learning achievements and course satisfaction. Computers & Education (2009), doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2009.08.005

Palloff, R. & Pratt, K. (2007) Building virtual communities:  techniques that work. University of Wisconsin: 23^rd Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning

Prineas, M. & Cini, M. (2010). Assessing learning in online education: the role of technology in improving student outcomes. National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment. Occasional Paper #12

7 Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education, University of South Carolina Center for Teaching Excellence. Retrieved 2013 April 28 from www.sc.edu/cte/guide/undergraduateducation/index.shtml