Many differences between assessment in e-learning vs assessment in the classroom stem from the fundamental differences found between these two learning environments:
ability to study anywhere, anytime with support at hand In a traditional classroom information is provided as well as help from the educator; these are usually during 'class hours' and then the student and teacher go their separate ways. In e-learning the student has information stored on the computer/internet and can access it anytime and anywhere, and they can usually send the teacher an email or message on a discussion board and get feedback very quickly.
teacher-student and student-student interactions In e-learning there is a lot of teacher-student and student-student interaction (whether that be through discussion boards, email, Skype and the likes) so the learner can get feedback from both the teacher and his/her peers. In a classroom environment there would typically not be as much student-student interaction and students may in fact be shy to ask their peers for feedback, or the opportunity may not even present itself.
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time management In a traditional classroom, assignment topics are often given around the time the student should start planning the task, researching and so forth, whereas in e-learning students are often already aware of the task at the start of the study period (e.g. beginning of semester). This way students can pre-plan their work around their social/professional lives if need be, or if they know there is a certain time they will not be able to work on it they can plan to do it earlier.
learners like it quite often students (especially the younger generation) enjoy working with computers and technology. Whether technology in assessment be implemented into a traditional classroom setting (e.g. making a presentation on a power point/wiki/blog) or whether students are based in a VLEwhere they may need to create a portfolio for assessment or use Skype and various other programmes online for collaborating with peers, using technology in assessment is a new exciting way for students to plan and present their work.
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face-to-face interaction In a traditional classroom setting, teachers and students have face-to-face interactions daily. This is lacking in e-learning. When it comes to assessment it may be helpful for a student to speak to their teacher directly concerning issues with an assignment. Graham (2006) states that online learning environments are however excellent for large class numbers, as it is easier for everyone to have their say.
Teacher-centered to Learner-centered Learning
Learning has recently made a change from teacher-centered to learner-centered with a focus on life-long learning. Assessment follows close behind and is also becoming learner-centered. Huba and Freed (2000) argue that with the shift from instruction-centered to student-centered educators need to think about the role of assessment and feedback in learning (as cited in Iahad, kalaitzakis, Dafoulas, & Macaulay, 2004).
“Assessment in the learner-centered paradigm is used to diagnose learning problems and promote further learning, in addition to evaluating learning outcomes” (Iahad, kalaitzakis, Dafoulas & Macaulay, 2004, p.2). Computer assisted assessment (CAA) is a way to shift from instruction-based assessment to learner-centered assessment (Iahad, kalaitzakis, Dafoulas & Macaulay, 2004), and Huba and Freed (2000) constructed an 'assessment process' in learner-centered assessment from four main elements (as cited in Iahad, kalaitzakis, Dafoulas & Macaulay, 2004).
(A little background on) Assessment in E-learning
Traditional classroom vs Virtual Classroom
Many differences between assessment in e-learning vs assessment in the classroom stem from the fundamental differences found between these two learning environments:
In a traditional classroom information is provided as well as help from the educator; these are usually during 'class hours' and then the student and teacher go their separate ways. In e-learning the student has information stored on the computer/internet and can access it anytime and anywhere, and they can usually send the teacher an email or message on a discussion board and get feedback very quickly.
In e-learning there is a lot of teacher-student and student-student interaction (whether that be through discussion boards, email, Skype and the likes) so the learner can get feedback from both the teacher and his/her peers. In a classroom environment there would typically not be as much student-student interaction and students may in fact be shy to ask their peers for feedback, or the opportunity may not even present itself.
In a traditional classroom, assignment topics are often given around the time the student should start planning the task, researching and so forth, whereas in e-learning students are often already aware of the task at the start of the study period (e.g. beginning of semester). This way students can pre-plan their work around their social/professional lives if need be, or if they know there is a certain time they will not be able to work on it they can plan to do it earlier.
quite often students (especially the younger generation) enjoy working with computers and technology. Whether technology in assessment be implemented into a traditional classroom setting (e.g. making a presentation on a power point/wiki/blog) or whether students are based in a VLEwhere they may need to create a portfolio for assessment or use Skype and various other programmes online for collaborating with peers, using technology in assessment is a new exciting way for students to plan and present their work.
In a traditional classroom setting, teachers and students have face-to-face interactions daily. This is lacking in e-learning. When it comes to assessment it may be helpful for a student to speak to their teacher directly concerning issues with an assignment. Graham (2006) states that online learning environments are however excellent for large class numbers, as it is easier for everyone to have their say.
Teacher-centered to Learner-centered Learning
Learning has recently made a change from teacher-centered to learner-centered with a focus on life-long learning. Assessment follows close behind and is also becoming learner-centered. Huba and Freed (2000) argue that with the shift from instruction-centered to student-centered educators need to think about the role of assessment and feedback in learning (as cited in Iahad, kalaitzakis, Dafoulas, & Macaulay, 2004).
“Assessment in the learner-centered paradigm is used to diagnose learning problems and promote further learning, in addition to evaluating learning outcomes” (Iahad, kalaitzakis, Dafoulas & Macaulay, 2004, p.2). Computer assisted assessment (CAA) is a way to shift from instruction-based assessment to learner-centered assessment (Iahad, kalaitzakis, Dafoulas & Macaulay, 2004), and Huba and Freed (2000) constructed an 'assessment process' in learner-centered assessment from four main elements (as cited in Iahad, kalaitzakis, Dafoulas & Macaulay, 2004).
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Assessment in e-learning differs greatly to classroom assessment due to the challenges it poses discussed in challenges.