Return-Path: <nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id i35CPrm23701; Mon, 5 Apr 2004 08:25:53 -0400 (EDT) Date: Mon, 5 Apr 2004 08:25:53 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <5.1.0.14.2.20040402225637.02076810@pop.utk.edu> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: Duren Thompson <solveig@utk.edu> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-AALPD:1331] BlackBoard Surveys vs Tests X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Version 5.1 Status: O Content-Length: 4089 Lines: 74 David, One of the things that was in the Florida course that Sandra and I duplicated in our first course was a multiple choice "pre-test" and a "post-test" covering key points in the course. We used BlackBoard's "Test" feature to duplicate these in our course - being very careful to use the exact same wording on both "tests." Oh man. We got *lot's* of feedback - they *stressed* over not getting them all right. We told them over and over that it was just a pre-test, used to help us know what they know, etc. and still they complained that it wasn't fair, that, "They could have gotten the rest right if..." Sandra and I knew right away that we'd do something different next time. For the January 2002 course, we implemented the Survey option in Blackboard. we also shifted the questions from a more traditional multiple choice "knowledge of facts" quiz to a competancy-based survey built off of the course objectives. Course objectives include "practitioners will implement a cooperative learning strategy in their AE classroom." So the pre and post Surveys ask, "Have you implemented a cooperative learning strategy in your AE classroom in the last 6 weeks?" If they complete the course - they will answer this yes - period. Some questions were short answer, some mulitple, multiple choice and some true/false - but all about "Do you already know/do the things we will talk about and do in this course?" In Blackboard the survey answers are *not* available to the course participants naturally - and this has been our one complaint. Practitioners have told us in passing, "I'd like to know what others said the survey." We have contemplated collating the answers and publishing them for each course's participants - but there simply hasn't been enough time yet - and BlackBoard doesn't make it particularly easy to get the data out into another format (copy and paste has been our only option.) Oh - and the surveys are anonymous (no other option) - although when you get to know your students - you can make pretty good guesses as to who said what. I think you'll like the survey option - we found that it helped us to get a "feel" for the course participants as a "whole group" and allowed us to tailor discussions and chats to needs we saw in the survey responses. It also lets us know how many "personalities" we have - ringers, skeptics, enthusiasts, the timid, etc. So, back to the idea of "tests." We really marvelled over how these AE instructors reacted. We *know* they have said the same things about their standardized AE "placement" tests - like the TABE - to their own learners. What is it about us as "instructors" or "learners" that makes us all upset when we don't do well even on a "test" that doesn't count? One of the reasons I've hesitated to publish the results of the surveys is that I worried that some folks would "fret" over having answered "differently" from others - or think that they were *wrong.* Are our practitioner egos as fragile as those of our learners? And if so, how does this affect our online course development (or our pd development altogether?) Duren Thompson Center for Literacy Studies At 01:53 PM 3/31/2004 -0500, you wrote: >One thing I am planning to try, using Blackboard, is asking online >participants to do a short survey. I will ask them to rate each of the >course objectives in terms of their expertise -- from "don't know anything >about this" to "am an expert at this." Then I will post the >(automatically tabulated) results so everyone can see where the class is >on each objective -- not individuals, but the group. This gives us all an >idea of what we may need to spend more time on, and what's pretty much in >everybody's grasp already. > >I am looking for other ideas like this that are quick and easy ways for >online participants to give facilitators feedback.. Have you seen or tried >something that will give the online facilitator this kind of feedback and >also possibly the participants, too? > >David J. Rosen >djrosen@comcast.net
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