FAQ
1. How can I promote academic integrity in online education?
Ryerson has policies regarding plagiarism and they are applied for both face-to-face and online courses. While it is inappropriate to assume that all students will plagiarize, it is important to be prepared to deal with the issue before it happens. To promote academic integrity, faculty and instructors should consider the following approaches:
“Preventive” approach:
- Use multiple assessment techniques in place of high stakes exams
- Use written assignments and threaded discussions
- Use test banks and timed test delivery
- Raise awareness among students about what constitutes appropriate and inappropriate academic behavior in an online course
“Compliance” approach:
- Use plagiarism detection software and browser lockdowns. Example: Ask students to submit discussion board posts and assignments to Turnitin.
- Physical proctoring centers for exam delivery.
2. What are the best practices in promoting student engagement in e-learning?
Robinson and Hullinger (2008), based on the NSSE survey, explained that online students reported high level of engagement on each of the following benchmarks; active learning and collaborative learning, enriching educational experience, level of academic challenge, student-faculty interaction.
Faculty and instructors will need to provide ongoing and meaningful communication and support the creation of strong learning communities among students. In addition, instructors are encouraged to utilize good instructional practice principles that promote the following:
- Communication with students
- Collaboration among students
- Active learning experience
- Prompt feedback
- High expectations
- Respecting diversity
These are good instructional strategies that every instructor should incorporate into their teaching; however, the use of complex technology tools in developing online courses could affect the application of these strategies. (Simonson et al., 2012)
3. What are the most effective assessment strategies in online environments?
Just like face-to-face assessment, online tools and strategies are based on the understanding of core concepts, reliability, and validity. In the online learning environment, students are required to perform at a higher level of thinking in Bloom's taxonomy (Conrad & Donaldson, 2011). Therefore, assessment methods should evaluate critical thinking and reflection. You can assess critical thinking through open-ended questions, projects, student-led discussions and discussion postings (Conrad & Donaldson, 2011).
Julius (2004) provided a list of consideration for assessments strategies and feedback to students in online learning environments:
- Align assessment to course outcomes
- Provide clear timeline for submission, grading, and return of assignments
- Use multiple assessments, including formative and summative evaluations (Examples: projects, quizzes, team work, etc.)
- Provide specific and clear assessment measures prior to assignments
- Include activities to support self-assessment and/or peer feedback
- Provide channels for timely and constructive feedback
- Monitor the learners’ progress through the course
The following tools are recommended for online assessment:
- Online quizzes and tests
- Proctored exams
- Asynchronous communication: Discussion
- Synchronous communication: Chat and audio conferencing
- The development of a portfolio
- Concept map creation
- Essays and papers
- Design a product
- Journals
- Role play and simulations
- Audio and Video presentations
- Problem-based activities
- Case-based activities
The Australian Universities Teaching Committee webiste includes examples of high quality online assessments and activities relevant to higher education: Examples of successful online assessments and learning designs.
4. What are the advantages of using a rubric to assess students' work in the online learning environment?
Rubrics are checklists and scoring guides for pre-established performance criteria (Mertle, 2001). Rubrics could help instructors in providing evidence of learning patterns by applying the approved criteria (Maki, 2004). These patterns identify students’ strength and weakness which help institutions in modifying the curriculum, instructional design and the learning practices (Maki, 2004). Additionally, when clearly communicating the expectations and set criteria to students, they will have a better idea on how they are assessed. Clearly indicating expected performance standards through rubrics will motivate students to achieve higher performance levels. Figure 1 presents the types of rubrics and its use as an assessment tool.
Read more about The Basics of Rubrics, developed by Penn University.
The University of Colorado Denver created a step-by-step online tutorial to help faculty in designing and understanding the use of rubrics in higher education. Creating a Rubric: An Online Tutorial for Faculty, University of Colorado Denver (2006).
5. What are the differences among "Online", "Hybrid/Blended" and "Web-Facilitated" distance learning environments?
The differences between the three environments depend on the technology used, and the distance between the student and the instructor. This study on the Models of Distance Education explains the differences in details.
6. What are the various learning theories associated with students' learning?
This study on learning theories explains the various learning concepts, how students retain and transfer the information, and provides an overview on various types of learning.
Do you have more questions? Contact |Dalia Hanna, Manager, L&T at ext. 6598 or dhanna@ryerson.ca| for consultation or questions related to online learning.