TEST: Compare and contrast online assignments…

Posted by Jennifer Buchholz on March 10th, 2009

I don’t have a fear of tests, but I don’t mind avoiding them when possible. My traditional learning experience consisted of few tests and many, many papers. That worked for me. I didn’t mind writing a lot of papers on my own terms. When I enrolled in classes online, I asked about we demonstrated our mastery of the subject, and was told that I’d be writing a lot of big papers (approximately one 30-page paper per course), that suited me well.

In the classes that I teach, I find that students are assessed frequently with shorter written assignments. There are also some courses with short quizzes or exams, but none of the courses have a major final exam. The students are given a number of opportunities to demonstrate their mastery of the subject in discussions and short written assignments.

No matter what, it’s essential that a prospective student ask how they will be assessed and that they are comfortable with that approach.