Online Teaching Activity Index


Title of the Activity: Group Reports Activity

Description of Activity: In this activity, students are divided into groups and develop a group project following the guidelines presented by the instructor.

Appropriate Content Areas: Education

Objectives for this Activity: (as presented to students before activity or in syllabus)

Learners will participate in online discussions with peers that encourage analysis of online assessment issues using theoretical, technical, and practical frameworks.

Prerequisites for this Activity: (not necessarily presented to students)

Student should have a desire to teach online and meet student needs.

Materials and Resources:

What needs to be prepared in advance by the teacher? - The assignment description

What does the student need to bring to the lesson? - Complete prior readings.

Guiding Questions for this Activity: (not presented directly to students but a question that should be addressed in the readings)

What are the skills and responsibilities instructors need to succeed in the virtual classroom regarding knowledge of online assessment?

Activity as Presented to Students: (usually in conjunction with the asynchronous discussion forum)

group Examining Methods of Online Assessment (M2:A1)

Assessment

This assignment will be assessed using the collaboration rubric. It is worth 10 points.

Deadlines

Check the deadlines for completing this activity in the course calendar.

  • Friday, 11/3: Introduce yourself to your M2A1 and post the URL you will critique to your M2A1 group area.
  • Tuesday, 11/7: Post your individual critique and a group timeline to your M2A1 group area.
  • Friday, 11/10: Post group report to M2A1 Whole Class area
  • Sunday, 11/12: Respond to two others' M2A1 group postings.

Instructions

Click on the group discussion forum to which you are assigned and read through the instructions. Note that the group leader is responsible for posting the timelines and the group report.

Group Assignments

Group 1: Online Tests and Quizzes (student names)

Group 2: Online Groups (student names) - The assignment for this group is included below

Group 3: Online Portfolios, WebQuests, and Virtual Labs (student names)

Group 4: Synchronous Online Activities (student names)

Group 5: Asynchronous Online Discussions or Meetings (student names)

The use of "groups" for this project

Please note that this "group" activity is not a full-blown group project. Unfortunately, the short time we have for this course doesn't allow for a larger group effort on this topic. I have instead opted to have a modified group activity where each member works individually on a critique and then the group puts the critiques into a single report and adds the overall introduction to the report.


It is my hope that this process relieves the timeline stress normally associated with group projects, but allows the group to come to a general consensus for the overall scope of the report presented to the whole class. The introduction can be started early in the process if desired and then fine-tuned when all the critiques are completed.

Group Example of Timelines and Roles

test

Below is the assignment posted in the appropriate discussion forum for group 2.

 

Group 2: Online Group and Team Design

Group Members: Student Names

(Be sure to check the deadline schedule for posting the different parts in the Calendar.)

1. Post a note to your Group 1 discussion forum introducing yourself to your group and suggestions you have for getting the project started. Decide, among your group members, on a working timetable to complete all the activities included. Choose the role of each member. Be sure to select a group leader. Each member also needs to select an assessment to critique.

2. Each group member is to critique an online group or team assignment that is available online. The activity may or may not have an assessment component listed. Use a search engine such as Google®, AltaVista®, or Yahoo® to locate the resource. (You may also choose to critique an online group assignment of your own.) If you are unable to find a suitable assignment after a reasonable amount of searching, look at the sample assignment links listed at the bottom of this page. These URLs were used by students in previous sections of this course. You may find that the best online examples are for K-12, not higher education, students. You may use K-12 examples and then discuss their applicability to online adult students. A resource on the characteristics of an adult learner can be found at http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/adults-2.htm.

Provide a description of the assessment. As you write your critique, consider the items on the Task specification checklist in the NCREL article. Also be sure to consider if the assessment method meet the goals of the program or course. Is enough information (e.g., criteria and/or guides) given so that the student (and the assessor) clearly understands the task and the assessment? What purpose does it serve (pre-assessment/diagnosis, formative, summative)? What does it assess? What information is missing or inconsistent? Any suggestions on how to provide clearer instructions and improved assessment strategies?

3. Each member is to post a critique to the group discussion area by the deadline stated in the Calendar.

4. The critiques need to be compiled into one group report. The report needs to also have an overview section that discusses the usefulness of online group and team activities in online assessment, when they are appropriate for use, and advantages and disadvantages of using these activities.

5. Have one group member post your group report in the Methods – Whole Class forum.

6. Read what the other groups have submitted and then respond to at least two of them.

Samples of Online Group or Team Design

Design of a Web-based Information Interface
http://www.lukew.com/resources/education/lis450project1.html

Discussion Board-Based Group Work in a Large Enrollment First Semester Organic Chemistry Lecture Course
http://www.ion.illinois.edu/resources/pointersclickers/2004_01/index.asp

ENG 302 Technical Writing Group Assignment
http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~larkin/eng302/class/rhetoric/situations/gassign1-2-1.html

Math 03 Online Group Assignment
http://www.tcc.edu/faculty/webpages/mtharp/Group2/Group2.htm

Options Online Group Assignment
http://www.mcda.hut.fi/voting/assignments/

Women in Culture Group Assignment
http://web.infoave.net/~lrashley/111groupproj.htm

 

Activity Evaluation and Teacher Reflection:

Collaboration Rubric

Points

Description

Group Elements

 

Critical Thinking & Application

 

1

Finished product demonstrates a high degree of critical thinking and the ability to apply concepts in a practical manner

Group Cohesion & Effectiveness

 

1

Members work as a group, practice consensus building, most actively participate in asynchronous discussion, timely logins, and product creation. The product created is creative and exceptional.

Mechanics

 

1

Product is well designed, written, and organized. Uses standard English grammar, contains minor if any spelling error. Hyperlinks work.

Follows Directions

 

1

Follows all directions

Timely

 

1

Posted on or before due date.

Individual Participation

 

5

Actively participates in group process, assumes roles that benefit the group, strives for consensus, logs in and posts necessary replies approximately every 24 hours.

4

Actively participates in group process, assumes roles that benefit the group, strives for consensus, logs in and posts necessary replies approximately every 48 hours.

3

Participates in group process, rarely assumes useful roles, logs in and posts necessary replies within approximately 48 hours.

2

Occasionally participates in group process, does not actively support group or completion of task through collaboration , but completes "assigned task", logs in and posts necessary replies within approximately 72 hours.

1

Rarely participates in group process, does not support group and collaboration, contributes little to task, logs in sporadically and rarely posts.

 

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