How to support collaborative knowledge building through authentic

assessment in online education?

Hanna TeräsIrja Leppisaari

Marjatta MyllyläLeena Vainio

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Collaborative knowledge construction &team work skills are in demand

Traditional online learning

Weak sense of community

Assessment supports only individual performance

Thursday, March 8, 2012

“More authentic learning, more

working life oriented approaches, versatile use of social media,

better student engagement and

ownership through collaborative learning

and knowledge construction, please!”

Higher Education Evaluation Council

National Assembly For Wales / Cynulliad Cymru

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Authentic e-Learning

Authentic tasks

Access to expert performances

Images starting from context: vgm8383, Bodum, Destiny’s Agent,Brian Hatchcock, Commons, Minette Layne, Robert Higgins,

James F Clay, clairity (Flickr)

Multiple perspectives

Authentic context

Collaborative knowledge

construction

ReflectionArticulationScaffoldingAuthentic assessment

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Authentic e-Learning

Authentic tasks

Access to expert performances

Images starting from context: vgm8383, Bodum, Destiny’s Agent,Brian Hatchcock, Commons, Minette Layne, Robert Higgins,

James F Clay, clairity (Flickr)

Multiple perspectives

Authentic context

Collaborative knowledge

construction

ReflectionArticulationScaffoldingAuthentic assessment

Thursday, March 8, 2012

How to develop assessment methods that better support collaborative

knowledge construction?

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Two casesTampere University of

Applied Sciences:online teacher education

Virtual benchmarkingproject: 20 courses

internationally

• True collaboration rare• Simple cooperation

•Appreciation of diversity• Perspective of a team

Why the difference?

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Collaboration in the two cases

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VBM: challenges• Opportunities for

group and pair work but course structures do not support meaningful collaboration

• Simple cooperation

• Linking discussions to learning objectives

• Participation in discussions not rewarded or graded.

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VBM: what promotes collaboration?

• Wikis and synchronous tools

• Purposeful tasks

• Tasks that cannot be completed without group effort.

Darcy L. McCarthy

Thursday, March 8, 2012

TAOKK:past experiences & research

• Mere introduction of collaboration tools: no improvement

• Sense of community essential but not automatically formed

• Teachers find new roles challenging

• Online discussion forums: creation of community slow and weak image: m d d

Thursday, March 8, 2012

A new approachto teaching

faculty development

Social technologiesas learning

environments

Progressive inquirymodel

Networking

Team learningPrinciples of

authentic learning

Ongoing dialogicassessment

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Assessment in the two

casesimage: andercismo

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Even in group tasks, assessment

is based on individual

performance.

There is a need to assess the entire learning process but it’s still in the planning stage.

We need self, peer and group evaluation but we’re not there quite yet.

There are good examples: e.g. working life

representatives taking part in the

assessment.

VBM

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Development directions

Image by jakebouma

More diverse assessment methods

Better workinglife integration

Integration intoauthentic tasks

Portfolios &social technologies

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Image: ccarlstead

• Progressive inquiry in teams

• Ongoing and dialogue based, not separately at the end

• Digital social narratives: learning process as a continuum

TAOKK

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Conclusions and future research

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Image by wstryder

• Meaningful collaborative tasks and social technologies promote authentic assessment.

• Assessment must be tightly connected with collaborative knowledge construction.

• Universities recognize new roles of teachers & new learning environments, but assessment has not been renewed accordingly.

• Continuous professional development of teaching faculty is needed.

•This requires wider attention also on management and policy making levels.

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Thursday, March 8, 2012

FUTURE RESEARCH

How can social technologies advance authentic assessment?

Collaborative knowledge construction - facilitation -

assessment?

image: neilalderney123

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Thank you!

hanna.teras@tamk.fi

Thursday, March 8, 2012