Why Is This Important?

Assessments should measure students' progress toward achieving the learning objectives. Well-written learning objectives and aligned assessments form the anchors of what we usually think of when we consider "teaching" and "learning."

Item #25 – Aligned Assessments

Assessments should meet students in their "zone of proximal development" and be challenging but not frustrating. Moreover, all assessments should have a purpose within the course. An assessment that doesn't measure the stated learning objectives for the learning module/unit is considered out of alignment and doesn't contribute to students' achievement of the course/module objectives. Students usually consider assessments that are disconnected from the objectives of the course to be "busy work." The Eberly Center at Carnegie Mellon provides additional information and examples for alignment.

Item #26 – Assessment Instructions

Clear instructions for assessments are critical for student success in online classes where students are often self-directed. Make sure all assessment requirements and instructions are communicated explicitly. For major assessments, consider adding an example or demonstration video to review the expectations.

Item #27 & 28 – Formative Assessments and Scaffolding

Formative assessments build students' confidence by helping them learn the content and practice the skills they need to succeed in larger summative assessments such as a final project, paper or any other large assignment that requires students to demonstrate mastery of several concepts.

Formative assessments are smaller in scope but relate to and support larger, summative assessments. Examples could include low-stakes worksheets, discussion boards, quizzes or any other activity that allows the instructor and students to monitor student progress toward achieving course and module objectives.

Scaffolding refers to the incremental introduction of course content through learning activities and assignments to help students reach learning outcomes. Formative assessments provide scaffolding for summative assessments. If your class includes a final paper or project, break it down into steps and have students submit pieces of it over the course of the semester. This allows students to get feedback along the way and revise as needed. (If you are concerned about academic integrity, this also allows you to become more familiar with students' work and flag abrupt changes that might indicate dishonesty.)

Icon: Pillar by yudi from the Noun Project