 |
    |
ACC Distance Learning Course Design and Delivery
DESIGNING TESTING STRATEGIESIn a face to face class, an instructor can often gauge and track a student’s progress fairly easily. The student’s body language during class, for example, can help an instructor assess how engaged or active a student is in a topic or lesson. Participation and feedback is immediate. The links below provide additional information about Distance Learning testing options, as well as recommendations for developing DL course exams. DL Testing RecommendationsThe following recommendations are provided to help you design and deliver effective assessments for your DL course. For additional techniques and evaluation strategies, schedule a meeting with an Instructional Design Specialist at your campus. Some DL Testing Pegagogy Recommendations
Formal and Informal AssessmentsThere are several various assessment options available to DL instructors. Assessments instruments can be both formal and informal. Examples of formal assessments include: graded tests, exams and quizzes, as well as graded exercises and assignments. Typically, formal assessments (exams and tests) are delivered in an ACC Testing Center. Instructors can deliver those exams either via paper and pencil or computer. With paper and pencil exams, students mark their answers on either a Scantron form (for standardized questions such as MC, True/False, etc.) or on a Blue Book form (for essay type questions) or both. Paper and pencil exams may also include supplemental materials. Computer-based exams are delivered through Blackboard's course management system but utilize a proprietary Respondus Lockdown Browser interface. This Lockdown browser is only available in an ACC Testing Center. Informal assessments include such things as: participation, surveys, feedback forums, discussions, non-graded summary or review assessments, group projects, etc. Non-Secure versus Secure Testing in BlackboardThere are two different types of tests available in Blackboard. The first type of test is a non-secure test which can be delivered in any of Blackboard's content areas and it does not require any special software or browser for the student to access. Students can take non-secure exams from any location which has an Internet connection. The second type of test which an instructor can provide is a secure exam. Secure exams are administered in an ACC Testing Center and can either be paper and pencil exams or a Blackboard computer-based exam which requires the Respondus Authoring Tool software. Another way to deliver secure exams is via the Distance Testing Program. Distance Testing is provided for Distance Learning students who are outside of the Austin area and can not come to an ACC Testing Center. Respondus Authoring Tool's Lockdown BrowserSecured online testing enables faculty members to author, schedule, deliver, and track test questions within a secure computer environment. Respondus ("Advanced Blackboard Testing Options") is used by instructors who want to develop secure, computer-based exams within Blackboard. Test results can be generated automatically for common types of questions (e.g.; True/False, Multiple Choice, Multiple Answer, etc.), and sent directly to the instructor's Blackboard Grade Center. Beyond the secure exam setting generated by the Respondus Authoring Tool, all of the other exam settings and features are exactly the same as what is currently available in Blackboard. In other words, aside from the Requires the Respondus Lockdown Browser setting, Respondus does not provide any additional exam features or functions in Blackboard. An existing Blackboard exam can be modified to a secure, computer-based exam using the Respondus Authoring Tool. Faculty members who are interested in developing secure online tests in Blackboard should visit the ACC Advanced Blackboard Testing Options web site to learn more about this option. In addition to the web site, an online Advanced Blackboard Testing Options Using Respondus workshop is also available for professional development credits. ACC Academic Testing CentersIn addition to the Lockdown browser, secure, computer based exams must be taken within an ACC Academic Testing Center. Academic Testing Centers are located at all ACC campuses, as well as at some of the ACC Center locations. Faculty members using the ACC Academic Testing Centers to administer exams must place copies of their exams in all the Testing Centers, including the Fredericksburg, Round Rock, and San Marcos Centers. DL faculty should include a link to the Academic Testing Centers website in the course syllabus so students can easily access information about the Academic Testing Centers' hours of operation and the Student Guide for Use of ACC Testing Centers. Instructors who offer secure-computer based exams, may still elect to provide the Testing Centers with paper-based back up copies of their exams. Instructors who want to offer paper-based exams or paper-based backup exams, will need to send course testing materials to the Academic Testing Centers at the beginning of the semester. Make sure to provide multiple copies of the exams, especially for the busier campuses. DL course exams may remain on active file for up to one year from the original submission date; tests must be replaced with new versions at least once every twelve months. Exams will be returned to the instructor on the stated removal date or one year from the initial date of submission, whichever comes first. Consult the Academic Testing Centers Guidelines for complete details on faculty Testing Center policies and procedures. Before offering a secure computer-based exam in an ACC Testing Center, an instructor must complete a Testing Center online transmittal form. ACC Testing Centers are available to students living in the greater Austin area. Distance TestingDistance Learning coordinates a Distance Testing Program to facilitate testing services for DL students located outside the ACC service area. DL students are encouraged to discuss testing options with the instructor prior to registering. The student is responsible for locating an official testing facility to proctor the exams, and providing DL with documentation to confirm the testing arrangements. Students must locate an proctored site early in the semester in order to be eligible for the Distance Testing program. This site can either be a pre-approved proctored site which is available and listed on DL's database of authorized proctored Distance Testing locations or the site can be a new location. New or potential proctoring locations must go through an approval process and once they are authorized to administer secure, proctored exams, they will be added to the authorized proctor site database. This database includes sites throughout Texas, the U.S. as well as some international locations. Proctoring institutions are asked to review the ACC Academic Testing Centers student testing policies to maintain the integrity of the testing process. If you approve a student's request for Distance Testing, forward your course exams along with the student's completed Distance Testing Request & Transmittal Form to the Distance Learning Office. DL will send all examination materials (test booklets, Scantrons, etc.) to the testing proctor via express mail delivery. The testing proctor will return completed exams directly to you for grading, at the student's expense. Computer-based Distance Testing is also available through Bb. Learm more about how to convert existing Blackboard exams for Distance Testing delivery. For distance learning students located outside the greater Austin area, proctored exams can be arranged through Distance Testing. Be sure to notify students who wish to have an exam administered via Distance Testing that it is their responsibility to locate an official testing facility which can proctor the exams. View more information on student Distance Testing responsibilities. For more information on Distance Testing, contact Clark Peterson at: cpeterso@austincc.edu or 223-8070. Testing Methods and Techniques for Evaluating StudentsThere are several testing methods and techniques a DL instructor can use to track a student’s progress throughout a semester.
Planning for FeedbackTimely feedback from the DL instructor is an important component of how to assess students throughout a course. This feedback can be on assignments, exercises, quizzes, tests, etc. Instructors can also utilize the available technology to maintain ongoing feedback with students. Various tools such as discussion boards (text and voice), synchronous chat sessions, teleconferences, email (text and voice) are available within Blackboard. In addition to the instructor feedback, other forms of feedback which a DL instructor can use for students are: student self assessments and peer or group member feedback. Providing students with opportunities to assess their own work and to assess other members of a group or team can be an important component of a DL class. Using Intervention StrategiesAfter you have developed an assessment instrument and provided timely feedback to the student, the other component to an effective evaluation strategy is to implement an intervention strategy by utilizing ACC's Early Intervention program. In this way, students who fall behind in a course can receive the assistance they need. Ultimately, it is the student's responsibility to be responsible for their own education, however, the instructor can help guide a student if that student falls behind. The ACC Early Intervention program is an excellent resource for both the instructor and the student. Download Adobe Reader to view and print PDF files. |