Elearning! Fall 2007 - (Page 23) >> help improve their analytical and crit- 1 ical thinking skills; and more. Nichols lists three kinds of assessments: Self-marking tools include true/false, multiple choice and ordering questions that can be answered in pre-determined degree approach that includes self-appraisal, one or two or three peers, managers and subordinates. All sorts of slants allow the organization greater insights. It’s a more accurate approach, but it’s also much more work.” inward thinking and self-reflection. The renewed individual commitment to developing one’s career can be very powerful. Collectively, the workforce gets a better grasp individually of where they are and where they need to go developmentally.” CONCLUSION The Oregon and California researchers noted earlier in this article reach this conclusion: “Developers must understand the range of decision-making approaches available in assessment and must plan their e-learning products to optimize some good measurement and assessment strategies. This would help fulfill the promise of the emerging field of personalized e-learning, and might bring to fruition some new tools that could substantially help instructors and students in the teaching and learning process.” “In my world, ‘assessment’ has to do with a self appraisal that might occur in a performance management context.” —Hank Riehl, SkillSoft ways, used by most online assessment tools. Simulation-based tools measure student performance in a simulated environment. They can be very effective, but they can be very expensive to purchase and create. Collaborative and feedback-oriented tools such as bulletin boards and document revision permit increased levels of feedback at point of relevance. “With the exception of the simulationbased assessments, online assessment tools are relatively easy to make use of,” says Nichols. “Self-marking tools increase efficiency and convenience for the instructor and also ensure swift marking. Collaborative and feedback tools increase the validity of assessment (because they measure understanding) and the effectiveness of assessment as a learning tool (providing customized feedback is provided by the instructor).” A HIGH-VALUE ALTERNATIVE Assessment tools surely measure knowledge in a particular subject or domain. But some proponents insist that measuring ability, potential ability or actual performance is equally important, especially in a business management context. “To many, an assessment means a hard test,” says Riehl. “Something that has right and wrong answers, that is scored and will ultimately reflect proficiency in some topic. In my world, the term ‘assessment’ has to do with a self-appraisal that might occur in a performance management context. An option is a multi-rater or 360It’s also more expensive. “Many organizations balk,” Riehl admits. “In actuality, many aren’t ready for this kind of process, a learning growth model. It speaks to the maturity of the organization in terms of the processes it might be willing to take. “The payback comes in two areas: explicit, in the data itself to make more informed personnel decisions. The implicit is more powerful but fuzzier, and that’s the very process of doing assessments. It creates a lot of 2 3 Elearning! Fall 2007 23
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