User:Vtaylor/Group projects/Evaluating the Process

Evaluating the Process Adjourning: The team briefs and shares the improved process during the this phase. When the team finally completes that last briefing, there is always a bittersweet sense of accomplishment coupled with the reluctance to say good-bye. Many relationships formed within these teams continue long after the team disbands. http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadtem2.html

WARM-UP

   * Did someone assume the role of project manager?
   * How did the team members work out who would be responsible for what?
   * What happens when someone is late or uncooperative?
   * What needs to be in the student preparation instruction to help students have a good learning experience? 

Objectives

   * Understand the types of evaluation and assessment that are appropriate for online group projects
   * Reflect on the group project process and consider changes and improvements that can be applied to future projects 

LEARN

The final phase of the group project life cycle is Reflection. Individually and as a group, the teams review lessons learned. The content lessons are reinforced by spending this time to go over the process and the deliverables.

Students are given the evaluation rubric prior to the start of the project. The project product is evaluated against the rubric. [evaluation][have self-knowledge]

   * Apply rubric to own product
   * Present product to whole class with peer review using rubric
   * Summary discussion - purpose of the activity, closure 

For the instructor, reviewing the group activity processes and capturing the information is critical to developing and refining group projects for subsequent collaborations.

   * Understand ideas behind several grading and evaluation schemes for group project products and participation
         o Student / peer-to-peer
         o Assessment / evaluation
         o Defined expectations / requirements
         o Rubric
         o Project product grade
         o Individual participation evaluation
         o Process feedback 
   * Formulate activities for students reflect on project work and derive additional learning from the process
   * Allow more time for debriefing. Let the students reflect on their experience, come up with valuable insights, and share them with each other.

EXPLORE

Sample post-project questionnaire/ survey/feedback and student responses

   * Assessments and Evaluation � Best Practices
     http://acadweb.snhu.edu/DE/Goddard_Gretchen/assessmentsandevaluationbp.htm 

APPLY

   * Draft a post-project questionnaire for your project

EVALUATE

   * Contribute to the discussion and comment on the contributions of two others [reflection]

Defined Expectations

Here's an overview of how I grade the essays and discussion questions:

0 = D/F (Not completed, incorrect statements, didn't answer the question or just repeated the question in the answer).

1 = C (The question was answered, but the answer was not not detailed or complete. Perhaps there was an incorrect assumption or the writing was not up to college level. Or, even though the answer was correct, I can't tell that any more thought was put into it than glancing at the book and copying an answer.)

2 = A/B (The question was answered well to very well. You've shown me that you understand the material, that you've read the text, that you've learned something from it, that you can synthesize the information and can discuss the issue on a college level.)

3 = A and extra credit (WOW!! It was clear to me that extra research and time was put into the answer.) From Beth Grobman Burruss - JOUR 2 Mass Communication

Individual Participation Evaluation http://www.tltgroup.org/gilbert/millis.htm

For individual participation grade, there should be a clear, non-competitive, criterion-referenced grading scheme, that addresses individual accountability. No matter how much mutual support, coaching, and encouragement they receive, students must be individually responsible for their own academic achievements.

Process feedback

Having students respond to a simple questionnaire about the project process provides students with an opportunity to reflect on the process and see for themselves the impact of the project on their own learning.

For students learning to work collaboratively, it is important to provide information on how the group work and deliverables will be evaluated. Many traditional evaluations will be appropriate. The deliverable must meet predetermined criteria, usually defined through a rubric. It is also important to evaluate the collaborative process and participation as well. Online, this can be accomplished by reviewing the number and depth of the posts of each group member. Using threaded discussions, it is possible to assess the contributions of each participant as well as see how the group communicated, dealt with issues and resolved them, with or without the assistance from the moderator. This can provide a very tangible incentive for all group members to participate actively.

Inexorable and Inevitable: The Continuing Story of Technology and Assessment http://www.bc.edu/research/intasc/jtla/journal/pdf/v1n1_jtla.pdf

"As technology becomes intertwined with what and how students learn, the means we use to document achievement must keep pace." Online assessment is still mostly at the multiple-choice tests. What we need is a more sophisticated form of online assessment, one that "might include simulations and other complex performances that not only indicate achievement level, but offer proficiency inferences with clear instructional implications."

Assessments and Evaluation � Best Practices http://acadweb.snhu.edu/DE/Goddard_Gretchen/assessmentsandevaluationbp.htm

   * Create and use a variety of assessment tools to measure student learning.� Self-evaluations, quizzes, reports, interviews, weekly homework, graded discussion board participation (quality and quantity), small groups, course related assignments, portfolios and journal review are just a few of the ways in which to diversify assessment
   * Provide students with clear grading criteria
   * Tie a grade to the collaborative activity (activities).� Online, this is the best way to ascertain students progress and involvement in the class
   * Require college level writing.� In an environment that is predominately text based, this is critical.� Provide examples of what you expect.
   * Provide examples of assignments
   * Create self-tests for each section to allow students to monitor their own progress.
   * Return of assignments with feedback and grade is recommended within four days
   * Assess student learning frequently.�� Students and instructors are able to monitor and adjust more rapidly than if they were assessed only twice.
   * Intervene when necessary.� Email a student who seems to be falling behind and ask if they have questions or direct them to resources.
   * Do not rely on only one or two forms of assessment to measure achievement of learning goals. For example only having a mid-term and final or only having one paper.� This will not give an accurate account of student learning and ignores the fact that students have different learning styles online.
   * Discuss assessment strategies with other instructors to determine feasibility.
   * Use the Gradebook 

Thanks to Eric Wilson for sharing this:

I do not give Final Exams in my classes. I think they are worthless and do nothing for my students. Instead, I assign group projects and they have a lot to do. The work can be a group being a web site developer and they must use as much materials as we discussed in our Dreamweaver class. They had a week to complete and they did outstanding. They also learned alot and some even went on to be a web design group professionally. Group work makes it fun for learners, allows them to breath and allow them to recall at their own pace. The last step of group final project is they must present in class and the class must provide their own thoughts, ideas and opinion. Works very well.

http://faculty.deanza.edu/taylorvalerie/stories/storyReader$136