GEOSCIENCE ONLINE: BECOMING THE JUJITSU MASTER TO INVITE AND CONTROL CHEATING
We re-level the assessment process by shifting the teacher-learner paradigm to redefine expectations about how students learn. Fundamental to this approach are a shift toward assessment of tacit knowledge, and a movement away from many assessment strategies borrowed from classroom-based learning. These shifts allow us to better achieve our goals for students in the online environment.
An online grading triumvirate of Open-Reference Homeworks, Geologist’s Takes, and Rapid-Fire Quizzing is presented. We use this to overcome student motivation or advantage related to cheating-like behaviors, and to coincidentally also address variation in learning styles and testing performance.
The Open-Reference Homeworks approach compels students to read and learn before or during the homework. The assessment process becomes multi-threaded process and becomes part of the learning strategy instead of a standalone event. Cheating is dis-incentivized by embracing reference materials, while also presenting students with uniquely individualized assignments.
Geologist’s Takes are hypothetical data sets (much like lab book exercises) that test conceptual understanding and application of knowledge and reasoning. The single-attempt, 1-5 minute assessments are custom-made and not quickly cheated by accessing the web.
Rapid-Fire Quizzing is composed of imagery and/or very few words. This visual approach requires quick recall and response from each student, and is treated as a component of the larger assessment triumvirate. The brief response time generally provides students insufficient time to consult the web, books, or colleagues. We use both very terse multiple choice tests, and imagery (such as geologic maps, or images).
Concepts and approaches presented are intended specifically for geologists and other online science teachers.