EMS Faculty: Use of different assessment types for both Formative and Summative assessments

EMS Faculty: Use of different assessment types for both Formative and Summative assessments

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

The iKamva platform can be utilised for both formative and summative assessments by making use of various eTools. This communication is a reflection of the effective use of eTools by lecturers in the EMS Faculty across different year levels over a period of time.

Tests & Quizzes eTool: Multiple Choice Questions [MCQs]

This assessment eTool allows for a variety of question types, including Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs). The MCQ type can be used to assess students’ knowledge, understanding, skills and abilities by incorporating lower, middle and higher order thinking questions, as set out in Bloom’s Taxonomy. MCQs designed in this manner, should allow for effective evaluation of students’ assimilation and comprehension of course content. A lecturer is able to set-up a randomised question bank/pool.

 Application of weekly tests and quizzes

Lecturers Frikkie Herbst, Philip Hirschsohn and Jeremiah Machingambi, amongst others, have created weekly tests and quiz assessment activities within their respective modules for their students (part-time blended approach and fully online students). The specific tests were aligned to the learning content that they engaged in for the specific week. Students were graded and the marks count towards their CAM.

Assignment eTool

The Assignment eTool within iKamva can be used for posting, submitting and grading assignment(s) online. The Assignment eTool has also been integrated with Turnitin (Tii) automatically.

Application of weekly assignments and constructive feedback by lecturer

Lecturer Kaashiefa Mobarak, created weekly Assignments (linked to Turnitin) via iKamva. It should be noted that the lecturer developed five (5) short-essay type questions, which required the students to reflect on tasks, based on their own working experiences. The lecturer spent a considerable amount of time reading the essays and providing constructive feedback. In addition, the lecturer developed a rubric for each essay type question.

Question Pools/Banks

Question pools can be set up to differentiate between concepts, themes and sections; and a set number of questions can be randomly drawn from the pool. This will ensure that each student’s assessment varies from one to the other. This form of assessment has been used by lecturers at UWC across disciplines as both formative and summative assessment. It is advisable to set up all question pools in advance, allowing you to easily create the assessment when necessary and draw a set number of questions from the pool. Question pools are saved to your iKamva profile, meaning you will be able to use it in any module, and you will be able to re-use your question pools each year.

Application of pools in alignment with content

Lecturers Sanet van der Westhuizen and Thembinkosi Maphosa created question pools and subpools, which were set up in advance and imported into the relevant assessment. Students were allowed to view the memo only after the tests were completed, in order to identify gaps in knowledge.