On-line Evaluation: Multiple Choice, Discussion Questions, Essay, and Authentic Projects

This paper presents and evaluates different types of student assessment measures--including discussion-generating questions, multiple choice questions, essay questions, and authentic projects--for on-line courses. The paper asserts that assessment should mimic how students will be evaluated on the job site in the real world, meaning that they should be team members and problem solvers, with the technological and academic skills to communicate the results of their actions. The findings are based on the researcher's experience as the teacher of an Internet-delivered course, "Earth Systems Science Approach to Physical Geography." The paper introduces the concept of "authentic assessment," a process that requires that the evaluation be realistic and force the students to use knowledge to solve real-world problems, which are often open-ended, poorly framed, and have no clear-cut answers. A scoring rubric, which provides the criteria for students to follow in order to receive a specified grade, is presented. Finally, the paper lists examples of the four assessment types, along with the goals, advantages, and disadvantages of each. It is concluded that on-line assessment of small Internet-based classes can be accomplished using many of the same assessment tools used in face-to-face classes. (CAK)