Simulations

Students take part in an online simulation activity. Following the activity, some assessment should be linked to verify student learning. A brief statement can be submitted by the students describing what they learned. For simulations that have numerical representations, a list of answers or a graph may be submitted. Student might also answer a discussion question about the simulation.

Appropriate Content Areas

Any. Often used in Mathematics, Physics, Biology, and Chemistry.

Web Scavenger Hunt

Internet scavenger hunts serve as a great way to hone student Web searching ability and problem solving. They can be an evaluative activity when students have to find information of a specific type or value. They also can serve as an ice-breaker. The lesson involves providing students with a goal and then having them search the Internet to fulfill that goal.

Role Playing

Students are presented with a context or situation. Within that context they assume specific roles. The lesson is then conducted whereby the ability of students to attend to their roles and learn from the experience is assessed. Follow-up activities usually help to link the activity to specific learning concepts.

Appropriate Content Areas

Most. Typical in media studies, political science, literature courses, social sciences, education, business, advertising, nursing, etc.

Review (Play, Movie, Audio, Book, etc.)

Students view, read, or listen to content and then compose a review of that content attending to items required in the assignment description.

Appropriate Content Areas

All. Typical in media studies, political science, and literature courses.

Goals & Objectives

The goal of a review is to develop a students ability to critically evaluate a media item attending to certain criteria. A sub goal is that students are exposed to the content that they are reviewing, allowing this lesson to tie into other lessons and goals.

Reflections

Students summarize their learning on a weekly basis. They express the key points for that weeks lesson and receive feedback from the instructor.

Appropriate Content Areas

Often used social sciences, but appropriate for most fields.

Quizzing

Students use an online quizzing program to take a quiz. This can be done in a moderated setting, or unmoderated. A few ideas of ways to curb academic dishonesty are listed below along with a selection of tools that allow for online quizzing.

Goals and Objectives

The primary goal of a quiz is to assess student learning in a timed, closed environment. Primary attributes tested are recall in multiple choice to more complex thought processes in essay questions.

Q & A

Students must construct questions that are asked to other students who then answer. Alternatively, can be mixed with a guest lecture or standard Q/A session where the students must submit questions to the guest or instructor. The guest or the instructor then answers.

Procedural Demonstration

Students record themselves performing a task and submit this recording to the instructor. In some cases, videoconferencing may be used for synchronous events. It is also possible that an optional on-site day may be required for some procedural demonstrations, especially when materials are only available on campus. In some cases, such as medicine, off-site mentors may be used for verification and grading.

Appropriate Content Areas

All. Typically in Music, Engineering, Mechanics, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Medicine, and Kinesthetics.

Presentations

Students present a given topic to the class or a group of students typically using conferencing software.

Appropriate Content Areas

All. Appropriate at all times, but generally past the first couple weeks of the course after the students have an understanding of the technology used in the course.

Goals and Objectives

The goal of a presentation is for students to gain advanced understanding of a given concept allowing them to teach others.

Sample objectives include:

Portfolios

Portfolios as an activity unto themselves involves the process of student selection of works to meet specified criteria that are presented in a cohesive manner. In addition to selection and organization of the content, students generally reflect on what is included and why it was included.