After reading the articles from last week and this week, and watching the video “Watch Why Grades Shouldn’t Exist,” I found some assessment strategies in the reading are being used in this course and some are not.

Chapter 1 and 4 of the reading offers a thorough examination of the frameworks and tenets required for efficient online assessment. Initially, I think one of the strategies is formative assessments. The formative assessments are used in the course through iterative design processes and opportunities for continuing input. This is in keeping with the idea that students should get regular, helpful feedback to get better over time. For example, in this course, we reply to each other’s blogs and give our groupmates a good comment. Moreover, we also use self and peer assessment in this course. For instance, we write blogs each week, and we must comment on each others’ blogs. It means that my peers can view my blog and give me some suggestions and evaluations. However, the strategy that we didn’t use in this course is standardized tests and quizzes. The course description makes no mention of regular standardized examinations or quizzes. Tests and rote memorization are less important than project-based and blog assessments.

Moreover, about the reading we did last week, I think this course emphasized behaviourism, constructivism, and cognitivism. Firstly, behaviourist ideas are reflected in the structured feedback and reinforcement that are given throughout the training. Students receive feedback on their blogs, for instance, which helps to reinforce the learning objectives and desired behaviours. Secondly, the focus of this course is on creating interactive learning environments that follow constructed ideas. The constructivist theory, which holds that knowledge is constructed through active engagement, is in line with the active part of students in the creation of meaningful learning experiences. Lastly, the course’s emphasis on comprehending the elements of learning design—such as learning objectives, activities, assessments, and resources- contains cognitivism elements. This method is consistent with cognitive theories, which highlight the role that mental processes play in processing and organizing data.

To compare this course with other courses that I took before, I think there is a large difference between them. Initially, through the development of interactive learning environments, this course promotes real-world application, in contrast to traditional courses that mostly focus on lectures and tests. For example, my major is economics. I have lots of homework, quizzes and exams, which means I need to do lots of memorization. Moreover, a key component is the incorporation of digital tools for both teaching and learning in this course. For example, I took a course, Econ 225. The professor doesn’t allow us to use any technology. I think it’s more helpful to our study if we can use technology. The more linear approach of traditional courses, where feedback is frequently restricted until the end of a term, contrasts with the iterative process of design and development used in this course. This is consistent with constructivist learning and formative assessment approaches. For example, this is the second time I have taken EDCI courses. The last time I gave my classmate feedback on their assignment was in another EDCI course. I didn’t see any other courses that I took before, requiring us to comment or give feedback to each other.

Overall, the course makes good use of formative, peer, and self-assessments, which are consistent with behaviourism, constructivism, and cognitivism. In contrast to more traditional, exam-focused courses, it offers a dynamic, practical learning experience. Through an emphasis on interactive design and making use of modern technology, the course not only amplifies student participation but also trains them for practical application in their careers.

These are links to my comments on my peers’ posts:

EDCI 335 Blog 1

Blog1

EDCI 335 Blog #1