Tertiarylevel Online Education in English Language Education in China

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Tertiary-level Online Education in English
Language Education in China

• Tensions and Implications

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Acknowledgement

• The research this presentation is based on is
  part of the overarching research project
  (Workpackage 2) of Sino-UK e-Learning Programme
  sponsored by MoE (China) and HEFCE (UK).
• This presentation is an extended version of the
  three papers in Exploring Online Education (Gu,
  2004) by Cao, Wang and Tang.
• We would like to extend our gratitude to Prof.
  Gu Yueguo (China) and Prof. David Wood (UK) for
  their guidance and support to our research.

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Part 3
Assessment Tensions and
Implications
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Background

• A secondary analysis of the research findings
  from the national survey study, which was
  conducted in last May.
• Due to its predominant position in the
  educational system, assessment inevitably became
  one of the three key issues examined in our
  national survey. We were curious to know how
  assessment was undertaken in tertiary-level
  online degree-awarding programs in English
  language education in China, along with tutors
  and learners perceptions of the practices in
  operation.

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Issues Under Survey A Brief Review

• What is the current practice for assessing
  students in the context of tertiary-level English
  online education in China?
• What are learners and tutors perceptions of
  practices in formative assessment?
• What are learners and tutors perceptions of the
  final exam?

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Preliminary Findings

• The research results indicated that the majority
  of online institutions under study had formal
  entry requirements regarding learner enrollment.
  The course assessment practices consisted of
  formative assessment and final exams.
• The preliminary analysis of the research resulted
  in a paper published in Gu (2004) Exploring
  Online Education.

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Results of secondary analysis

• What is presented here today is a secondary
  analysis of the key issues that have surfaced
  from the study.
• Four tensions have been identified, with their
  pedagogical implications.

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Tension 1
Students failure to fulfill self-assessment
tasks to monitor their learning progress
The expectations of them being autonomous learners
VS
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Tension 1 -- Findings
The formative assessment practices that are
considered most helpful are also those that
learners pay maximum attention to, and these are
usually included in their final score.
As self-assessment tasks are not included in
their final score, in consequence, students
usually do not do them.
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Tension 1 -- Implication

• Development of learner autonomy in checking
  and monitoring ones own learning progress is
  becoming of high urgency in the e-learning
  environment.

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Tension 2
The effectiveness of a real tutor undertaking the
task in the e-learning environment
Students wish for a real tutor assessing their
performances
VS
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Tension 2 Findings(1)
Learner preferences about formative assessment
practices

• Summary
• They prefer tutor assess their performance and
  provide feedback

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Tension 2 Findings (2)
Two major problems reported by learners in their
learning process

• Delayed feedback from the tutor about learning
  difficulties
• Delayed feedback from the tutor about assignments

Summary Tutor is deemed to be the only
authority that can provide feedback to their
assignments and learning difficulties.
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Tension 2 Findings (3)

• Due to resource pressures, feedback on learners
  performances is being provided slower, sometimes
  not provided until the course is finished. (Gibbs
  Simpson, 2003)
• It may be argued that imperfect (but prompt)
  feedback from a fellow student may be more useful
  than more perfect feedback from a tutor 4 weeks
  later. (ibid.)

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Tension 2 -- Implications

• In the light of this understanding, we need to
  examine
• What kind of assessment tasks can be more
  effectively evaluated by a real tutor?
• What kind of assessment tasks can be better
  evaluated by a built-in tutor?

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Tension 3
ICTs potential for providing more varied means
of e-assessment and students expectations of
greater use of technology in assessment (New
technology)
The limited use of technology in assessment and
in monitoring learning process (Old practices)
VS
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Tension 3 Findings(1)
Formative assessment practices an overview
Summary Online component of learning process
monitoring is few.
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Means for assignment delivery, submission and
feedback
Tension 3 Findings(2)

• Summary
• Offline mode is dominant
• Online elements are still few.

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Learner preferences about formative assessment
practices
Tension 3 Findings(3)

• Summary
• The majority of the learners prefer online mode
  of delivery, submission and feedback

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Tension 3 Implications (1)
Use of ICT in helping learners tackle learning
difficulties needs to be exploited online
testing (with item bank), with learning
difficulties predicted and explained, with
immediate feedback provided. Use of ICT in
feedback provision of learners assignments and
learning difficulties is worth further
exploration.
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Tension 3 Implications (2)

• Innovative means of assessment, rather than
  essay types only, should be explored to better
  reflect the nature of the e-learning process.
• A challenge of online learning is to use the
  qualities of the medium to advantage, rather than
  replicate existing teaching, learning and
  assessment practices. To take advantage of the
  medium, we need to harness new opportunities for
  interactions, dialogue and debate among open and
  distance learners and to create assessments that
  promote the value of these learning
  processes.(Morgan OReilly, 199941)

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Tension 4
Learners strategic use of tasks provided (i.e.
they only fulfill the assessment tasks that are
included in the final score)
The assumption that carefully crafted study
materials would shape and inspire students
learning
VS
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Why learners fulfill these assessments
Tension 4 Findings (1)
Main Reasons

• The main reason
• They are part of the final score (64.9)

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Tension 4 Findings (2)

• In a preliminary summary of the e-learning
  development in China, Liu (2005) reported that
  99 learners registered online courses just for
  the purpose of obtaining a degree.
• Taken this factor into consideration, the
  research finding is not surprising. For those
  learners whose primary goal, is, to
  satisfactorily complete assessment tasks on time,
  study materials that are not clearly interwoven
  with assessment will be overlooked.
• .

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Tension 4 -- Implication

• Aligning assessment with course objectives
• Aims and objectives content teaching and
  learning activities assessment

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Thank you !