In college classrooms, students are often subjected to large-scale, anxiety-inducing exams each semester, which are supposed to measure their knowledge of a subject matter. This approach does little to engage a learner in a meaningful learning experience; nor does it assess learning effectively.

High stake exams promote cramming -- we have all been there. Courses designed around these types of assessments also promote a disconnected environment for students. They see little reason to engage regularly and actively in a learning environment. And, when exams are implemented in an online class where there is no classroom to walk into, they create even bigger issues. Faculty are faced with the reality that their students can access the web while taking a test. With access to endless information, how is a traditional exam to be conducted in an online class? Well, let's stop there and reconsider a few things.

Online classes are different than face-to-face classes. The environment in which you teach and your students learn is unique and opens new opportunities for assessment. The online environment offers an opportunity for all learners to be supported and to check-in with one's learning development frequently throughout a course. Your teaching is not limited by four walls in your online class and neither should your students' assessments.

This section of our module is designed to get you thinking outside the box about assessment, in the context of research-based practices.