Grade Smarter Not Harder (Summer 2024)

May 28 – June 16

Short Course

Description 

Not only can improving online assessments more accurately capture what students know, but it can also increase learning, deter student cheating, and save you time over the long term. In this short course, you’ll examine and apply principles of validity & reliability and writing effective quiz and test questions. You will then have the opportunity to evaluate and revise or develop your own online assessments. Additionally, you’ll learn D2L specific strategies to improve test security and provide feedback.

From the Facilitator

Direct link to the video: Grade Smarter Course Introduction (Summer 2024)

Course Learning Objectives 

After completing this course, participants will be able to:

• Apply principles of effective assessments to developing test questions.
• Implement strategies to improve test security.
• Utilize different methods of feedback on assessments.

Key Topics include:

• Motivation: This course focuses on assessment strategies for boosting motivation to promote academic honesty.
• Alignment: Use alignment to boost assessment reliability and validity and build motivation.
• Retrieval Practice: A teaching method that uses quizzing for enhancing learning and motivation.
• Writing Effective Questions: Multiple choice, true false are explored, and extension materials for addressing additional question types are offered.
• Quizzes: Focus on D2L Brightspace Quizzes features including question pools, sections, security features, feedback options, and more!

Technical Skill Requirements

• Use a web browser  
• Create, save and upload Word documents  
• Navigate Microsoft Windows  
• Create and send an email using your Minnesota State account  
• Evaluate and decide whether or not to use OneDrive  
• Perform basic tasks associated with the following D2L Brightspace tools: Content, Quizzes and Assignments 

Materials Required

Prior to beginning this course, you should complete the following activities: 

• Select a course and related assessments to which you’d like to apply these concepts 
• Contact your campus D2L/IT Helpdesk to create a D2L Brightspace “Sample/Sandbox” Course if you do not have one.

Suggested Audience 

Faculty (Full-time and part-time), Instructional Designers and Technologists, Faculty Developers/Trainers, and Concurrent Enrollment instructors.

Estimated Time Commitment 

Most participants are able to complete this course by committing 4-6 hours per week. 

Reflect on your Professional Development 

As you progress through this course, please consider how you can use the assignments as a way to highlight your work on your Professional Development Plan. Consider sharing your work with your leadership team. 

Registration Required

Use the RSVP tool below to register. There is a limit of 30 participants per course.

Because we need time to enroll participants into the corresponding D2L Brightspace Course site, we will close RSVPs the Friday prior to the start of this course. 

Reminders Coming:  We use the email address you provided to send you reminder emails as the event date gets closer, but we suggest you add this event to your calendar. 

The NED is committed to providing universal access to all of our events, we’d like to discover how we can make the event more inclusive so you can fully participate!

Machine generated captions are available in real-time for all Zoom events, however human generated CART (live caption) service and ASL interpretation can be requested with advanced notice (2 weeks) to make the event more accessible.

Please, let us know of any disability-related accommodations that will facilitate your full participation

Course Location 

This course is hosted and facilitated using shared D2L Brightspace instance of Minnesota State called, MnSite. Using the RSVP tool below allows us to send you reminders about this course and share important information following the course including how to access the corresponding D2L Brightspace course site.  

Questions?  

Contact facilitator Kelli Hallsten Erickson.