Assessments

"More frequent and more varied assessments [in remote or hybrid courses] allow faculty to build a richer understanding of what students know." - Wellesley College Quick Start Guide: end of section 1

Examples of Assessment Activities used in hybrid and/or remote courses are available on VIRTL.

Assignments

  • Sakai's Assignments tool

The Sakai Assignments tool allows instructors to create, distribute, collect, and grade online assignments. Assignments are typically private; student submissions are not visible to other users of the site. However, the instructor has the option to enable peer evaluation of assignments if desired. Assignments may be submitted via file upload or by typing directly in to Sakai, depending on your preference.

  • Sakai Dropbox

The Dropbox is a useful tool to collect student work. It automatically creates individual folders for each student in the Sakai site. Students can submit work by uploading files to these folders. Dropbox folders are private. Student submissions are not visible to other users of the site. If you use the Dropbox, you will create and distribute the assignment tasks through other channels, such as Forums, Announcements, or your syllabus

  • Google Forms

If you're using Google, Google Forms with file upload enabled are useful ways to collect student assignments. You will likely create and distribute the assignment tasks through other channels, such as your class Google Group or your Syllabus.

Tests and Quizzes

  • Sakai's Tests & Quizzes tool

The Sakai Tests & Quizzes tool allows instructors to create, distribute, and grade online tests, quizzes, and surveys. Not all tests need to be graded, and we have a number of faculty using this tool for practice and self-assessment. Many preset question types are available, including file upload, and you can add time limits. Sakai also allows for easy exceptions to allow for accommodations and other accessibility needs.

  • Google Quizzes (Forms)

Google Quizzes are an option in Forms that allows you to provide answer keys and to auto-grade some of the responses. You can manually grade question-by-question, assign points and leave feedback on individual responses, and see automatic summaries for all quiz responses showing frequently missed questions, graphs marked with correct answers, and average, median, and range of scores.

 

Projects

  • With more frequent and varied assessments, you might consider a variety of projects which allow students to express their learning, such as presentations, digital stories, webpages, or shorter research projects.

Feedback

Feedback is critical in intensive courses. Here are some ways Sakai can help facilitate delivering feedback:

  • Feedback in Sakai Assignments

  • Feedback in Sakai Tests & Quizzes

  • Instructions to share with your students on how to find your feedback in Sakai

Grades

  • Sakai Gradebook

  • Grading in Google

  • Alternatives (such as Gradescope) - contact RIS-IT (email askit@wellesley.edu) or your subject specialist.

To learn how to use these tools and more, explore the Assessments resources on VIRTL.