Transparent Assessment for Online Learning by Digitally Competent Professors
▶Summary
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the lack of preparation for online HE in Europe. ENQA and EUA surveys in2020 highlighted major challenges in online assessment and student engagement. This highlighted the need for innovative and pedagogically sound practices. Moving activities online requires significant rethinking of methodology. The biggest problems encountered by teachers and students in HE related to the lack of digital competences of teachers and HE institutions. EUA survey proved that HE Institutions in Europe are not familiar enough with DigCompOrg and DigCompEdu frameworks, which would facilitate HE moving online much better. DIGI - PROF project addresses these challenges and needs of HE teachers and institutions and will create innovative learning and teaching practices that lead to transparent assessment for online learning. HE teachers will develop digital competences in assessment (following DigCompEdu framework) in order to be able to revise online courses with transparent assessment and leading to recognition of learning outcomes with micro-credentials.
▶Objectives
The DIGI-PROF project aimed to support HE teachers and HE institutions to design and implement transparent assessment for online learning and recognition of learning outcomes by proposing methodology, guidelines, practical tools and training material to develop their digital competences. The project objectives included: -Preparing methodological guidelines, tools, and training materials for HE teachers as references needed to design assessment strategies, monitor and engage students and implement digital and micro credentials. -Developing HE teacher digital assessment competences to enable them to design assessment strategies, monitor and engage students and implement digital and micro credentials. -Creating guidelines for HE institutions to implement transparent assessment of learning outcomes for online and blended learning, leading to digital and micro-credentials. -Designing online and blended curricula for virtual and blended cooperation among consortium institutions, embedding transparent assessment and mutual recognition of learning outcomes. The project responding to Digital Education Action Plan (2020) Strategic priority 1 to support high - performing HE system by establishing digital teaching, digital content and skills.
▶Impact
The results and outputs of the project (https://eden-europe.eu/digi-prof/): 1. Training material for HE teachers about transparent assessment strategies for online learning in HE. Prepared - in 6 languages (English, Lithuanian, German, Catalan, Portuguese, Polish). The training material is structured into 3 Chapters: Chapter 1 – Designing learning outcomes and criteria based assessment of virtual learning environment. Chapter 2 – Involving students in digitally supported learning assessment. Chapter 3 – Digital assessment methods and tools in a virtual learning environment. 2. Training material for HE teachers about monitoring, supporting and engaging students based on the evidence generated by digital technologies. Prepared - in 6 languages (English, Lithuanian, German, Catalan, Portuguese, Polish). The training material is structured into 3 Chapters: Chapter 1- Designing evidence-based teaching and learning strategies that foster self-regulated learning in VLE. Chapter 2 - Analysing and interpreting evidence-based data to inform teaching and learning Chapter 3 - Supporting and engaging learners through evidence-based data 3. Training material for HE teachers about ensuring digital and micro credentialization of learning as a part of transparent assessment for recognition of learning outcomes. Prepared - in 6 languages (English, Lithuanian, German, Catalan, Portuguese, Polish). The training material is structured into 3 Chapters: Chapter 1: What is a MicroCredential? Chapter 2: MicroCredential implementation and EU Data Model Chapter 3: MicroCredentials in Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) 4.The Guidelines for HE Institutions to Implement Transparent Assessment of Learning Outcomes for Online and Blended Learning Leading to Digital Micro-credentials. Prepared - in 6 languages (English, Lithuanian, German, Catalan, Portuguese, Polish). All versions available at https://eden-europe.eu/digi-prof/. 5. 11 courses were redesigned collaboratively for virtual and blended cooperation by consortium institutions, with revised assessment strategies, student monitoring, supporting and engagement techniques, and prepared for issuing digital micro-credentials: 1. Construcció d'instruments per a la recerca (UOC) 2. Research Methods in Linguistics (VMU) 3. Konwersatorium w języku angielskim (USil) 4. Schlüsselqualifikationen II (DHBW) 5. English Applied to Office Management (UAVR) 6. Feedback strategies in computer-mediated communication (UOC) 7. Modern Language Teaching Technologies (VMU) 8. Diplomacy and Intercultural Relations: Module 2 - Introduction to Public Speaking (USil) 9. Methoden- und Sozialkompetenz: Professionelle Pflege in Forschung und Gesellschaft (DBW) 10. English Applied to Quality Management (UAVR) 11. Intercultural Communication (USil) The digital infrastructure - virtual learning environment Moodle - was designed for the collaborative course development and course piloting with a proposed course design and environment template and integrated tools needed for collaborative teaching and learning. All courses were piloted, and 69 microcredentials (of 1-6 ECTS) were issued to the students who participated in the piloting of the redesigned courses. Finally, all 11 courses were redesigned and fully adapted to online and blended learning at partner institutional online learning environments for formal studies. 11 course syllabuses are provided as the main output of this result.