Student Assessment and Background Variation Flexnet Courses

Student Assessment and Background Variation

Flexnet courses are both online, and face-to-face, and so have a variety of assessment methods available, including both written and oral components, though all require English fluency. Technology competency and small group work are key.

Flexnet courses are both online, and face-to-face, and so have a variety of assessment methods available. Online courses based in newsgroups have primarily written assessments, including mandatory short-answer essays and written participation, which requires both reading comprehension and writing skills. Longer written essays and PowerPoint presentations are both common online assessment methods. Small group learning teams will require proficiency in informal written communication, and possibly oral communication in the form of phone calls. Face-to-face assessment methods vary widely, and include oral presentations, oral class discussions, and small group work resulting in a written product. All of these, of course, are conducted in English, and therefore require English reading comprehension and writing skills, as well as oral communication.

Since only there are only two face-to-face meetings in the course, the primary mode of communication is writing. Most of the students are fluent in English, and should do well at the mandatory short-answer essays (AKA Discussion Questions (DQs)). Presumably, most of the material required for the DQs and participation components of the course is written, and so reading comprehension of both other students' work and of the course material will be a factor, particularly of the non-native English speakers in the course. There may be some cultural gaps in the give-and-take of the written participation required by the course, since not all students are native English speakers.

Much of the work has an informal component, meaning that it's not necessarily written in Standard American English. This is particularly idiomatic, and can be difficult to comprehend for non-native English speakers, particularly those who are not fluent. If the class assignments include working with a multi-lingual population, those students who speak other languages can help contribute to the group work.

Since the small group work (AKA Learning Team) depends on intra-group communication, and almost certainly in the form of writing posts in the newsgroups, many gaps in communication can be expected. Students will have to be particularly careful in the wording of their communication, both to avoid giving offense and to clearly communicate understanding and expectations. Carelessly worded communication can impact the entire group.

Older students are typically unfamiliar with and intimidated by technology, so if they haven't done PowerPoint presentations before, that may be an issue, particularly in terms of their contribution to the small group assignments. However, since they are more practiced in face-to-face communication, they can gain more from the face-to-face initial meetings, which can lay the groundwork for better intra-group communication. They are more likely to simply pick up the phone and call other students in their Learning Team, to both provide assistance and ask for assistance. This initiative can serve them well.