Digital portfolio, part 5

What methods of assessment can I use and in which contexts?

•     exams (essay questions, multiple choice questions, home exams, spoken exams)
•     grading, pass/fail -assessment
•     written research assignments
•     essays (classroom essays, home essays)
•     project work, group work
•     presentations
•     portfolios
•     self-evaluation, peer evaluation
•     learning diaries
•     group discussions
•     activity in the classroom

Traditional exams can be used in many kinds of context, even though they are not always the best option. Exams should have different types of questions and also alternative questions. Home exams are more for adult student, for example in an open university, where learning result is often more important than just passing the course. Younger students might cheat with home exams and do them as a group work.

Written research assignments are also a general and effective way to perform university courses. Essays, on the other hand, can be used for example in language studies.

In my studies of communication, business administration, and information technology I have done a lot of group work and project work, and I think these methods work fine with these subjects. Group members share knowledge, and thus learn also from each other.

Presentations work well in communication and business administration courses. They are also a way to share information, since different students or groups have studied different topics for their presentation.

Portfolios are convenient for art classes, but also for language studies to collect one's different texts for evaluation. Self-evaluation and peer evaluation, accompanied by a teacher's evaluation, could be used, when evaluating portfolios.

Learning diary could be used for example in self-study class to inform a teacher different phases of learning.

When I was studying in the Netherlands, we had a group discussion at the end of a course. The teachers asked us all individual questions to check how well we knew our project. I found that method very useful for group work, since that way a teacher can check that everybody has participated and learnt.

Activity in the classroom can be evaluated to improve a grade for example in language courses.