Assessing Collaborative Efforts

• How should participation in a collaborative learning community be assessed? How do the varying levels of skill and knowledge students bring to a course affect the instructor's "fair and equitable assessment" of learning?
• If a student does not want to network or collaborate in a learning community for an online course, what should the other members of the learning community do? What role should the instructor play? What impact would this have on his or her assessment plan?

According to Siemens (2008) the best way to get students to participate in a learning community is to change the assessment model and base it on a community grade learning approach. He suggests having learning communities participate in a high-functioning learning community. An instructor might even want to consider blogging. Siemens (2008) also suggests that educators should create a mix of individual and community environments. For example, it might be helpful to bring in people from different industries. Also students could be allowed to assess their peers by using a rating scheme. However, according to Palloff and Pratt, assessment in a collaborative learning community should be in the form of papers, artifacts, and projects that are based on the course objectives and goals (Palloff & Pratt, 2005).

If a student lacks the technical skills needed for online learning then he or she most certainly could benefit from being part of a learning community. Instructors create learning communities so that students can learn from one another, especially in those areas that they may be weak in. I believe learning communities do allow instructors to assess students fairly and equitabally. If instructors solely assess students invidually, then students who lack certain skills and knowledge may or may not meet the learning objectives.

According to Hardman and Dunlap (2003) simply requiring learner interaction in asynchronous environments does not promote a sense of community. No one wants to feel alone an isolated and sometimes online learning does leave learners feeling alone with no where to turn. To read more on how Hardman and Dunlap view assessing learning communities click on the following link:
http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/131/211

If a person doesn't want to be a part of the learning community, I think that it is up to the other members to make that person feel welcomed and part of the team and try and make him or realize that their role is vital to the completion of all tasks. If for some reason this doesn't work, then the instructor should be notified immediately. The instructor should explain to the reluctant person the requirements and objectives for the course. The instructor's assessment plan should not change. Hopefully the instructor has designed the learning community where peers rate each other.

References:

Ludwig-Hardman, S., & Dunlap, J. (2003, April). Learner support services for online students: scaffolding for success . Retrieved from http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/131/211

Palloff, R. M., & Pratt, K. (2007). Recontextualizing community. In Building online learning   communities: Effective strategies for the virtual classroom (pp. 25–44). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Siemens, G. (2008, January). Learning and knowing in networks: Changing roles for educators and designers. ITForum.