Sabbatical Research – Dr. Liyan Song – March 31

On March 31, from 2-4 p.m., in Chesapeake 2 & 3 of the University Union, Dr. Liyan Song (Educational Technology and Literacy) will present the outcomes of her sabbatical research project. The project is entitled “Instructors’ perspectives on online assessment practices” and will summarize/understand online instructors’ perspectives on assessment practices within online environments. Nine online instructors from seven institutions were interviewed for this grounded theory qualitative research. Three main aspects emerged from the analysis of the interviews that are involved in online assessment practices: student learning, instructional design, and interaction. The findings from this study suggested that online learning environments are uniquely different from the traditional classrooms, especially the forced nature of discussions and greater emphasis on interactions.   In addition, the findings suggested that unique characteristics of online environments along with instructors’ epistemic belief have an impact on course design and delivery.