Determine assessment purposes and methods

In some ways, assessment is simple. If you have established appropriate learning outcomes based on the goals of the training, your assessment is halfway done. If you know what outcomes learners should demonstrate, then you just need to design an assessment that demonstrates them.

If the defined learning outcome is complex, such as this one, “Forecast precipitation intensity, onset, cessation, amount, type, and associated visibility for aviation operations,” then you know that you have to assess skill in the ability to forecast each of these elements and produce forecast products that are useful to aviation customers. You also know that much background knowledge underpins this capability—like knowledge of mechanisms that generate precipitation and the ability to analyze products for indications of the conditions for precipitation.

While demonstrating this skill requires a complex assessment or on-the-job observation over long periods of time, the building blocks of this performance can be assessed in less complex ways. For example, we can more easily assess the ability to analyze individual data products. With even more reliability, we can assess knowledge of precipitation formation mechanisms. In other words, a full assessment might utilize several formats.

Well-written multiple choice questions using a Moodle Quiz can go a long way to assess background knowledge and even more complex skills. Discussions via a Forum can probe more deeply to diagnose what learners know. Short exercises via a Lesson can test whether learners have developed analysis skills. Simulations using an external tool or combinations of Moodle activities and resources might demonstrate the entire set of skills implied in the learning outcome.