Assessment for Learning MOOC’s Updates

Learning environment and assesment with Analytics

What has been popular here in MD is the IXL curriculum,( it's a machine-driven assessment that is based on our standards, (https://www.ixl.com/). One can read in-depth but it is full curriculum Grades K-12, with lots of practice problems based on how well a student answers questions. I have looked over the shoulder of a couple of students trying it and seen webinars on the topic. It is impressive how much data one can collect, based on standards, but it is also time-consuming for students, it asks to get to 100 percent before establishing mastery of the topic, and it is quite a lot of problems for the student to solve. So, as summer review before school starts and then teacher using it, as a supplement to individual learning, but I think because it is so easy to use for teacher over-reliance on the machine and not letting individual difference excel in another type of projects would be problematic. In addition, because it is time-consuming, one worries students will learn the wrong idea behind the mastery of the problem and will think the only thing we want is lots of practice on the topic. And of cause, this type of curriculum may or may not help students with individual differences like ADHD, because it does require concentration.

"What are the potentials and the challenges in creating and implementing environments with embedded learning analytics?"

In general, creating an environment online requires lots of time, and troubleshooting all parts of the activity. One has to plan for students learning, type of knowledge, type of activity, and also how it will be implemented and then used. Creating activity that supports cognition and meta-cognition possibly as well, so that students still practice normal social environment. So time and money for such activity is essential and additionally support from the community where one wants to implement an online learning environment. In addition, we do have to create analytics and collect analytics that is acceptable to the community. So computers and the internet should be able to handle the demand of all the digital processing of output and input of information, and connectivity time to internet for teachers and students should be at 100 percent , for the best outcome. It is a fantastic time frame in education that we can completely create a new discussion in the digital age, with all the available tools to us. However, I think not everybody is ready to through the old school process out the window and start fresh completely, with a different type of feedback and consequence. 

IXL within the scope of the class discussion follows into a machine assessment, that uses computer adaptive testing. It is still Big data problem, and a lot of different metrics are broken down by categories: "student activity, track scores, view practice session, check standards". (https://www.ixl.com/analytics, accessed 1/18/2022) Results of cause could be very powerful with student learning at school and home and teachers could be looking at data, and thinking what topics one can additionally tutor a student or help with understanding. It could be also very negative results if assessment is looked at as a test and not a learning activity and student motivation could be falling in subject areas like math and science when problems could be exceptionally difficult and impossible to solve. There is a blog that this particular company offers, written by Perry Fiorentino in this case, (https://blog.ixl.com/2019/11/13/5-classroom-community-motivation-ideas/, accessed 1/18/2022). They do suggest on this topic certification and class wide games. All in all, testimonials look extremely positive in UK, (https://uk.ixl.com/testimonials,accessed 1/18/2022) and in USA, case studies have been done. (https://www.ixl.com/resources/case-studies, accessed 1/18/2022) So global impact and looks very impressive.