¿Cuáles son algunas de las herramientas y plataformas de evaluación de aprendizaje a distancia más comunes?

When I think about the most common distance learning evaluation tools and platforms, learning analytics always stands out first. Learning analytics helps track and measure how students interact with the course materials, how much time they spend on activities, and where they might be struggling. I find it incredibly useful because it turns a lot of raw data into clear insights that help improve both teaching and learning. Platforms often provide dashboards that show engagement levels, quiz scores, assignment submissions, and even discussion participation. By regularly checking these analytics, I can spot patterns, adjust the learning experience, and make sure that the course stays responsive to the needs of the learners.

Plataformas como Moodle, Blackboard e Google Classroomm possuem boas ferramentas de análise de aprendizagem, mas para o ambiente corporativo, em que essas análises são cruciais para gerar resultados para o negócio, elas deixam muito a desejar. Na minha experiência, acredito que o ideal é o gestor de educação corporativa fazer a integração entre uma ferramenta de Business Intelligence (BI) e sua plataforma de EAD. Com a ferramenta de BI integrada é possível monitorar uma série de dados em tempo real, que auxiliam em uma tomada de decisão muito mais assertiva.

Leveraging pre-course/program assessments can also be helpful in understanding your learners and their existing knowledge. This will help you determine if you need to create additional scaffolds for students that may be struggling to understand foundational constructs coming into your course or program. If you find that learners perform exceptionally well on the assessment, you can also pivot your facilitation and assessment strategy to best help them grow. When creating assessments, remember that it's helpful to have a question bank to draw from and that questions should be complex enough that a simple Google search cannot answer the question. Case studies and vignettes are very helpful, especially for higher level thinking.

Testar conhecimento é um processo importante do aprendizado e faz com que os alunos sintam-se mais confiantes para seguir avante nos seus estudos. Kahoot é definitivamente uma das melhores ferramentas para ajudar tutores a desenvolver atividades de revisão, testes e jogos tornando o processo de aprendizagem mais interativo e envolvente. Uma das grandes vantagens: você integra com plataformas como Teams, Meet e Zoom e pode criar jogos e atividades de revisão ao vivo com os alunos.

Peer assessments can be complex as social factors/constructs play a role in this. Peer reviews can hold learners accountable in team projects; however, it's important to create processes and clear expectations. For example, teams should divvy up responsibilities and roles. This gives peers an opportunity to assess if individuals fulfilled their responsibilities. Instead of self-assessment, I'd argue that self-reflection journals on growth are far more impactful. Provide prompts that foster critical thinking, "what, if anything, surprised you? Why?" I would be weary of putting too many boundaries on what journals should include and avoid the term assessment as it has conflicting connotations.

Peer and self-assessment in online courses is an effective method for enhancing learning outcomes. These practices transform students into both evaluators and learners, fostering collaborative improvement. It is akin to having a personal coach alongside a supportive team to elevate one's work quality. This dual-role system sharpens critical thinking skills and cultivates the ability to give and receive constructive feedback. For example, similar to friends proofreading each other's texts for accuracy before sending them, this process helps students catch overlooked errors and refine their work.

Considero o Discourse uma das melhores ferramentas gratuitas para facilitar fóruns e discussões online. As funcionalidades avançadas de moderação e categorização de tópicos permitem que os administradores mantenham o conteúdo relevante e acessível. Além disso, o Discourse suporta a gamificação, com a atribuição de badges e a implementação de níveis, motivando os participantes a contribuírem ativamente e a se desenvolverem continuamente dentro da comunidade.