Assessment, Feedback and Grading

Mar 9, 2026

Rubric Best Practices, Examples, and Templates

In this article How to create and use rubrics Step 1: Analyze the assignment and clarify your purpose Before building a rubric, ask yourself about: Step 2: Select a rubric type Step 3: Select a starting point TIP: create your rubric in a table or spreadsheet in Word, Google Docs, Sheets, etc., and then transfer…

Nov 18, 2025

Activities versus Assessments: Measuring Student Learning

In this article Activities: Tracking Progress Learning activities are low-stakes and they build toward larger assessments for students to check their knowledge and receive feedback along the way. In an online setting, activities provide student interactions with content, peers, and the instructor while practicing course concepts and skills. As students track their progress, instructors can…

Oct 31, 2024

Assessment and Evaluation of Group Work in Moodle

In this article Regardless of whether they are individual assignments or group assignments, best practices for graded work include: Questions unique to group work include: Grading group work products Grading the product is much like grading any other assignment. Just like any assignment, providing a rubric for a group will let them know exactly what…

Jul 12, 2024

Ungrading Toolkit: Learning vs. Earning

In this article What is ungrading? Ungrading is a movement to reduce or eliminate the role of grades in formal learning environments. Ungrading shifts the focus from traditional grades to self-monitoring of progress, allowing students to engage more deeply with their learning journey. It emphasizes student agency, feedback, self-reflection, and monitoring progress toward learning goals.…

Mar 21, 2024

Make Your Gradebook Student-Friendly

In this article Gradebook calculation methods: a quick review One of the first decisions you’ll need to make about your gradebook is which grade calculation method (also called aggregation) to use. The two most common options—natural and weighted mean of grades—are both student-friendly, so in most cases it’s best to choose the one you feel…

Jan 19, 2024

Student Blogging Assignments

In this article What is the difference between a blog and a website? While a website typically offers static content, a blog is dynamic and regularly updated with new material. Blogs are most often displayed in reverse chronological order, but they can just as easily be organized and displayed based on author, month, category, or…

Sep 8, 2023

Assessing Student Learning with Core Moodle Tools

In this article Best Practices Core Moodle Assessment Tools Low-stakes assessments can be “formative,” meaning they administered before or during the learning process to guide your teaching or help learners monitor their progress. A major assessment like an exam or project may be used in a “summative” way at the end of a unit to…

Aug 9, 2023

Designing Assignments and Activities with Generative AI in Mind

In this article If you are interested in more general information about AI Tools and using them in your academic work, visit the Using Generative AI for Efficient Teaching and Work article. These AI tools will be shared in the Designing Assignments workshop to create awareness of the tools commonly used at universities, businesses, libraries,…

Feb 16, 2023

Promoting Academic Integrity in Moodle Quizzes

In this article Review Moodle Quiz Basics New to Moodle quizzes? Check out the Quizzing in Moodle video playlist to get started. Considering AI in online quizzes Generative AI tools, like ChatGPT, are reshaping traditional assessment practices and raising new questions about academic integrity. Students may be tempted to use these tools on quizzes—sometimes without…

Jan 24, 2023

Gradescope: Streamline the Grading Experience

In this article Getting started with Gradescope Gradescope’s unique factors provide innovative ways for instructors to assign and grade course content. Students can easily upload their paper-based assignments, such as bubble sheets, to be graded by instructors. AI-assisted grading and group grading options give instructors a better experience in grading and provide consistent feedback. Detailed…

Jan 10, 2023

Perusall: Interactive Reading Assignments

In this article How to get started With Perusall, instructors provide students with a text, and students use commenting to have an asynchronous discussion about the text. Depending on instructor settings, Perusall can auto-grade student work and provide instructors with analytics about how students are engaging with the text. “Texts” in Perusall are defined as…

Sep 7, 2022

Turnitin: Writing Feedback, Plagiarism Checks, and Peer Review

In this article How to get started Turnitin Assignment: Students will use the Turnitin interface from within Moodle to submit their work, and instructors will grade work from the Turnitin Feedback studio. Instructors can add a rubric to make grading easier. Moodle Assignment or Forum: Instructors enable the Turnitin settings within the assignment or forum…

Feb 7, 2022

Peer Review With Digital Tools

In this article How to Get Started Step 1: Step 2: Specific Feedback Non-Specific Feedback Your voice in your presentation was loud and the pacing made me able to follow your content but in the 2nd section I was confused by some of the terminology. Can you explain terms more or use terminology from class?…

Jan 12, 2021

Google Assignments in Moodle

In this article Features and Limitations Here’s what to consider as you decide whether Google Assignments in Moodle is right for your course or assignment. Feedback: Rich, In-Context Commenting: Because students submit Google files (docs, slides, etc.), you can use Google’s build-in tools -inline suggestions, comments and a reusable comment bank – to provide detailed,…

Sep 2, 2020

Administering Online Exams

In this article Moodle Exam Resources For in-person classes seated in a classroom, instructors can administer bring-your-own device (BYOD) testing in the classroom using Safe Exam Browser (SEB) with the Moodle Quiz activity. If you need help setting-up your exams online in Moodle, please contact the LearnTech Help Desk. Unmonitored Assessments If possible, use alternative…

Jun 24, 2020

Assessment

Assessment design basics Designing and delivering quizzes and exams Use quizzes and exams to measure learning accurately while supporting academic integrity. Providing feedback and using rubrics Providing clear feedback and expectations help students improve their work. Grading Using grading approaches that improve transparency, efficiency, and student understanding. Using tools for assessment Explore digital tools that…

Dec 28, 2019

Real-time Assessments and Check-ins

In this article Getting Started Determine your goal(s) for adding real-time assessments and/or check-ins to your course. What kinds of questions do you want to ask? Some of the most common categories of questions include: Consider the delivery of your course. Different tools are appropriate for synchronous in-person classes, synchronous online classes, and asynchronous use.…

Aug 7, 2016

Types of Assessments

In this article How to Get Started Step 1: Examine your preconceptions about assessment. Step 2: Review desired course learning objectives to ensure that they align with assessments. Step 3: In addition to major assessments, punctuate the course with short assessment opportunities. Step 4: Reduce opportunities for cheating (Sewell, Frith, & Colvin, 2010). Step 5:…

Jul 14, 2016

Providing Effective Feedback

In this article How to Get Started Step 1: Review learning objectives and assignments and decide which need more feedback from you, and which would benefit from peer review. Step 2: Because a plethora of instructor- and peer-feedback mechanisms are available for online courses, explore different options to find the best fit for your content.…

Mar 11, 2016

Best Practices for Creating Multiple-Choice Questions

In this article Understand Multiple Choice Questions In a typical multiple-choice test item, students are presented with a question description or a statement (this is referred to as a stem), followed by a list of response choices known as alternatives. These alternatives include distractors (incorrect answers) and one or more correct answers (the answer key).…