Assessment Across Online Language Education - Stephanie Link

Assessment Across Online Language Education - Stephanie Link

4. Language MOOCs: Assessing Student Knowledge and Comprehension of Clinical Terminology

Assessment Across Online Language Education - Stephanie Link

Carrie Demmans Epp [+-]
University of Pittsburgh
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Carrie Demmans Epp is a research associate at the University of Pittsburgh where she studies language learning and the use of technology to support learning. Prior to this, Carrie completed her PhD in mobile-assisted language learning at the University of Toronto, and she earned her MSc (University of Saskatchewan) in computer science with a focus on applying artificial intelligence techniques within computer-assisted language learning. Her work focuses on how to effectively use technology in educational settings.
Rae Mancilla [+-]
University of Pittsburgh
Rae L. Mancilla, Ed.D. ([email protected]) is an Instructional Designer in the Center for Teaching and Learning at the University of Pittsburgh. She works in the division of online learning and has published in numerous SLA and CALL journals including Applied Linguistics, Learning Languages Journal, and Language Learning and Technology. Her research focuses on written syntactic complexity, technology-enhanced language learning, and professional development for Instructional Designers.
Valerie Swigart [+-]
University of Pittsburgh
Valerie Swigart, PhD, MSN, MEd, CRNP is a full professor of nursing at the University of Pittsburgh. Her academic career has focused on the interface of technology, health care, ethics, and human behavior. She has completed two NIH funded studies with large qualitative databases. Her research has supported better understanding of the processes of surrogate decision-making regarding life-sustaining technology, the impact of long-term mechanical ventilation, homeless persons’ health care seeking behaviors, Middle Eastern women’s experience of sexual harassment and domestic abuse, and the use of MOOCs in the flipped classroom. Teaching interests include international research and collaboration, cross cultural communication and ethical/social justice issues. She is currently teaching a massive open online course about clinical terminology that has reached thousands of students over the globe.

Description

This chapter examines whether a massive open online course (MOOC) can support specialized vocabulary learning by combining situated-learning and learning-by-testing approaches. This exploration of how student (n = 1,265) performance on MOOC assessments varies based on group membership and the activities students performed within the online course showed students achieved high performance standards within the MOOC. Those who were additionally enrolled in a nursing program (n = 103) demonstrated improved vocabulary knowledge following MOOC completion, and their self-reports indicate the online course and the learning materials it provided facilitated students’ aural comprehension of clinical terms outside the MOOC. The results of the automatically graded assessments, their relationship to student actions, and student completion of practice quizzes indicate both graded and ungraded assessment should be used to enable learning in online courses. Additional implications for online assessment and course design are highlighted within the chapter.

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Citation

Demmans Epp, Carrie; Mancilla, Rae; Swigart, Valerie. 4. Language MOOCs: Assessing Student Knowledge and Comprehension of Clinical Terminology. Assessment Across Online Language Education. Equinox eBooks Publishing, United Kingdom. p. 71-90 Feb 2018. ISBN 9781781797013. https://www.equinoxpub.com/home/view-chapter/?id=34388. Date accessed: 28 Mar 2024 doi: 10.1558/equinox.34388. Feb 2018

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