This section provides information about the Pacific Partnership for Open, Distance and Flexible Learning, and the Assessment skills for open, distance and flexible learning (AS4ODFL) online course.

About the Pacific Partnership for Open, Distance and Flexible Learning

Partnership for Open, Distance and Flexible Learning (ODFL) in the Pacific is a 5-year project (2020 – 2025) funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade to support enhancing capacity and efficiency of education sectors in the Pacific through greater use of innovative delivery mechanisms and technology.

The Commonwealth of Learning (COL), together with the Pacific Centre for Flexible and Open Learning for Development (PACFOLD) are implementing the initiative.

About the AS4ODFL online course

Assessment skills for open, distance and flexible learning (AS4ODFL) was developed by Saide [1] for the Pacific Partnership for Open, Distance and Flexible Learning.

Summary

Learning outcome

On successful completion of this short course learners will design online activity-based assessment to support teaching and learning.

What will I learn?

In this short online course you will:

• Understand assessment for learning, assessment of learning and assessment as learning in relation to summative and formative assessment
• Reflect on the relationship between assessment and activity-based teaching and learning
• Appreciate the value of feedback in meaningful assessment
• Explore ways of providing meaningful feedback
• Design alternatives to formal, summative assessment

What’s involved

This is a hands-on, activity-based course in which you will complete:

1. Activity-based learning covering: definitions of assessment, activity-based learning, formative and summative assessment, integrated activity-based assessment.
2. Two learning challenge quizzes as formative assessment of your understanding:
   • Activity example quiz
   • Summative or Formative quiz
3. A final Integrated Activity to apply what you have learned

Certification options

Partial completion badge

• There is a learning challenge quiz at the end of Week One and Week Two. The learning challenge quizzes mark your progress through the course. They serve as formative assessment for you to check your understanding.
• The consolidated formative assessment quiz is based on the learning challenge quizzes in Week One and Week Two.
• Participants who successfully complete the consolidated formative assessment quiz at the end of Week Three will receive a partial completion badge.

Assessor badge

Participants who successfully complete the consolidated formative assessment quiz and an integrated activity at the end of week three will earn an assessor badge and a PDF Certificate of Completion.

• The consolidated formative assessment quiz is made up of the learning challenge quizzes in Week One and Week Two.
• You will complete the integrated activity at the end of Week Three.

Prerequisites

Any teacher is free and welcome to participate in this course. The course will be conducted in English. We recommend that you have:

• Access to a personal computer for 3 – 5 hours per week
• Basic computer skills (saving files in different formats, setting up and deleting folders, starting programs, etc.)
• Access to the internet for 3 – 5 hours per week while working online on the course.
• Basic skills in navigating websites using a browser
• Ability to install, or have access to a colleague or friend to help you install Free and Open Source Software programs (we will provide links to free downloads of the software).