Evidence-based
There is a significant body of learning sciences research about how people learn in formal learning environments. Independent of the mode of delivery: in classroom, blended, or fully online, the below principles distill this research into qualities that educators, administrators, assessment specialists, etc. can use to reflect on existing practices (Reilly & Reeves, 2022) and direct their efforts towards these evidence-based principles for design.
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Real-world relevance
Learning activities and assessments match, mimic, or perform real world tasks, stress real-world transfer of skills and knowledge, provide real-world audiences, and / or make clear how the academic knowledge is useful in the real world.
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Ill-defined problem
Learning activities and assessments present a complex problem open to multiple lines of inquiry, requiring learners to identify for themselves the tasks and subtasks needed to pursue their learning goals.
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Sustained investigation
Learning activities and assessments are designed around complex ideas to be investigated by students over a sustained period of time, requiring significant investment of time and intellectual resources.
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Interdisciplinary perspectives
Learning activities and assessments are intentionally designed to explore a subject matter’s relevance beyond the disciplinary specialization and require learners to adopt diverse roles and think in interdisciplinary terms.
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Collaboration
Learning activities and assessments are intentionally designed to make collaboration (within and beyond the course) central to the task. Incentive structure of the collaboration addresses individual accountability, positive interdependence, peer evaluation, and group product.
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Reflection
Learning activities and assessments provide opportunities for learners to a) reflect on learning, b) self-assess their understanding, c) receive formative feedback, d) access real-time data from formal and informal assessments to understand their progress in order to develop metacognitive skills, self-awareness, self-direction and ownership of learning.
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Articulation
Learning activities and assessments require learners to articulate their growing understanding and provide the opportunity to present in a variety of modalities (writing, discussion, presentation, etc.) individually and / or collaboratively.
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Integrated assessment
Assessments of learning are seamlessly integrated into the learning activities, provide multiple opportunities for feedback (self-assessment, formative feedback, peer review, etc.) and are evaluated on multiple success indicators.
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Polished products
Learning activities and assessments scaffold a major project and culminate in a polished product and/or performance assessment valuable in its own right. The final learning product is evaluated via a criterion-based rubric.
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Multiple interpretations and outcomes
Learning activities and assessments allow for diverse interpretations and stress multiple interpretations and competing solutions over a single answer.
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Multiple sources and perspectives
Learning activities and assessments expose learners to multiple sources and perspectives on a topic and/or require learners to seek out, evaluate, and synthesize knowledge from additional sources and perspectives.