3.2 Diversified approaches to learning evaluation
3.2.1 Emphasize the learning process and procedurize evaluation
This is an important way to achieve diversified evaluation and a reflection of a process-oriented outlook on the learning process. "Process orientation refers to freedom from the restrictions of the predesigned goals in learning evaluation, with the focus on taking into evaluation all matters in the learning process, the interaction of those who give and receive evaluation and the specific evaluation situation, and the value of evaluation process per se."[6] It means that learning evaluation is reflected through the learning process, mainly by conducting formative assessment of the students' learning.
Formative assessment refers to "timely customized correction feedback in accordance with the student's individual differences, generally given for each unit of learning content during the course of teaching and learning." [7] Hence, formative assessment does not simply mean requiring students to do day-to-day assignments. It emphasizes the entire learning process and gives learners a comprehensive evaluation of their studies and "corrects" their learning behaviors. Evaluation methods include self-evaluation, peer evaluation, and the instructor's overall evaluation. Evaluation content focuses on exploring the students' learning process, including attitude, learning ability, application ability and psychological integrity as well as study strategies, scores and habits. In the evaluation, "the learners are guided to take an active part in the study and discussion of a subject, and their performance in the participation is taken as an important part to judge the learning results."
(ⅰ) Student self-evaluation
Students are informed beforehand of the evaluation content, indexes and methods, so that after each unit, they can evaluate their learning progress accordingly. Students are able to find out problems in the course of their study, such as learning methods, pace, behaviors and scores. Changes in the evaluation agent can help students rectify incorrect learning methods, detect learning discrepancies and improve learning behavior, while stimulating the students' initiative and encouraging independent study. Furthermore, as the subject score is not the only index for evaluation, students are less apprehensive about the learning evaluation and their overall development is benefited.
(ⅱ) Peer evaluation
Different learners have different views on the same problem, and have different interpretations of the same case. For certain matters, a simple "true" or "false" judgment is not possible. On such occasions, it is more effective for students to evaluate each other. As distance learners are generally on-the-job adults, their studies are closely related to their jobs. They often encounter the same problem during their study, and the problem resonates with them due to its nature. Peer evaluation is performed in a group. By brainstorming, several solutions are found to the same problem, and each solution helps stimulate the thinking of the participants. Through this process of mutual inspiration, the solution is improved. What needs to be pointed out is that the proposal of one solution is not necessarily a rejection of other solutions. Different solutions may be applicable to different situations. This kind of mutual evaluation is also valuable in teaching people to look at a problem from different angles and develop a more objective view of matters.
(ⅲ) Instructor evaluation
Instructor evaluation is involved throughout the entire process of formative assessment. The problem with student self-evaluation is that it is incomplete and biased. Evaluating learning behavior, methods, interests and abilities requires a substantial process. Distance learners are on-the-job adults who have all received traditional education. Some of their former study habits may not be suitable for independent study and distance education. It must be taken into account that they are not used to this kind of evaluation, whether in the form of self-evaluation or peer evaluation. Besides the role of "correction", the instructor evaluation plays the roles of guidance, instruction, induction and tutoring. The value of instructor evaluation is also reflected in both teaching and learning aspects. While participating in student self-evaluation and peer evaluation, instructors are inspired to improve their own teaching strategies and methods.
3.2.2 Fully utilizing modern information technology to digitize evaluation
Research shows that "the frequencies of learners' visits to online learning platforms (communities) and their participation in teaching activities like tutorial and Q & A, their effective online duration, the quantity of their posts and effective number of posts", "learners' requests in learning communities are mainly requests to seek and acquire knowledge and those of social exchanges among the community members; these are inseparable and intertwined with online learning investment and instructor support responses." "The frequency of participation in teaching activities like tutorials and Q & A, the frequency of instructor-student interactions (which refers to the number of posts between instructors and students), effective number of posts, and the importance and frequency of subject matter keywords within those posts can all be measured. They control and regulate the students' learning behavior." [8] Therefore, it is feasible to apply learning evaluation to the students' online study. The following are three major ways to digitize evaluation.
The first is to use technological means to conduct formative assessment of students. This achieves both the procedurization and diversification of learning evaluation. It can be done by way of "electronic archives", also called "electronic learning files". Modern information technology is used to provide learners with a virtual space, keeping a record of their learning behavior and process using learning evaluation tools made with electronic and computer technologies. Also called "portfolio assessment", this type of evaluation is self-administered. "The portfolio refers to an intentional collection of the students' works to reflect their efforts, progress and achievements in specific fields, which must include the students' participation in choosing the contents, guidance for choice, grading standards and evidence of students' self-reflection. Portfolio assessment refers to evaluation of students' progress by analyzing the process of making the portfolio and the final results." "Electronic archives are made with electronic technology, which allows developers of a portfolio to collect and organize its works and materials through various forms of media (audio, video, pictures and text). The standards-based electronic archives with database and hypertext technology demonstrate clearly the relationship between standards and objectives, between works and reflection."[9]At present in China, this method of student evaluation still remains in the phase of theoretical exploration and limited pilot application in basic education. Due to the influence of examination-oriented education, it is still very difficult to popularize this evaluation method in basic education in the short term. Distance education is different from basic education in that it is not selective in the assessment of students' performance. Thus there is wide room and potential for the adoption of this evaluation approach.
The second way is to evaluate the students' achievements using network technology. With the development of information technology, some intelligent learning systems make it possible to evaluate the students' learning with network technology. Meaningful trials have been conducted in some disciplines of distance education with positive results, especially for certain learning systems. "It is not only a way for learners to acquire resources proactively, but what is more important is that it offers a kind of individualized learner support."[10] This includes online learning evaluation of the students. Currently, China's adoption of this distance education evaluation approach is limited to pilot projects in some provinces. It is still impossible for students to take examinations according to their pace anywhere and anytime, and some operations are extremely cumbersome. For this reason, in line with the modern education mantra of "people-oriented" education, distance education learning evaluation can incorporate gaming concepts to be both informative and fun, and boost the students' initiative for study.
The third way is to use web-based electronic assessment. Online course construction involves more than the putting together of knowledge. In terms of content, student assessment should be included and in terms of technology, students should be required to finish studying a certain amount of content within a fixed period. Students can then immediately perform self-examination in the course to check their study progress and record their performance in the electronic archives.
The use of electronic technology in assessment needs to be supported by educational departments. We need to "advance the construction of a digital examination question bank with the support of digital learning resources so that examinations can be given along with study to provide learners with convenient, fast individualized learning evaluation services." [11]
3.2.3 Focus on the evaluation's effect of putting learning into practice, perform comprehensive evaluation of study content application
For evaluations, "the inclusion of evaluation contents such as social investigations, solutions to work problems, practical operation and achievements of technology application obtain the effect of putting into practice what has been learned." [12] The agents of evaluation are employers of the distance learners, their schools and instructors. The main contents of evaluations are closely related and connected to the learners' actual work. Evaluation mainly assesses the students' innovativeness, ability to analyze problems, ability to solve problems and practical ability. Evaluation methods represent combinations of formative and summative assessments, quantitative and qualitative assessments, self and other people's evaluation, as well as diagnostic evaluation.
The indexes for this kind of comprehensive evaluation should be determined and formulated jointly by schools and employers due to the relevance of the evaluation to the learners' jobs. The employers' requirements for the learners are broken down to form the evaluation index system, which should be closely linked to the employees' performance assessment. By truly achieving the effect of putting learning into practice and playing a significant role in the development of the workplace, schools fulfill their duty to serve the society. For example, the assessment of outside research and solutions to work problems is mainly to examine the students' ability to detect, analyze, and solve problems. A student's investigation of a certain problem will help reveal the student's attitude, behavior and judgment concerning that problem. The solution to the problem would be analyzed as to whether the student found out its causes, and as to the methods and procedures used to solve the problem. The evaluation indexes for outside research would be determined on this basis.