Abstract:

In recent years, online education has expanded its horizons to more specifically address a broader population of learners: working professionals seeking vocational and practice-focused training in design and technology. Since this learner population tends to be non-traditional at its core, existing methods of evaluation and assessment need to be modified in order to have the desired impact on the quality of student work and on students’ overall learning experience, especially as student work must be of sufficient quality to serve as part of a professional portfolio in a subsequent job search.

This case study examines how a rubric-based evaluation system was developed, adopting key elements from the growth mindset concept by Dr. Carol Dweck, and modified specially for adult online learners enrolled in self- or flexibly-paced vocational training programs in design and web development. The presentation of the case study will discuss key findings from the implementation of the new system as well as strategies for categorizing levels of evaluation, enhancing student-evaluator interactions, teaching the value of self-evaluation, and providing personalized, yet scalable feedback on the quality of student work and on students’ job readiness.

Keywords:

Edtech, assessment, evaluation, growth mindset, adult learners, self-paced, personalization, feedback, rubric, scalability, vocational training, online.