First, read how to approach assessment in active blended learning in our previous tip.
Tip 1: give structured assignments in phases
Assignments as a form of assessment fit well with activate blended learning, more so than a classic final exam for example (in our previous tip you can read why). To make use of assignments, it is best to divide an assignment into phases. This way, students arrive at a final result in several steps - so-called constructive testing. The final result could be ready at the end of the course, for example, or you could have them complete four somewhat larger assignments in an eight-week block.
Since there are then more results to check, this may seem like more work for you as a teacher. But you can also choose partial results provided with feedback by fellow students in the interim with, for example, FeedbackFruits Peer Review and in combination with the use of rubrics. That way, your students pay attention to all aspects of the work when giving feedback. You yourself assess them only marginally: this means that you only check whether something has been submitted, without assessing the content yourself. This way you can save time and increase the quality of the results, because the students already take care of the preconditions for assessment (such as: grammar, spelling, paragraph structure and layout) among themselves, with the computer playing a complementary role if you use FeedbackFruits automated feedback. Then, for the final result, you only need to assess the important (and often more interesting) learning objectives.
Tip 2: organize tests during the teaching sessions
Several tests, in the form of assignments, can also be carried out during teaching sessions (possibly after preparation based on a Flipped Classroom principle) - instead of an officially scheduled supervised test. Have a look at your learning objectives and see which ones lend themselves to being carried out during a teaching session, such as: working together, performing tasks, giving feedback, criticizing, debating, or coming up with solutions.
At the Faculty of Social Sciences (FSW), for example, at some teaching sessions they use FeedbackFruits during class to allow peer feedback (students use their own laptops for this) and discuss the feedback directly during class. This also provides a very effective process.
Tip 3: avoid giving detailed grades, instead use F-P-G
Thinking about precise grades for partial assignments can be a time-consuming job. Therefore, ask yourself whether it is really necessary to do this. Perhaps attendance or active participation of students is already sufficient evidence of an achieved result or particular learning objective. You can also use more simple forms of assessment scales such as a three- or five-point scale (which you average out for a final result, for example) or just giving a fail, pass or good. You can then give more precise grades only at the end of the course based on all partial results.
Tip 4: Let students actively engage with learning objectives and what constitutes 'good work'
Besides peer feedback, self-assessment can also be an efficient part of the process. You can familiarise students with the learning objectives, the assessment criteria, and the standards (fail, pass, good). A practical way is to offer sample papers with sample assessments. After which you let them assess themselves based on these. Want to know more? Check out this didactic tip.