Describe how this type of assessment can be used in eLearning. What makes performance assessment truly worthwhile in eLearning? What can you foresee as the pitfalls and problems with performance assessment in the eLearning environment?
A performance assessment requires that the students use what they've learned and create a final product with that knowledge. The final product is often in the form of something that the student creates or keeps as evidence of his/her learning. For instance, at the end of a unit the student might create a variety of differentiated activities pertaining to the unit and course or unit objectives.
Performance assessments lend themselves well to Elearning because many tools available for creating assessments can be easily completed online and with online tools such as web 2.0 and Google.
The problem with online learning is that sometimes instructors will assign items online simply because they are online and not because they are the best way to assess the objectives. I've seen teachers add online components to courses with no real reason or benefit other than that it is, "online." Sometimes technology is a buzz word and not utilized correctly.
