Shaping Online Learning: Assessment Approaches in an Online Geoscience Course

Online assessments have been important, particularly considering the difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically in the context of our geoscience course, in this chapter, we explored the significance of online assessments. Educational institutions were forced to embrace online learning during the pandemic, highlighting the need for efficient online assessments. Our geoscience course had different assessment methods, including self-assessment resources, quizzes, capstone projects, and lab assignments. Results provided insightful information. For students to succeed, quizzes were critical. Achievement of the capstone project emerged as a strong predictor of overall success, outperforming the influence of quizzes and lab assignments. The frequent engagement with self-assessment questions positively impacted achievements on quizzes and lab assignments. These findings have significant implications for instructors and institutions that are managing the difficulties of online education after the COVID-19 pandemic. We emphasized the necessity of using various assessment methods to promote student learning successfully. Understanding the functions and effects of different assessment methods is essential for creating compelling and engaging online courses as educational settings continue to change.