In reference to a memorandum on summative assessments, AdDU Academic Vice President (AVP) Dr. Gina L. Montalan clarified the administration for such assessments during yesterday’s SAMAHAN Zoom webinar, reminding that professors “cannot require all students to take the final summative assessment right after the [first] semester.”

Despite allowing online administration of said assessments according to Memorandum No. 2020-12 released last September 22, Montalan emphasized the importance of considering students’ self-paced learning in preparation for the final Summative Assessments (SAs).

“The students can still freely choose their schedule that is spread out in one whole academic year,” she said, following the AdDU’s Primer on Academic Policies for Online Education.

“…but to require to take the final summative assessment just like [we did] on face-to-face classes before[, then that] is not in consonance with the Primer,” Montalan added.

However, she also advised not to delay taking the said assessments if students feel ready to take it. Taking these as soon as possible “will be advantageous” to prevent “piling up” final assessments at the end of the academic year.

Formative Assessments to track learning

To address student concerns, Montalan further discussed and clarified the mechanisms on Formative Assessments (FAs) and SAs during the said webinar.

The AVP noted that professors must guide students for SAs through the FAs by its ‘Most Essential Topics’ given from the Online Instruction Delivery Plan, a recalibrated framework from the professor’s syllabus made prior to the pandemic.

Montalan then shared that FAs “guide and provide opportunities and critically reflect on [one’s] learning and identify next steps.”

FAs, according to Montalan, “are not graded” but should track students’ learning towards the Final Summative Assessments.

“Even if they are not graded, when they are scored, your score here will inform you how prepared you are for the summative assessments,” she said.

Given the limitation of internet connection and communication problems raised by students, they opted to make FAs ungraded instead of giving online graded tests.

Thus, Montalan stressed that it is to the student’s advantage “to delay the grading rather than accumulating failing grades caused by poor connectivity.”

“We delay the grading for your benefit. We delay the grading [for] the formative assessment because we wanted you to be prepared well in the summative assessment which is the basis for your final grade,” she said.

Revamping the online instruction platform

Fr. Ulysses Cabayao, SJ, Assistant to the Academic Vice President for Online Education (AAVP.OE) shared that they are currently developing courseware to refine the University’s online learning system.

Once developed, the courseware, which is a type of software containing educational content, instruction, and instructional strategies, will standardize course designs, particularly General Education (GE) subjects and some professional courses.

Cabayao shared that the project involves a team-based approach wherein members of faculty in different departments will act as teams of content developers, technicians, and instructional designers in developing a degree program for the online courseware.

He further mentioned that the challenge of developing the courseware comes in the professional courses that are taught in one faculty for one section as the said faculty “will develop [single-handedly] from scratch.”

Currently, they are conducting talks with different schools and departments for orientation and training for courseware development.

The first version of the courseware containing GE courses, as announced by AAVP.OE, is targeted to be available by the second semester.

Online Summative Assessments

On another note, Montalan pointed out that the recently released AVP memorandum is in response to Davao City Government’s Executive Order 47-A released last August 1, 2020.

Section 6b of the said Executive Order states that Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and postgraduate courses can conduct face-to-face examinations with heath guidelines and protocols starting September 1, 2020.

However, Montalan stated that the University still limits the exposure of the students in the campus “even if it is the regulation of the City Government.”

“In cases that it is possible or it is necessary, we will be doing it [the face-to-face examinations], but in context of the September 22 memo that the AVP released, we will still have the online Final Summative Assessment or [we have] the performance-based formative assessment in context of [other courses],” the AVP said.

The schedule of online administration of Final Summative Assessments and online submissions of performance-based requirements for courses will be posted on the Student Information System (SIS) today.

The said Zoom webinar was the first part of Forward Together: Webinar Series on SAMAHAN 1st Semester Exit Points, which aims to discuss issues and updates on different sectors within the University.