Assessment in Physics Distance Education: Practical Lessons at Athabasca University

Meaningful and valid assessment of students’ learning is at the heart of creditgranting institutions, especially for courses delivered at a distance. At Athabasca University, we have extensive experience in teaching online fi rst-year physics courses, most of which include home lab components. Practical experiences and data-driven conclusions demonstrate that online assessment can be conducted effectively in the distance education environment. The turnaround time and quality of feedback on marked assignments and lab reports can be comparable to (if not exceed) that in conventional classrooms. The blended exam format (multiple-choice and long-answer questions) appears suitable for introductory physics courses, because it balances exam validity and course administration effi ciency. A comprehensive fi nal exam that carries more weight than the midterm appears to be a justified practice.