Assessment techniques for web-based instruction: lessons learned from teaching a graduate course in instructional technology.

In an attempt to discover how students learn in an online learning environment, as well as to investigate how online communication patterns differ from those in a face-to-face class, the authors used students participating in a graduate program in instructional technology in Philadelphia, PA. Various activities and assignments were used to elicit information about student learning with, and attitudes toward an online learning environment. Over a period of 3 semesters, student data were collected through qualitative and quantitative methods, including observations, surveys, tests, in-class discussions, and e-mail communication analysis. Results for these assessment methods are included in this article, as well as implications for future investigation into this topic.