Assessment for online small group discussion based on concept map scoring

Abstract

In problem based learning (PBL), small group discussion is the crucial factor for the effectiveness of the learning process. It is necessary for the discussion to be monitored and guided by the instructor for most e-PBL implementations. The research proposed an assessment method to evaluate the small group discussion without the presence of the instructor during the process of discussion. The assessment is based on the concept map scoring whereat a concept map will be constructed by the system during the discussion and scored by the master concept map. In addition, the proposed method is validated by applying to a college-level database course under e-PBL environment. The results reveal the correspondences with the performances of the groups. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.