As you create a Learnics assignment, you are able to select optional Post-Assignment Questions for your students. Is it worth your and your students’ time to include these in your assignment? The answer is a resounding yes, for many reasons.
The most apparent benefit of including Post-Assignment Questions is that it gives you, the teacher, a way to assess your students. In addition to using their progress with your pre-set expectations for the Learnics assignment, you can assess students based on their responses to the series of questions you can select from or input on your own. The Learnics team, a group of former teachers, worked closely with current classroom teachers to develop question options for teachers to pre-select, including questions that require students to review their data, analyze the content on the websites they visited, and reflect on their research practices. You also have the option to input your own questions for students if you developed an assignment with targeted objectives that extend beyond the available questions.
My Data - Allowing students to reflect on their research practice touches on several social emotional learning standards (CASEL, 2020). By checking this box, your students will practice Self-Awareness, Self-Management, and Responsible Decision-Making. Take this question a step further, and have students share their responses with one or two of their classmates to spark a meaningful peer-to-peer discussion. Additional self-reflection ideas can be found in our blog post, “How do I engage my students with Learnics?”
Analysis of Websites – Both media and digital literacy are essential for students navigating the internet in today’s digital landscape. The International Society for Technology in Education released standards to encourage students’ technological practices. By encouraging students to reflect on the websites they selected, you are satisfying the Knowledge Constructor standard 1.3b: Students evaluate the accuracy, perspective, credibility and relevance of information, media, data or other resources.
Reflection Questions – To take students’ self-reflection a step further, select this question to have students provide you with 1-2 skills they would like to practice in the future. This will not only allow them to reflect on what they need, but it will also provide you with ideas for future instruction on your students’ research skills.
Custom Questions – The goal of Learnics is to give you a tool that provides you with valuable data that caters to your instructional objectives. If you wish to add content-specific questions or expand on your students’ reflections, you can input any questions of your own for the students to complete at the end of their research journey.
Learnics helps make the invisible - visible. Providing an opportunity for learners, teachers, and administrators to truly go beyond the product and illuminate the process.
