1. Portlet – configured by an end user
2. Page (Web, Wiki or Blog) – configured by a web author
3. Data – configured by a programmer

Portlet Based Mashup

Portlet based mashups provide different “windows” that interact with different and separate applications and users can move these portlets around their screen to meet their own personal requirements.

This is explained in the YouTube video below:

How is this applicable to learning and assessment?

As organizations standardize and align on their IT architecture there will be a framework in which to view applications in the context of someone’s job role.  The job roles for CLOs, Training Managers, Instructors, Teachers, Professors, Instructional Designers, Psychometricain, students and other stakeholders are different and have different preferences, priorities and organizational styles.  Portlet based user interfaces allows users to view their screens in the way that they find them most useful to perform their tasks.

Page Based Mashup

Page based mashups are configured by the author of the web page, wiki and or blog to determine where application data and interactions might occur.  As an author of a blog I have inserted a YouTube video above and another below that explains how to embed a video and assessment into the same wiki page:

To learn more about inserting assessments into web pages, blogs and wikis check out: http://questionmarkdemo.wikispaces.com/

Back to mashups…

This blog posting is presented as an HTML web page, with HTML text and a video feed from YouTube and a assessment feed from a Questionmark server.

The diagram to the left shows this diagrammatically.  The main page contents are coming in from the web server, and in this case, a Questionmark assessment is coming in from another server.  The author of this web page is the person that chose how this design would be rendered.

How is this applicable to learning and assessment?

Documentation, learning content and assessments are often available throughout an organization’s infrastructure but challenging to find and they are especially difficult to find in context.  Wikis, blogs and web pages can be used to expose existing resources, wrap context, to provide a meaningful learning and/or assessment experience. Learning mashups can improve learner experiences and learning outcomes.

Data Mashups

A data mash up is where data is drawn from different data sources and displayed within a single page.  In this style a programmer constructs a program to retrieve the data, from different data sources, and then display it within a web page.

The diagram to the right illustrates the data that is mashed up to provide a presentation of the price of taxis in New York City.

This form of data mashup used to require that the application had direct access to the database.  These days, with web-services, it is possible to read and write data anywhere in the world with a single application.

How is this applicable to learning and assessment?

With more data being accessible via web-services, applications can now provide powerful reports to assist decision making to improve learning outcomes, drive qualifications when required and boost performance.

Conclusion

Standard tools and technologies supporting blogs, wikis and web pages can provide new styles of easy-to-maintain stimulating and powerful learning environments.

Did you learn something from this mashup?

As I kid most of my friends were soccer fans or should I say football fans! I didn’t support any particular team but I did see Chelsea, Arsenal and Crystal Palace games live and saw many more on TV.

I never quite made it to see Old Trafford – but now, thanks to Questionmark, I will!

The 2009 Questionmark European Users Conference is coming up next month and this year we’re holding an evening event actually in the Old Trafford and I’m excited about it! 

Whether or not you’re a Manchester United fan, the Old Trafford is one of England’s most impressive stadiums. It’s going to be fun and I’ll be a little humbled by the experience.  Most importantly I’ll be able to share the experience with customers, partners and employees which is going to make it a night to remember. 

Hopefully I’ll see you there! There is still time to register at::
    http://www.questionmark.com/uk/conference/index.aspx 

If you want to keep in touch click here http://www.assessmentmaturitymodel.org/keepintouch.html to discover your options.

Over the last few weeks I have been formalizing the model to make it easy to understand and building a web site http://www.assessmentmaturitymodel.org/ 

The premise behind the Assessment Maturity Model is that if you can’t measure it you can’t manage it. But to measure it you need to know what "it" is. 

The Assessment Maturity Model proposes that there are six key performance indicators, known as Measures, within the three key Areas of Assessments, namely:

• Assessment Development
  This area includes all aspects of authoring (creating and maintaining) the items and assessments.
• Assessment Delivery
  This area includes all aspects of administering the assessment to candidates, respondents, participants, etc.
• Presenting Results
  This areas deals with presenting results in a trustworthy way to the stakeholder in meaningful context.

Six key performance indicators, known as Measures, are tracked to provide an indication of maturity and these are:

• Stakeholder Satisfaction
• Security
• Strategic Goals
• Processes
• Data Management
• Communications with Stakeholders

By tracking these Measures an organization can determine where they are and can plan for where they want to be. These can be tracked by a single Area, as shown in the graphic to the left, or with the three Areas combined for an overview. The graphic to the left shows how an organization can track by area based on "Quality" and "Efficiency".

If you manage any type of assessment program I’d encourage you to take time to learn more about the Areas, Measures and Phases of the Assessment Maturity Model.  or just

Please feel free to link to the Assessment Maturity Model web site at http://www.assessmentmaturitymodel.org/, cross link from other web sites and blogs, twitter about it, email me about it, comment here about it and/or even tell your friends about it! 

Watch out for more – this isn’t finished yet!

There are assessments for learning and assessments to qualify people for certain activities or job roles; then they perform tasks. Throughout the process of learning, qualifying and performing, we accumulate evidence and feedback that help us make decisions. 

The definitions and distinction of the various assessment types that I refer to in this article are documented within the Assessment Maturity Model at http://assessmentmaturitymodel.wikispaces.com/Assessment+Solutions:

Learn

Assessments Through The Learning Process can be distinguished and linked together by thinking of:

• Pre-Learning Assessments
• In-Learning Assessments
• Of-Learning Assessments

Pre-Learning Assessments

The following assessments are used prior to learning events:

• Job Task Analysis
• Needs Analysis Surveys
• Diagnostic assessments
• Pre Tests
• Placement tests
• Self-diagnostic tools
• In-Learning Assessments
• Of-Learning Assessments

In-Learning

The following assessments are used within learning events to assist the learner learn:

• Formative assessments
• Quizzes during Learning
• 360 Learner Peer Review
• Practice Tests

Of-Learning

The following assessments are used to detect what a learner has learned:

• Level 1 Surveys
• Course evaluations
• 360 (Level 3) Surveys
• Post Course Tests
• Graduation Exams
• Internal exams
• Open exams
• Licensing exams

Qualify

I struggled with this for a long time on whether qualify should be its own category but finally I came to the conclusion that it should because it provides sufficient distinctions on its own and could be separated from learning experiences. 

There are three basic categories of Assessments To Qualify and these have various styles of assessments associated with this:

• Academic: Graduation Exams
• Pre-Employment: Pre-employment Screening, Pre-employment Skills Tests, Personality assessments, Psychological assessment
• Certification & Licensing: Graduation exams, Internal exams, Open exams, Licensing exams

Perform

After learning and qualifying we end of up performing manual and intellectual tasks. And as we do things evidence surfaces that can be referenced to help us make decisions about more learning, more qualifications and our performance.

This evidence can be used and assessed within an organizations’ Performance and Talent Management processes to help people become more successful in their work 

Performance and Talent Management

Performance Management is a method used to influence and manage behaviors and results with the goal of bringing out the best in people.  Talent Management refers to the phases of finding, developing and retaining people to perform activities. 

Within these phases people engage in learning and qualifications and their activities tends to accumulate evidence that assists them and others assess their performance.

Talent Management assessments can be categorized with the three phases of Talent Management:

• Talent Acquisition – finding and employing the right people
  • Job Task Analysis
  • As per Pre-Employment assessments i.e. Pre-employment Screening, Pre-employment Skills Tests, Personality assessments, Psychological assessment
• On-Boarding – orienting new people to the workplace
  • As per Assessments Through The Learning Process
• Performance, Talent and Team Management – to help people be successful
  • As per Assessments Through The Learning Process
  • Appraisal (360s)
  • Employee Attitudes
  • Opinion Surveys

I hope you have found this posting useful in showing how the types of assessments relate to Learning, Qualifying and Performing as well as getting things done!

From the bar, terrace and sometimes your table you can see Buckingham Palace, Parliament, St. Paul’s cathedral and the City.  There is a brassier section but I have only eaten in the Restaurant. 

It’s a creative blend of European and British Modern cuisine and I’m never disappointed – you can expect traditional dishes with an innovative twist like:  blueberry mousse and iced earl grey tea.

The restaurant is an elegant dining experience in an art-deco decorative ambiance, making it pleasantly informal.  The wine list is impressive, with of over 800 wines from around the world the wait staff are professional and knowledgeable.

I recommend this great little gem to anyone living or passing through London!

The OXO Tower Restaurant
OXO Tower Wharf
Barge House Street
South Bank
London SE1 9PH

+44 (0)20 7803 3888

I was reminded today about a fun restaurant in London that I wanted to share with you.  I have been there several times but most recently I was there with our software development team to learn more about accessibility! 

This restaurant provides an unbelievable experience: eating in the pitch darkness. For sighted people it is a little strange but this restaurant provide an experience that everyone can enjoy. 

With the help of blinded guides you will completely re-evaluate your notions of taste and smell. 

Dans le Noir

30-31 Clerkenwell Green
London EC1R 0DU, UK 
+44 (20) 7253 1100

I wanted to share some work with you on how to logically organize assessments and came up with this simple model which seems to resonate with the people that I present it to.  You might also be interested in my previous article on Types Of Assessments (Formative, Diagnostic, Summative, and Surveys)..

There are assessments for learning and assessments to qualify people for certain activities or job roles; then they perform tasks. Throughout the process of learning, qualifying and performing, we accumulate evidence and feedback that help us make decisions. 

The definitions and distinction of the various assessment types that I refer to in this article are documented within the Assessment Maturity Model at http://assessmentmaturitymodel.wikispaces.com/Assessment+Solutions:

Learn

Assessments Through The Learning Process can be distinguished and linked together by thinking of:

• Pre-Learning Assessments
• In-Learning Assessments
• Of-Learning Assessments

Pre-Learning Assessments

The following assessments are used prior to learning events:

• Job Task Analysis
• Needs Analysis Surveys
• Diagnostic assessments
• Pre Tests
• Placement tests
• Self-diagnostic tools
• In-Learning Assessments
• Of-Learning Assessments

In-Learning

The following assessments are used within learning events to assist the learner learn:

• Formative assessments
• Quizzes during Learning
• 360 Learner Peer Review
• Practice Tests

Of-Learning

The following assessments are used to detect what a learner has learned:

• Level 1 Surveys
• Course evaluations
• 360 (Level 3) Surveys
• Post Course Tests
• Graduation Exams
• Internal exams
• Open exams
• Licensing exams

Qualify

I struggled with this for a long time on whether qualify should be its own category but finally I came to the conclusion that it should because it provides sufficient distinctions on its own and could be separated from learning experiences. 

There are three basic categories of Assessments To Qualify and these have various styles of assessments associated with this:

• Academic: Graduation Exams
• Pre-Employment: Pre-employment Screening, Pre-employment Skills Tests, Personality assessments, Psychological assessment
• Certification & Licensing: Graduation exams, Internal exams, Open exams, Licensing exams

Perform

After learning and qualifying we end of up performing manual and intellectual tasks. And as we do things evidence surfaces that can be referenced to help us make decisions about more learning, more qualifications and our performance.

This evidence can be used and assessed within an organizations’ Performance and Talent Management processes to help people become more successful in their work 

Performance and Talent Management

Performance Management is a method used to influence and manage behaviors and results with the goal of bringing out the best in people.  Talent Management refers to the phases of finding, developing and retaining people to perform activities. 

Within these phases people engage in learning and qualifications and their activities tends to accumulate evidence that assists them and others assess their performance.

Talent Management assessments can be categorized with the three phases of Talent Management:

• Talent Acquisition – finding and employing the right people
  • Job Task Analysis
  • As per Pre-Employment assessments i.e. Pre-employment Screening, Pre-employment Skills Tests, Personality assessments, Psychological assessment
• On-Boarding – orienting new people to the workplace
  • As per Assessments Through The Learning Process
• Performance, Talent and Team Management – to help people be successful
  • As per Assessments Through The Learning Process
  • Appraisal (360s)
  • Employee Attitudes
  • Opinion Surveys

I hope you have found this posting useful in showing how the types of assessments relate to Learning, Qualifying and Performing as well as getting things done!