The following two assessment plans were submitted by participants in the 1998 VRoma workshop. They are still very much "works in progress," but we are posting them here as examples to stimulate thinking.

Advanced Latin Literature Course

Aims:

This course project is designed to test the following hypotheses:

1. Technology can provide a medium in which students can actively make connections between various aspects of the ancient Roman world.
2. The use of programs that present content in different ways can help sensitize students to the needs of varying audiences.
3. Peer-teaching is a type of collaborative learning that can shift responsibility from teacher to learner

Learning Goals:

1. Students will be able to effectively and efficiently research a topic using print and electronic media.
2. Students will be able to use the HyperCard and PowerPoint programs.
3. Students will be able to comply with current copyright laws.
4. Students will be able to place an Augustan monument/work of art in its appropriate cultural context using information about Roman literature, society, history, and architecture.
5. Students will be able to effectively communicate their thoughts to their peers through oral presentations enhanced by technology.

Methods of Assessment:

1. Using the Valparaiso University Library, local resources, and electronic resources, each student will research an Augustan monument/work of art.
2. Using HyperCard, each student will create an interactive stack presenting what he/she has learned about his/her monument/work of art. Each stack will contain images, an interactive quiz, and a bibliography; each stack will comply with the current interpretation of copyright laws.
3. Using PowerPoint, each student will adapt his/her HyperCard stack to create a presentation appropriate for a full-class audience.
4. Using their PowerPoint presentations and their HyperCard quizzes, students will teach their peers.
5. Using a self-report questionnaire, students will reflect upon their experiences in order to help evaluate this project and assess its effectiveness in achieving the stated aims.

Civilization and Culture Course in Myth and Religion

Aims:

1. Put students in contact with the latest applications of technology to Classics
2. Permit students to explore areas rich in information/interpretation of Classical World
3. Have students use the VRoma site and contrast its quality/quantity of information with other sites
4. In particular, have students acquire information about Roman religious and legendary subjects in a context rich in graphic, historical and analytical materials
5. Provide a medium within which students can discuss with one another and with distant collaborators Classical material
6. Demonstrate to students that Classics and Roman mythology are the focus of current scholarship, innovation and collaboration (a sense of relevance and community of interest)

Learning Goals:

1. Students will be able to access VRoma and make use of all its features (exploring and chatting, in particular)
2. Students will be able to collaborate on gathering and analyzing information concerning Roman myth/religion and be able to evaluate it in comparison with information gathered at other sites
3. Students, by completing assignments, will be able to synthesize disparate materials (literary, historical, archaeological) related to Roman myth/religion
4. Students will be able to distinguish qualities of Roman myth/religion from those of other traditions (Greek, African, Native American)
5. Some students will be able to contribute to the amassing of accurate and interesting information (in multimedia form) at VRoma
6. Students will be able to articulate how Classics projects like VRoma are building new educational experiences through the intelligent and significant use of information technology

Methods of Assessment:

(All work will be done in small groups)

1. Students will complete an exercise in which they enter and navigate VRoma ("scavenger hunt" format).
   • Example: Find three different sites within VRoma where the myth of Romulus and Remus is germane
2. Students will complete an exercise in which they gather information at VRoma and elsewhere on the WWW on a specific topic (a god, a ritual, a sacred place, an aetiological or foundation myth) and assess the relative value of VRoma as a source.
   • Example: From three different locations in VRoma gather a profile of the Roman goddess Venus; compare with this profile how the goddess is described at three different sites on the Web.)
3. Students will complete an exercise in which they pull together (synthesize) different kinds of evidence to form a complex view of a topic.
   • Example: From representations of Aeneas in literature, art and political discourse discuss the viewpoint which suggests this hero is a purely artificial political icon (like "Uncle Sam")
4. Students will complete an exercise in which they contrast some specific features of Roman myth/religion with other traditions.
   • Example: Explore VRoma for information on the god Jupiter; then compare this deity with the Greek Zeus and one other culture's chief deity (Yoruba, Hindu, Jewish, etc.). The comparison should focus on both personality traits (kind, cruel,wise,etc.) and on leadership qualities
5. Some students will build an area in VRoma related to a topic they have researched, as a new source for others. (This will be in small groups but also by students working with me in Direct Study)
6. Students will complete interim and final assessment reports (self-reflective) which address their perceptions of their work, their progress, their gains unique to this form of learning.