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Faculty adopt information and communication technologies (ICT) with the assumption that they enhance student learning. In the geosciences, new curricula employ tools such as Google Earth to aid in the interpretation of three-dimensional landscapes and the processes that create them. In many cases, the evaluation of learning that occurs with this technology use is neither explicit nor necessarily matched with the overarching curricular goals of ICT. Arguably, assessment should be embedded in curriculum design according to the Backward Design model (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005) for effective instruction. We propose embedded assessment appropriate to ICT, specifically online assessment that takes advantage of automated scoring and feedback mechanisms through the Geoscience Concept Inventory (GCI) WebCenter.

As an instructional tool, the WebCenter contains concept inventory questions that are carefully designed to ascertain a student’s conceptual understanding in a range of geology subtopics. The WebCenter’s customized LON-CAPA platform facilitates the inclusion of digital images created by ICT technologies to assess student learning. The WebCenter’s online venue facilitates community participation in assessment development by allowing faculty to review existing questions and submit their own. Furthermore, the WebCenter’s testing function provides an authentic online assessment experience that aligns with ICT practice and takes advantage of its technological capabilities to provide immediate feedback and detect finegrained data such as time on task.