Improving Teaching and Learning From High-Level and Close-In Features of Assignments and Assessments in an LMS Instance

In a formal online learning course in higher education, learners usually respond to both assignments and assessments in order to achieve the learning and to provide evidence of their progress. In a learning management system (LMS) instance, analysts may access (1) high-level descriptions of selected features of the assignments and assessments through an administrator-accessed data portal (and a reports section), and they may access (2) close-in descriptions from the learner-facing side. This chapter describes an exploration of the assignments and assessments in a live LMS instance, based on both high-level and close-in analyses; systematized approaches to harness such information to benefit teaching and learning; and proposes some tentative ways to improve teaching and learning for the particular university.