The importance of formative assessment and the different role of evaluation in MOOCS

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are a major improvement step for online and distance learning. Although the teaching aspect of most MOOCS are advance and suffice, the assessment part is often considered as ineffective. Many MOOCS are missing the concept of evaluating students regarding the learning objects of the specific MOOC, which is to be expected due to the large number and the heterogony of the participants. Nevertheless, due to the fact that many MOOCs are providing partial didactic credits units at university level, the improvement of their quality is been advised. At this paper a hybrid assessment model is been presented that utilized online formative assessment through a smart adaptive formative assessment system, combined with an optional in person evaluation in test centres. The proposed hybrid assessment model is focused at mathematics, although a similar model could be applied and benefit most of MOOCs.