I still remember my first experience with online learning during the pandemic. Sitting at my kitchen table, headphones snug against my ears, I frantically clicked through a variety of assessments that seemed to come out of nowhere. What struck me wasn’t just the rush of quizzes, but the lingering question: how was this all shaping my understanding? This moment was pivotal, revealing to me the often-ignored complexity behind assessments—both formative and summative in the online education space.