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Rethinking assessment for learning after the course David Boud

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Thinking about assessment

We learn about assessment from the everyday practice of being assessed and assessing

It is based on assumptions we rarely question These assumptions are rooted in concerns that

may not be relevant today Changing what we do in the light of new

challenges requires thinking clearly about what assessment is for and ensuring that it doesn’t inadvertently undermine educational priorities.

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Outline

A. Where are we coming from in higher education? (some institutional views of assessment)

B. Where are we going to? (new demands on assessment)

C. Thinking about developing judgement

D. Considering implications for assessment reform

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A. Where are we coming from?

Some institutional views of assessmentWhat do assessment policies from different universities tell us?

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“Assessment is the process by which the University is able to confirm that a student has achieved the learning outcomes and academic standards for the module, … and/or award for the programme for which he or she is registered.”

City University, Londonhttp://www.city.ac.uk/acdev/qualifications_standards_framework/assessment_policy_document.html

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“It is of paramount importance that students, staff, external agencies and employers have confidence in the University's standards and assessment procedures. The recruitment of an increasingly diverse student population for whom value for money is a growing concern requires vigilance at programme level to prevent assessment overload, particularly where programmes draw on modules from different fields and faculties. ... The adoption of a University-wide assessment policy and strategies for implementation such as double and anonymous marking is designed to ensure equity and fairness.”

University of the West of England http://www.uwe.ac.uk/aboutUWE/assessment.shtml

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“Assessment is the process of forming a judgment about the quality and extent of student achievement or performance, and therefore by inference a judgment about the learning itself. Assessment inevitably shapes the learning that takes place, that is, what students learn and how they learn it, and should reflect closely the purposes and aims of the course of study.”

Griffith Universityhttp://www62.gu.edu.au/policylibrary.nsf/0/65e95921348eb64c4a256bdd0062f3b0?opendocument

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The dominant focus of institutions now

Primary assessment policy focus: outcomes, measurement and integrity

Secondary assessment policy focus: feedback, improvement and learning as a

process

Tertiary assessment policy focus: future learning

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What do such statements represent?

Multiple purposes of assessment Different institutional emphases

(legality, quality, equity) Different audiences

(external agencies, staff, students) Change in assessment thinking over time

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B. Where are we going to?

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Purposes of assessment

Certifying achievement(summative assessment)

Aiding learning(formative assessment)

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Purposes of assessment

Certifying achievement(summative assessment)

Aiding learning(formative assessment)

Fostering lifelong learning (sustainable assessment)

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Sustainable assessment

“Assessment that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of students to meet their own future learning needs.” (Boud, 2000)

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Development of assessment thinking

Conventional assessment Educational measurement Competency and authentic assessment (including

incorporating generic attributes) What next?

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Changes in assessment in higher education

From norm-referenced to standards-referenced assessment

From exams to diverse approaches to meet diverse outcomes

From unilateral assessments of students to the active involvement of them

From assessment as a separate domain of testing to assessment aligned with learning

From fragmented assessment tasks to coherence with graduate attributes and desired course outcomes

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C. Thinking about developing judgement

Unless students develop the capacity to make judgments about their own learning they cannot be effective learners now or in the future

We can never provide them with as much or as detailed feedback as students need. Some kinds of feedback inhibit judgment through fostering dependency and compliance.

Capacity for self assessment is central to informing judgment, but it is not simply a matter of adding self assessment activities.

Communities of judgment beyond ourselves need to be engaged with (peers, practitioners, professional bodies).

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Assessment as informing judgement

looks to the decisions that need to be made rather than the mechanisms involved in measurement

views the process as equivalent for staff and students staff need to make informed judgements for purposes

of aiding students and cerification of outcomes students need to develop the capacity for in formed

judgement in all their subsequent work positions assessment as a necessary part of an

ongoing process of lifelong learning

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Implications of assessment as informing judgement

Always look to what the consequences of assessment are for learning

Focus on fostering reflexivity and self-regulation through every aspect of a course, not just assessment tasks

Recognise the variety of contexts in which learning occurs and is utilised—judgement is not independent of context

Stage opportunities for developing informed judgement throughout programs

Integrating assessment with learning, across the program and over time

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The problem of judgement

Judgement is more elusive than it appears Judgement is context specific and context dependent

though there may be some generic features There are intrinsic biases in making judgements

and awareness of these needs to be raised Judgement is always a subjective act

especially when the acts of people are judged Self-assessment is essential to judgement

but self-assessment alone is not enough

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What should this lead us to emphasise?

Involving students in all aspects of assessment processes especially in practising judging Students need to be active agents in rather than passive

recipients of assessment And not just choosing from a menu of options

Identifying the community of practice in assessment in setting standards and monitoring outcomes For ourselves and for students

Seeing assessment as the calibration of judgement Learners will act on the basis of their belief in their own

judgements; if these are flawed it is much more serious than them having particular knowledge gaps

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Elements to help inform students’ judgements

1. Help students identify themselves as active learners

2. Move from what’s known to what needs to be known

3. Provide practice in testing and judging

4. Develop assessment skills over time and across units

5. Embody reflexivity and commitment

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1. Help students identify themselves as active learners

Implement participatory and active approaches; build learner agency and construct active learners

Construct activities to render learning visible Construct tasks to reflect forms of activity in

professional practice commensurate with level of skill possessed (i.e. ensure high level of authenticity).

Involve learners in creating assessment tasks Focus on tasks that involve producing rather than

reproducing knowledge Respect what they say they need

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2. Move from what’s known to what needs to be known

Scaffold knowledge and assessment expertise Foster engagement with standards and criteria,

and problem analysis Involve peers and others Locate tasks in a context that must be taken into

account. Decide what aspects require feedback, and from

whom

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3. Provide practice in testing and judging

Apply research and analytic skills; resort to evidence

Practice self assessment systematically Widen and utilise types and sources of evidence

of learning Encourage seeking of feedback from many

sources including research

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4. Develop assessment skills over time and across units

Consider risk and confidence of judgement Provide scope for taking initiative. Move towards not fully determining elements of

tasks. Design tasks to encourage students to be

confident of what they know and do not know. Integrate learning over time and courses

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5. Embody reflexivity and commitment

Foster awareness of personal and professional practice

Create teaching and learning climate to foster reflexivity

Involve portraying achievements to others for different purposes (e.g. portfolio or patchwork text construction).

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D. Implications for assessment reform

1. Don’t separate assessment from teaching and learning—they feed each other.

2. The design and selection of assessment tasks is a key part of teaching.

3. We need to question: how does assessment directly enhance teaching, how does it distract from it?

4. Ask: In what ways does teaching act to fully model the range of tasks students are expected to engage in?

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In summary

l The process of developing capacity for informed judgement is central to all aspects of courses.

l All assessment activities should encompass worthwhile learning tasks that equip students for future learning.

l Students need to be constructed as active agents in assessment.

l Courses and course units should be planned to scaffold students into becoming increasingly sophisticated judges of their own learning and that of others.

l Assessment should be considered as an integral part of the curriculum, not as a separate act.

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References

Boud, D. (1995). Enhancing Learning through Self Assessment. London: Kogan Page.

Boud, D. (2000). Sustainable assessment: rethinking assessment for the learning society. Studies in Continuing Education, 22, 2, 151-167.

Boud, D. and Falchikov, N. (2006). Aligning assessment with long term learning, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 31, 4, 399-413.

Boud, D. and Falchikov, N. (Eds) (2007) Rethinking Assessment in Higher Education: Learning for the Longer Term. London: Routledge.

Falchikov, N. (2005). Improving Assessment through Student Involvement. London: RoutledgeFalmer.

Gibbs, G. (2006). How assessment frames student learning. In Clegg, K. and Bryan, C. (Eds.) Innovative Assessment in Higher Education. London: Routledge.