Assessment in

Wonder-Land

Dr Lisa Murtagh and Maggie Webster

“Alice: It would be so nice if something made sense for a change”

Rationale

• Building on findings from our earlier research

• Researching the wider field

• Evaluating practice

• Enhancing practice?

Tutor sets assessment tasks- explicit criteria shared

Tutor marks work against set criteria

Students engage in set task Student reflects on feedback

Linear Approach

Seek advice and support from tutor

Independent Seek peer support

Tutor sets assessment tasks- explicit criteria shared

Tutor marks work against set criteria

Students engage in set taskStudents set targets

based on feedback and self assessment

Feedback discourse

Connecting with feedback to support and develop self-regulated learning

Adapted Linear Approach

Students clear about next steps based on feedback discourse,

self and/peer assessment

Assessment discourse Assessment discourse

Assessment discourse

Students self assess

Enquiry Based Learning Approach

‘EBL is a process of learning in which the learner has a significant influence on or choice about the aim, scope, or topic of their learning: and attends intentionally

to, learns about, and is guided or supported in, the process of learning. This process of learning draws upon research skills and study skills, but enquiry is not

reducible to either research or study.’ McDonnell (2008:)

Tutor sets assessment tasks- explicit criteria shared

Assessment discourse

Presentation to group

Self directed learning

Group/individual

Researching the field

Tutor led lectures/seminars

about CDL

Tutorial support

Our approach

• Tutors modelled how to conduct EBL

• Established Learning Sets – given a focus for an enquiry.

• Informal not assessed Learning Set presentations based on enquiry

• Informal feedback from peers and tutors

• Final assessed presentations

AssessmentTutor sets assessment tasks- explicit criteria shared

Tutor marks work against set criteria

Students engage in set task

Assessment discourse

Assessment discourse

Students self assess

Our Approach

• Non traditional – an assessed presentation with accompanying annotated bibliography and handout

• Trainees were given clear level 5 assessment criteria and presentation rubric

• Element of choice• Immediate oral feedback from peers• Tutors used level 5 descriptors

alongside a presentation rubric to mark the work

Tutor sets assessment tasks- explicit criteria shared

Tutor marks work against set criteria

Students engage in set taskStudents set targets

based on feedback and self assessment

Feedback discourse

Connecting with feedback to support and develop self-regulated learning

Adapted Linear Approach

Students clear about next steps based on feedback discourse,

self and/peer assessment

Assessment discourse Assessment discourse

Assessment discourse

Students self assess

Feedback and Discourse Our Approach

• Trainees received written feedback from tutors on presentation and content in relation to both rubrics

• Trainees were invited for personal tutorials with module leaders and personal tutors to discuss feedback and set targets

• Collation of Trainee grades

• Likert Scale Questionnaire

• Participatory Focused Conversations

How successful was the EBL approach to Teaching, Learning and Assessment

and how do we know?

Main Findings

• Impact on academic performance

• Student perceptions

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25

Year 2

Year 1

Academic Achievement

Table 1 distribution of marks for humanities assignments 1 and 2.

Academic Achievement

Increase of morethan 10%

Increase of up to10%

Same markachieved

Lower markachieved

Total

Percentage 32% 32% 16% 20% 100%

Trainee Quotes

“On a usual assignment I feel like I’m just copying from books and rewriting in my own words. With this though I didn’t, I even enjoyed it and that’s not normal! I worked harder on this than on any other and it didn’t feel like I was doing an assignment.”

Trainee Perspectives

Teaching and Learning1 strongly

agree2

Agree 3

Disagree

4Strongly disagree

 Teaching        

A range of teaching strategies, appropriate to the content, were used

10 1    

I was encouraged to participate in discussion and contribute ideas

10 1    

The sessions were well paced

10 1    

Trainee Quotes

“The tutors were great, I really enjoyed this module, it’s been my favourite – the tutors practice what they preach, they don’t just talk at you and it’s not boring”

“This has been my favourite module, we should have more like this – hint Lisa, BIG hint!”

Assessment and Achievement

1Strongly

Agree2

Agree3

Disagree

4 StronglyDisagree

         

Criteria on how the assessed work would be marked were clear. 5 6    

Guidance and support for assessment were clear5 6    

Assessment will allow me to illustrate links between theory and practice and/or my experiences (where appropriate to the module)

7 4    

Trainee Perspectives

“When you’ve handed an assignment in you talk to others and think ‘oh I wish I’d put this in, or something’ With this one though, I could add things in as I was talking and when someone asked me a question. It meant I could play to my strengths, I can talk about anything but when it comes to writing an assignment I find it really hard.”

Trainee Perspectives

“I prefer to write an assignment, I find it much easier and do well. Others don’t. I got a lower mark this time and I know lots of others who did much better because it played to their strengths, but that’s life isn’t it? I still worked hard and learnt a lot, and even though the presentation was really hard for me to do, I did it and I’m pleased with myself”

1 strongly agree

2Agree

3Disagree

4Strongly disagree

Learning

 

The teaching gave me access to relevant subject knowledge

8 3  

The teaching matched my learning needs

8 3  

I was encouraged to reflect on personal and/or professional experience

7 4  

Trainee quotes

“It was relevant to my own teaching”

“I’ve really worked hard but weirdly enjoyed it. Knowing we had to share with others I really had to know my stuff, it was deep learning – not surface…I would use an enquiry based approach in my own teaching.”

At the time of writing..

Pros• The intervention is useful in encouraging a ‘feedback discourse’

and encouraging self-regulated learning• Improved marks across the cohort• Trainees enjoyed the process- even the assignment• The approach was relevant • There is tentative evidence that this is impacting on practice and

other assignments in other modules

Questions and limitations• Small cohort• Contextualised within 1subject within a module• Managing and organising groups• Managing trainee and tutor time• Can this process be replicated?

http://www.mindmeister.com/maps/show/18621948