Experience of using formative assessment and students perception of formative assessment

Paul Ong

Greg Benfield

Margaret Price

Evaluation of the Oxford Brookes University Assessment Compact

How satisfied are students with assessment and feedback practices in their courses?

Which assessment and feedback practices do you think have the greatest impact on learning?”

How do students and staff relate specific assessment and feedback practices to impact on their learning?

Integration of Compact to Module U43702

Important principles adopted by team aligned with Compact:

• Assessment is integral to teaching and learning

• Timely feedback provided

• Actively involving students in assessment and

dialogue (with peers and tutors)

Introducing a formative assessment

Three concepts integrated in support of these principles:

1.Establishing Peer Support Groups

2. Identifying learning needs through timely formative feedback from: Peers, Seminar leader and Turnintin

3.Support with developing own academic skills

Learning what is expected of me

Being able to send a draft to turn it in and also to the tutor, as it showed me the level I am at as I had no idea. (Resp 12)

12 respondents (39%)

Getting direction on how to progress

the formative feedback as it gives direction as to where to go next with the essay (Resp 04)

8 respondents (26 %)

Learning how to improve their grade or performance

The feedback I have received is clear and will help me to hopefully rework my part one before final deadline, so I can achieve a better standard. (Resp 03)

8 respondents (26 %)

Gaining confidence

The understanding of how to write an essay has improved a lot and the knowledge of where I have gone wrong and how to improve. It has given me more confidence. (Resp 26)

5 respondents (16%)

Learning what I’ve done wrong

helped us understand where we were going wrong and gave us a lot of confidence,,, (Resp 02)

4 respondents (13%)

Question 1 - Most value to learning (all 31 responded)

Question 2(a) - Perceptions of the value of peer learning (81% responded positively)

Seeing other approaches

Reading others was useful to you; get other ideas of what information to include. (Resp 14)

6 respondents (19%)

Sharing ideas

It was useful for someone else, who also has been working on the same information, to share their ideas + seeing their work. (Resp 12)

4 respondents (13%)

Gaining a better understanding of content

Presentation: encouraged me to get in-depth knowledge of one of the symptoms. This then helped me to plan how I would research each of the other symptoms. Other groups presentations then gave me an overview of the physiology of other symptoms to start with….. (Resp 21)

3 respondents (10%)

Getting feedback from peers

Getting feedback was helpful as you are able to learn more from them. (Resp 14)

1 respondent (3%)

Question 2(b) Perceptions of the value of self-assessment (Only aspect negatively perceived by majority).10 respondents (32%) expressed positive perceptions 18 (58%) expressed negative perceptions about self-assessment Remainder (3) did not comment on this aspect

Most common reasons for participants’ dissatisfaction with this aspect were lack of perceived relevance and lack of skill:

‘Self assessing = not valuable as we are not teachers or taught to mark others’ work!’ (Resp 03)

8 (26% of all respondents) of the negative comments indicated respondents felt ill equipped to do self-assessment. For example:

‘I don’t think that this was useful as none of us really had the confidence or knowledge to mark each other’s work ‘(Resp 08)

Question 2(c) - Perceptions of the value of tutor feedback(Highly valued by all 31 respondents)

Typical comments include:

‘Excellent feedback which has given me great insight into where I need to improve and how. I am no longer worried about my writing skills and this is down to such great tutor feedback’ (Resp 20)

‘The comments you wrote on the side where you referred to the text I found very useful and a big advantage to me’ (Resp 28)

‘Very detailed feedback. I know what to change to improve my assignment’ (Resp 10)

Question 2(d) - Perceptions of the value of Turnitin (all 31 students made favourable comments about Turnitin) Typical comments include:

‘Receiving the Turnitin report and the tutor feedback on how to improve. It lets you know that you are on the right track and how you were doing in terms of knowledge and writing as well as using references correctly’ (Resp 14)

‘Showed me how to paraphrase better so I don’t get too much highlighted from my text’ (Resp 31)

‘Confused, but I know that I shouldn’t get too much in my text to be highlighted’ (Resp 31)

A second respondent commented that they didn’t learn much from Turnitin because their referencing was already good.

Analysis of module U43702 student feedback about formative assessment

ResultsThere are three main findings. 1.Formative assignment was highly valued by all the respondents

2.The self-assessment element is problematic. Many, if not most, respondents felt they lacked the skills to self-assess their work effectively and/or did not see the reason for doing so 3.The vast majority (81%) views the peer learning elements very favourably

Participants’ recommendations for changes (27 students)

•opportunity for a second draft for those who did poorly on their first one (x1 resp)

•Extend the formative process into part two of the assignment, (x3 resp)

•Try to include more content in the weeks 5 to 7 sessions (x1 resp)

•Reduce the amount of time spent on Turnitin (x1 resp)

•Schedule the assignment earlier in the semester (3 resp)

Recommendations:Peer assessment is highly regarded but perhaps its full value is still to be realized.

Actions that might improve perception about value to be gained include:

• Highlighting for students in subsequent runs the value that past participants have found from seeing a range of responses to the same issue or problem

• This sharing of ideas and approaches allows them to improve their own work.

• Stressing with participants that giving feedback is a skill they will develop over time

• Providing some additional in-class training in what to look for (using criteria) and how to offer feedback

RecommendationsEstablish processes for providing a rationale for self-assessment and for supporting students with it

Some possibilities include:• Make clearer the link between developing self-assessment skills

and the well-regarded peer assessment component. Students need to understand that the main way in which they will improve their self-assessment skills is by being exposed to and assessing or giving feedback on a variety of other peoples’ work

• Clarify and make explicit the relationship between self- (and peer-) assessment skills and the graduate attribute of personal literacy and critical self-awareness

• Incorporate additional self-assessment elements so that students become more familiar with the process and (hopefully) see their skills develop.

• Advocate opportunities for formative Turnitin use in other (at least first-year) modules.

Evaluation of the Oxford Brookes University Assessment Compact

How satisfied are students with assessment and feedback practices in their courses?

Which assessment and feedback practices do you think have the greatest impact on learning?”

How do students and staff relate specific assessment and feedback practices to impact on their learning?

References

Davis M (2007) ‘The Role of Turnitin within the formative process of academic writing – A tool for learning and unlearning. Brookes eJournal of Learning and Teaching. Vol.2 Issue 2.

Davis M (2009) ‘Using Turnitin Formatively’ OBU