Dialogic use of exemplars to develop student assessment literacy

Dialogic use of exemplars to develop student assessment literacy

David Carless & Kennedy ChanEARLI Assessment SIG,

Munich 26 August, 2016

The University of Hong Kong

Overview1. Exemplars: rationale and benefits

2. Challenges and how they might be tackled

3. A case study of practice

4. Implementation suggestions


Student assessment literacy

• Understanding purposes of assessment

• Awareness of assessment processes

• Developing skills in making judgments(Smith et al., 2013)


What are exemplars?

Samples used to illustrate dimensions of quality

Usually assignments from a previous cohort


Why used?

Exemplars convey messages that nothing else can (Sadler, 2002)


Promotes self-evaluation

Illustrate what good work looks like

Benchmark for comparison with own performance


Benefits for students Gain experience in making judgments

Apply insights to own work & improve learning outcomes



If seen as model answer

May reduce student creativity

May encourage unproductive copying


Time issues

• Time in collecting them

• Time in seeking consent for use

• Time taken away from instruction


Content vs learning?

Perhaps too much time spent teaching content, insufficient attention to learning processes


Key assumption

The quality of dialogue about the exemplars is a crucial factor determining student learning



Research question

What are the main features of a specific exemplars dialogue and how is it orchestrated?


Context of the case study

Participants: • Trainee Science teachers • 9 student teachers• BEd/BSc double degree • Year 3

Teacher-researcher: Dr Kennedy Chan


Data collection

• Classroom observation • Open-ended student survey• 2 focus group interviews• Interview with teacher-researcher• Teacher journal• Student artefacts: ‘exit slips’, assignments etc.


FINDINGS


Management of dialogue

1. Prior to class students analyzed two exemplars;2. Students discussed in pairs strengths &

weaknesses of exemplars; 3. Students elicited views from peers and made

mini-presentations; 4. Teacher-orchestrated dialogue; 5. Students submitted exit slip reflecting on the

process.


Coding scheme

Identification of main teacher moves:- Eliciting student views- Summarizing student views- Elaborating student views


Teacher views

• I want them to analyze the exemplars from individual, to peer to teacher-guided …. be exposed to divergent views and … have ample time to construct their own ideas. (Teacher journal entry)

• A good dialogue should involve student ideas … and a shared understanding about quality work. (Teacher interview)


Student response

• Through discussion and interpretation, we really know the strength and weakness of our analysis and identify the criteria of a good reflective essay.

• Maybe he didn’t want to tell us directly but I think we need to be told what a good essay should be like.


Implications The University of Hong Kong

Implementation blueprint Assessment task

Students devise or work with criteria

for good task response

Two samples read before class

Peer

discussion Teacher-led dialogue

Student ownership of

insights


Good Exemplars dialogue

• Airs multiple & divergent viewpoints • Shows linkages between peer talk & whole-

class discussion • Evidences development of student views • Makes explicit some key qualities of exemplars(Carless & Chan, 2016)


Student judgment

Emphasis on the student role in making and sharing evaluative judgments as part of evolving assessment literacy


COMMENTS, QUESTIONS



Education

Dialogic use of exemplars to develop student assessment literacy