ANNABELLEEYAD

SONJADAN

Summative Assessment

Summative Assessment“Summative assessment is used to indicate the extent of a learner's success in meeting the assessment criteria used to gauge the intended learning outcomes of a module or programme.”

(UK QAA, 2006)

“Any assessment activity which results in a mark or grade which is subsequently used as a judgement on student performance. Ultimately judgements using summative assessment marks will be used to determine the classification of award at the end of a course or programme.”

(Irons 2008, p.7)

Types

Unseen & seen examination in controlled conditions (e.g. 3 questions in 3 hours)Open Book or Take-Away exam Multiple Choice Test in controlled conditions (paper-based) In-class test Essay or report (e.g. on an individual or group project)Portfolio DissertationPresentation (may be peer-assessed and/or tutor-assessed)Performance (e.g. musical or dramatic) Oral examination (e.g. foreign language speaking skills)AttendanceParticipation in lectures and/or seminars/online discussion boards, or group work (may be peer-assessed and/or tutor-assessed) Creation / production of physical (or virtual) artefact

Different methods of summative assessment may be appropriate for the evaluation of different parts of the subject matter (Ramsden, 2003).There will rarely be one method that satisfies all educational objectives (Light & Cox, 2001).

Summative Assessment of Creative Practical Projects

Background : BA TV and Radio at Salford.Aims of programme and practice within prog.Assessment of practical projects eg films.

Rationale : Questioning current practice re upper limit on summative feedback marks.

Exploring questions raised through pedagogic engagement with PGCAP.

Investigating research findings from students.

Annabelle

How we assess creative workBA TV and Radio uses qualitative assessment using

contextualised methods to assess functioning knowledge. Based on constructive alignment.

Biggs (1999) urges use of holistic / hermeneutic judgement.

“The point of qualitative assessment is not how much the final score is but how well the performance matches the objective “ (Biggs 1999).

“ ..all the feedback is positive but if it’s that good why didn’t I get 100% ?” ( University of Glasgow, 2010).

Annabelle

The Sistine Chapel Ceiling

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Michal Angelo’s Perfect Circle

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The perfection app

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My Research FindingsSample of 25 students on Level 4 BATAR.Asked should a creative project , such as a film be able

to score 100% in assessment ?50 – 50 split on yes or no.“What’s the point of offering a 100% option if you can

never get it ?”.“No piece of work is 100% perfect, there’s always

something to improve on”.

Annabelle

ConclusionQualitative assessment of creative practical projects

requires judgement, subjectivity even.

Biggs analysis of holistic assessment useful.

More research needed on whether a 100% mark should ever be awarded.

Annabelle

What is examination? Exam or test: Away of assessment to measure taker’s knowledge, skills, understanding or physical fitness.

What are the different forms? On paper. On computer. Oral. Confined area (Physical).

What are the styles? Closed book test (memory). Open book test (supplementary tools).

How can be administered? Informal. Formal.Formal testing often results in a grade or test score (Thissen & Wainer, 2001).

Examination

Eyad

Advantages: Evaluate the taker’s performance & knowledge (weakness & strength). Encourage people to work & learn. Competition. Builds confidence & bring pleasure when doing well. Open opportunities, e.g. scholarships, jobs.

Disadvantages: Stress. Loss of confidence when doing bad. Does not reflect the right level if not aligned well with course. can be time consuming and difficult to prepare.

Exam: Advantages & Disadvantages

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Prepare carefully, match between test and curriculum contents. Strong cooperation between faculty members and get help from expert. Check results against those obtained from other assessment methods.

Exam: Recommendations

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In class exercise I

Encouraging discussions - an idea how much students know, have learned and understand.

- advantages: discussions support active learning, give instructors feedback on student learning and can support higher-order thinking.

- disadvantages: discussions can be uncomfortable for students, time consuming, and difficult to control or keep on topic (Cashin and McKnight, 1986).

- ‘One off’ sessions - difficult to monitor students’ learning- difficult to define and introduce any form of assessment

Sonja

The primary goal is to choose a method which most effectively assesses the objectives of the unit of study (Dunn, 2000)

- Practical in class exercise at the end of the session:

- the usefulness of the exercise can be measured in the quality of the discussion that is generated :

- questions students have can be discussed further- exercise prompts them to actions

In class exercise II

Sonja

Next steps: peer assessment

Advantages: - the increase in personal motivation as a result of their active involvement in the assessment process; - the opportunity to compare and discuss the assignment; - the opportunity to gain knowledge and develop a greater understanding of the assignment content and assessment process.

Disadvantages: - personal bias on the marks awarded; - the interpretation of criteria and the ability of the students to assess

In class exercise III

Brindley and Scoffield, 1998

Sonja

Essays / AssignmentsRationale:- Arguably, the most common approach to assessment within the programme I teach, and the school / college / university?

What are they?Questions inviting extended written responses.

Varying approaches to content: from book review to literature review, from reflection to academic argument.

Teacher decides parameters: Clear guidance and criteria set (as opposed to projects).

Dan

Should be able to test high level cognitive skills (analysis and synthesis)Divergent rather than convergent thinkingImportant for self expression and commitmentEnable the student to explore deeply a field or topicDevelop initiative and resourcefulnessEnhance time and project management skillsProvide personal ownership of learningFoster independence and creative problem solving

Advantages DrawbacksCan be narrow in relation to content of modulesReliability Understanding of wording / interpretation of question / CriteriaRegurgitation of lecturesDifficult to mark fairly – enhance differential marker tendenciesTime consuming to set up, monitor and feedbackDifficult to assess failureFear of plagiarismDifferences in help sought by students

Dan

Essays in Nurse educationRecent development as nurse education moved into higher education in the 1990’s as part of process of becoming more ‘professional’. Academic element to study.

Brennan (1999), argued for essays to be embraced as part of this and developed not just as assessment tasks but teaching tool through design, implementation and feedback.

Theory / practice divide (Gallagher, 2004) – separation of learning, teaching and assessment strategies into academic / practical

Conflict of academic freedoms conflicting with codes of conduct (Snelling & Lipscomb, 2004)

Course / School information

NMC / GSCC requirements

Academic standards?Dan

Student perspectiveStudents surveyed suggested that assignments / essays:

Are time consuming;Only state what has been learned

Can be done in own time and support can be requestedPromotes research and furthering of knowledge and critical thinkingWay for tutors to assess learning and understandingWay of seeing if I understand what has been taughtAssess knowledge, competence, fitness for practice

The course is about ‘doing’ – and assignments don’t really demonstrate this ability. Can ‘know’ but not necessarily ‘do’Should not be the only form of assessment

Dan

Why use assignmentsDespite there being no apparent formal requirement for the use of essays / assignments within any of the programme or school requirements, they do predominate as the primary assessment method.

Course requirements don’t usually prescribe use of essays, but often state that assessment should be equivalent of ......word essay. Does this reinforce view that this is the norm? the standard?

Are they used and “designed as coherent part of the curriculum” (Merricks, 2002)?

In future need to move away from a reliance on essays as the principle assessment strategy and look at alternative methods of assessment that are more closely aligned with learning outcomes and student development (Ellis, 2001).

In Nursing especially where there is an ongoing tension between the academic (theory) and the practice, ways need to be explored of seamless assessment that values both equally and not one above the other.

Dan

Different disciplines will use different assessment methods

Practical Projects

Exams

In Class Exercises

Essays/Assignments

Keeping in mind constructive alignment (Biggs, 1999):

Expected outcomes to be aligned with the learning activities and assessment method

Conclusion

Conclusion

“...the more you can bring teaching, learning, and assessment together; the more successful you and your students will become in knowing how and to what extent meaningful progress is being made (Ellis 2001, p.38).”

Biggs, J. 1999: Teaching for Quality Learning at University. SRHE and Open University Press, Buckingham.

Ellis, A.K. 2001. Teaching, learning and assessment together: The reflective classroom. Larchmont:Eye on Education.

Irons, A. 2009. Enhanced learning through formative assessment and feedback. London: Routledge.

Light, G. & Cox, R. (2001). Learning and teaching in higher education. London: PCP Publishing.

Merricks, L. 2002. Assessment in post-compulsory education. In Jarvis, P. The theory and practice ofteaching. London: Kogan Page. Pp159-170.

Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA). (2006). Code of practice for the assurance ofacademic quality and standards in higher education. Section 6: Assessment of

students.SecondEdition

Ramsden, P. (2003). Learning to teach in higher education. Second edition. London: RoutledgeFarmer.

Reece, I. & Walker, S. (2007). Teaching, training and learning: A practical guide. Tyne& Wear:Business Education Publishers.

Wakeford, R. (1999). Principles of assessment. In Fry, H. Ketteridge, S. & Marshall, S. A Handbook for teaching and learning in higher education: Enhancing academic practice. pp 59-69. London:Kogan Page.

General References

Sonja ReferencesBrindley, C. and Scoffield, S. (1998) ‘Peer Assessment in Undergraduate

programmes’, Teaching in Higher Education, 3 (1), pp 79 – 90.

Cashin, W.E. and McKnight, P.C. (1986) ‘Improving Discussions’, Idea Paper No

15, on The Idea Center website,

<www.theideacenter.org/sites/default/files/Idea_Paper_15.pdf > [accessed

20/03/2011]

L. Dunn (2000) ‘Selecting Methods of Assessment’, on Oxford Centre for Staff

and Learning Development website,

<www.brookes.ac.uk/services/ocsd/2_learntch/methods.html> [accessed

20/03/2011]

Thissen, D., & Wainer, H. (2001). Test Scoring. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Page 1,

sentence 1

Dan ReferencesBrennan, M.J. (1995). Essay writing in nursing: alerting

students and teachers to the educational benefits. InNurse Education Today. Vol 15 (5) pp351-356.

Gallagher, P. (2004). How the metaphor of a gap betweentheory and practice has influenced nurse education. InNurse Education Today. Vol 24 (4) pp263-268.

Snelling, P.C. & Lipscomb, M. (2004) Academic freedom,analysis and the code of professional conduct. In NurseEducation Today. Vol 24 (8) pp615-612.

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