inclusive assessment external examiners conference 2015 professor pauline kneale and jane collings...
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Inclusive Assessment
External Examiners Conference 2015
Professor Pauline Kneale and Jane Collings
Educational Development
Challenging myths and changing approaches to assessment
• Difficult territory• Powerful myths about assessment • Disciplinary defences• Pockets of resistance• Transformational learning that is equitable.
Why inclusive assessment?
Through inclusive design wherever possible, and through individual reasonable adjustments wherever required, assessment tasks provide every student with an equal opportunity to demonstrate their achievement. (QAA (2013) UK Quality Code for Higher Education, Ch B6)
Traditional assessment practices that were once dominated by the unseen examination and the standard essay…have proved unable to capture the range and nature of the diverse learning outcomes now sought from courses.” (Boud & Falchikov,2006)
Plymouth University SPACE Project. Waterfield and West (2006)
Contingent approach
offers provision of
special arrangements
or adjustments
within existing systems
Alternative approach
offers different
assessment methods as a bolt-on for a minority of disabled
students.
Inclusive approach
is designed to ensure
accessibility for all
students and reduces the
need for MAPs.
Inclusive Assessment - why at Plymouth
• Student voice – assessment and feedback is an important theme for NUS & UPSU
• NSS & SPQ low scores for assessment & feedback • An increase in disabled students 13% (2014) &
modified assessment costs – DSA cuts 2016. • A review of the PU assessment (2012) indicated
inconsistent practices• Student retention through regular meaningful
assessment tasks and prompt feedback. • Inclusive development project 2014/15 ‘enhancing
assessment in partnership with students’
Assessment Policy:2014• Pre- assessment / feed-in activities & information,
discussion, feed-in with clear assessment and marking criteria
• A range of authentic, MAP free/ simple assessment methods aligned to learning outcomes.
• Scheduling - throughout the year, normally only 2 summative assignments
• Access to electronic submission and originality checking software.
• Fairly marked, anonymously ( if appropriate) with moderation and second marking
• Feed-forward & feedback with marks (asap) but within 20 days
Feed-in, feed-forward, feedback model of assessment
Student engagement and learning in assessment can be enhanced through:-
Feed-inWell designed assessment, briefing & preparation , DLE resources Practice sessions, assessment & marking criteria
Feed-forwardFormative ‘feedback’, cues, discussion, mid-way reviews, tutor, peer & self review and feedback
Feedback
end of task, written, verbal, mp3, YouTube, constructivemarks/grades, legible, DLE
LearningSpace
Embedding inclusive assessment @PU
Improved design• Assessments aligned to learning outcomes & explicit criteria & marking schemes Use of a range and balance of assessment
methods low MAP implications Detailed pre-assessment activities/ feed in/
practice/ examples of past work/presentations Offers progression and practice Weighting of exams & assessments ( 50:50%) More inclusive exams ( e.g open book; seen,
take home, typed (Mogey et al 2012) ) Consider offering a choice of assessment
methods (maximum of 2)
Improved scheduling Assessments ( summative and formative )
evenly scheduled throughout the year -avoiding bottle necks for staff & students
Avoid over assessment – normally 2 summative assignments
Consider the length of tests and exams (max 2hours)
End the use of summer vacation re-sits
Year:1/2/3/4/5
MCQ exam
IPSE / OSCE
Case study/ lab report
Essay
Reflective journal
Website/ wiki /podcast
Open book exam
Presentation /viva
Information leaflet
Inclusivity indicator/ risk factors Skills development
feed-in /preparation
offers progression
feed -forward / feed back
Risk of modified assessment provision
Scheduling bottle- necks
work placed aligned
Communication skills
Professional skills
Example
Module 1
Module 2
Module 3
Module 4
Module 5
Module 6
Resources 1.- review of assessment in programmes
Rating - Red – Amber – Green
Resources 2: Assessment planner ( across each stage )
Assessment Planner
Stage / year September October November December January February March April May June July
Module 1
Module 2
Module 3
Module 4
Module 5
Module 6
Stage / year September October November December January February March April May June July
Module 1
Module 2
Module 3
Module 4
Module 5
Module 6
Stage / year September October November December January February March April May June July
Module 1
Module 2
Module 3
Module 4
Module 5
Module 6
Resources 3: – assessment methods and their MAP implications
Improving student learning through feedback
A perspective on feedback:
Our students experience of feedback pre-HE have not prepared them for the demands of higher education and many could benefit from better induction into what feedback is for, how to recognise the diverse ways it is offered and how to use it to actively develop their learning. (Price et al., 2012)
SSTAR (2014) What is Excellent teaching ? UPSU
Time
Fast turn around
Content of feedback
What PU students say about feedback ….
Feed-in, feed-forward, feedback model of assessment
Student engagement and learning in assessment can be enhanced through:-
Feed-inWell designed assessment, briefing & preparation , DLE resources Practice sessions, assessment & marking criteria
Feed-forwardFormative ‘feedback’, cues, discussion, mid-way reviews, tutor, peer & self review and feedback
Feedback
end of task, written, verbal, mp3, YouTube, constructivemarks/grades, legible, DLE
LearningSpace
Impact of intervention at Plymouth University
Improvements in student satisfaction scores
Assessment Feedback
Accounting and Finance +20% +16%
Business Administration +36% +14%
School of Tourism and Hospitality
+19% +17%
Physiotherapy +20% +16%
Dental Surgery +20% +23%
Engineering +32% +22%
National Student Survey: 2014.
Teaching and Learning website Assessment pages
https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/your-university/teaching-and-learning/guidance-and-resources/assessment
References
• Boud,D. & Falchikov,N. (2006) Aligning assessment with long term learning. Assessment & Evaluation in HE. vol31.no4.p399-413
• Mogey.N.,Purcell.M., Pateson.J., Burke.J.; ( 2013) Handwriting or typing exams – can we give students the choice?
• Price, M., Rust, R., O'Donovan, B., Handley, K. and Bryant, R. (2012) 'Assessment literacy: The Foundation for Improving Student Learning', , OCSLD: Oxford,
• QAA: (2013) UK Quality Code for HE. Chapter B6. Assessment of students and recognition of prior learning
• Waterfield,J., & West,B.,(2006) Inclusive Assessment in Higher Education: A Resource for Change. Plymouth University